Difference between calculus 1/2 and calc a/b?

<p>Just wondering which I should take being a biology major. Also, why do we sign up for 3 electives and 4 seminars? What are the chances of us receiving the first classes we listed?</p>

<p>idk what ab is unless you mean AP Calc AB. in which case it is basically Calc 1 and half. AB covers calc 1 and some of calc 2, which is why some colleges give you credit for calc 1+2 and others require a test and others only give credit for calc 1. AP Calc BC is calc 1+2 and the beginning of 3, so you get credit for 1+2 and have a little bit of a leg up in calc 3. </p>

<p>And idk anything about bio majors sorry.</p>

<p>I think the OP was asking about courses at Notre Dame, not high school courses. I believe bio majors generally take the calc a/b sequence, but either sequence should fulfill the math requirement.</p>

<p>Hey Montanadomer, Calculus A = Calc I and Calculus B = Calc II. I took both courses and they are designed specifically for science majors. If you have no credit going in you are placed in Calc A for the first semester but if you have a certain amount of credit you can get into Calc B. I found both classes to be fairly easy after taking Calc in high school so there isn’t too much to worry about.</p>

<p>Anyone take Honors Calc? How was it? I am uncertain of my major(leaning toward some combo of Classics, Philosophy, Math and Physics) but am taking Honors Calc to cover my bases. I took Calc for 2 semesters at the local college and did well but I am a little nervous as they say Honors Calc is proof based.</p>

<p>Honors Calc is intellectual boot camp. First semester isn’t horrible, though I did more work for the class than all my other classes combined (I was a bio major). A large portion of the class will drop, and about half will go from honors calc 1 to honors calc 2. Only take the class if you love math on the theoretical level. That said, I loved my profs, it was the most intellectually invigorating class I ever took, and the small class size was great.</p>

<p>Also, don’t freak out when you see your exams before they announce the averages. I started flipping out on my first test second semester before he told us the class average was a 30% and he’d have to go back to the drawing board on making exams because we weren’t on the level he thought we were yet.</p>

<p>I took Honors Calc my freshman year. I agree with most of what BioDomer said, but I wouldn’t say you should only take it if you love math on the theoretical level. Rather, give it a shot if you have any interest in math at all, and you may discover that you love math on the theoretical level. Yes, the class is difficult and many disliked and dropped it, but I know just as many who discovered a passion for math they didn’t know they had, some of whom have changed their major to math because of their experience in that class. It’s a difficult class and the proof-based structure takes a lot of getting used to, but if you persevere it can be an extremely rewarding and intellectually stimulating experience. I probably learned more and developed more intellectually in that class than in all my other classes combined that year.</p>