<p>OK I guess this isn't <em>directly</em> related to UC Transfers but it is kind of related, as I plan on transferring to a UC. </p>
<p>Basically I want to transfer to a UC as an Econ major, and I need to take two calculus classes to even be considered. This is a big, BIG problem for me because I'm pretty terrible at math. its my worst subject. I never got past Algebra in high school, and I'll need to work my way from the bottom up....basically, per the prereq system at my community college, I'll have to do this:</p>
<p>I'm in my first year at CC currently taking Intermediate Algebra, and I'm already struggling. I currently have a C in that class, but I'm taking it credit/no credit b/c it's only a prereq and it's nontransferrable/non-IGETC, and it would wreck my GPA if i took it for a letter grade. (I currently have a 4.0 GPA for 8.5 units, not much but I would like to preserve that as much as possible)</p>
<p>I was totally lost during the first few weeks, but I'm starting to "get it" and I think I might be able to raise it to a B by the end (of course it would show up as CR/No CR, I'm just calculating what the grade would be if I were to take it w/ a letter grade).</p>
<p>Based on this, do you think it would be possible to even survive a 6-week Trig class during the summer? I have never even read a single page from a Trig textbook.</p>
<p>Also, would it look pretty bad if I took 2 math classes Pass/No Pass? If I take Trig P/NP as well I would have a total of 8 P/NP credits. Both Intermediate Algebra and Trig do not count towards the IGETC. I plan on definitely taking Calc 1 and 2 for a letter grade, as they are a major prereq classes. Should I even consider taking PreCalc P/NP?</p>
<p>In all honesty, if you are bad at math and struggling in trig, I would think twice about majoring in Econ. It only gets harder after taking trig. </p>
<p>How good are you at stats? Even when you finish calc 2, you might have to take a stats class after you transfer. Also some schools may require you to take a course on Econometrics (which can get quite difficult depending on the school/professor). Also Intermediate Microeconomics (upper-div) is required at most UCs and that draws topics from multi variable calculus. I’m not trying to scare you away from econ, but it would be a huge waste of time if you end up failing a calc course and you realize you should have majored in something else. </p>
<p>One of my friends from high school completed all of his pre reqs, except for Calc 2, which he saved for spring quarter before transferring. He got his admission rescinded by UCI because he got a D in the course. He barely got by in Calc 1, so now he switched to Comp Sci/Information Systems.</p>
<p>But to answer your question, it depends on how strong you are in math. I would take trig P/NP, because pre calc does have a bit of trig (not sure about the CC level but I know it did in high school). If you know how strong you are in Trig, then you will somewhat get a sense how you will do in pre calc. I doubt they will look at it, but I wouldn’t accumulate too many non-letter grade courses.</p>
<p>I’m going into calc part 3 (I’m doing fine in it, and am also not especially gifted in math) in 2 weeks and I never took trig, why bother taking it? It won’t even help you that much. I tested into calc though, did you try doing that and then just spending A LOT of time at the tutors? Thats how my first semester of calc went.</p>
<p>Lol its an inside joke between some of my friends, but lets just say we had some fun golfing in pure darkness. We were not completely sober or have even played golf in our lives. Also it wasn’t really open hours, which we realized after one of my friends tripped the alarm. I gotta thank my high school track and field days for keeping my clean record.</p>
<p>@Corinnejay, yeah I took calc 3 and I thought it was completely fine. I actually found Calc 2 harder (got a 94% in 2 but a 99% in 3). But I also took AP calc in high school and did pretty well in high school mathematics. I just bring up the difficulty factor for him because he is JUST taking intermediate algebra. If he doesn’t know any trig at ALL, then he isn’t going to be able to test into calc. </p>
<p>Actually, will you be able to finish Calc 2 in time ? Most of the UCs want you to finish it by the spring quarter you want to transfer. If you are under semester, then wouldn’t you be required to finish it by summer quarter (which is passed the deadline)?</p>
<p>@dudemanguy when i first started cc back in fall 08, i was in the same situation you were in…i never took any math class past algebra in high school, and when i took the math placement test at my cc i placed in pre-algebra…and my major is computer science so i also have to take calc 1 and calc 2 to be considered…i went from pre-algebra->elementary alegbra->intermediate algebra->trig->precalc where i am now…i took a math class every semester including summer sessions, and i feel you cuz math doesn’t come natural to me either…but honestly if you put your mind to it and work hard at it you can do it…make sure you do your hw and go to the math lab on your campus for help…also ask questions in class and you will be fine…btw you can take your algebra classes/trig class for a grade and it won’t affect your UC GPA which is the only GPA that UC’s look at that come from your UC transferrable course work…i took my algebra/trig classes P/NP as well</p>
<p>you know i was in a similar situation back when i was a freshman. I never took any class past algebra 2/trig like precalculus or stats in highschool. Somehow i managed to place into calculus for engineering at UCSB and i freaked out my first week because i didn’t know what e or the natural log was. I eventually caught up and learned to love the subject. This was two years ago and now i’m currently taking real analysis and abstract algebra at berkeley and hopefully some graduate classes next semester. Math was never something i was strong at either but i think it becomes much easier when you try to understand the implications of theorems and concepts rather than how to solve certain problems. Back in highschool i always thought math meant plugging in a formula and it really hindered my ability to learn math until i got around this mindset of just trying to find the recipe for different problems.</p>
<p>@peterr86, I’m not sure about your prof but my prof loves throwing in trigs stuff. so I thought it was weird saying that you don’t need any trig. Either way, taking trig will be beneficial.</p>
<p>You don’t really need that much trig for calc 1, it gets a little more trig-y in calc 2. But nothing you cant learn as you go, or with a review class.</p>
<p>Yeah, once you get passed that “Wait, what do I plug in a formula?” step and truly realize the power of theorems (even how to derive them), then math actually gets really interesting. I want to take real analysis over the summer, but I don’t think I have time with my internship.</p>
<p>Oh, maybe he can finish it then. I just thought CC semester was only 2 sessions and summer (never been on semester in my life). I still use trig to this date and pre calc material has a lot of trig material (which you are expected to know), so I would definitely take a course on it. However, I don’t know your CC’s curriculum for trig or pre calc. Maybe talk to some of the teachers?</p>
<p>Hm, thanks guys, some really helpful info here.</p>
<p>@Peter86, I can’t transfer that fast cuz my college doesnt have a winter semester. Only Fall/Spring/Summ. I’ll probably be transferring Fall '12, according to the plan I have now:</p>
<p>Intermediate Algebra / Spring 10 (now)
Trig / Summer 10
PreCalc / Fall 10
Calc1 / Spring 11
Calc2 / Fall 11
Done with math/ Spring 12
Transfer to UC / Fall 12</p>
<p>Maybe I should push everything down so I’m doing Trig next fall instead of summer and then Calc2 the spring immediately before transfer? I can do that cuz it’s a major prereq and not IGETC/Gen Ed, right? </p>
<p>I dont plan on taking Calc 1 or 2 during summer sessions, I think that would be wayy hard for me.</p>
<p>Anyway, I heard something about some accelerated math classes at online colleges or something that I could take that could actually allow me to transfer in 2011. I wouldnt mind that at all… Anyone know anything about this?</p>
<p>trig should be manageable over the summer. hell i pulled of linear and discreet mathematics over the summer. @MidnightGolfer i seriously want to take an analysis course. but i also have an internship thats in the way :(</p>
<p>@OP i’m in the same boat as you… I haven’t taken my assessment test yet but my major is econ and i’m not the best at math. In HS I did geometry->algebra 2->Trig->Stats (this year) I did well in geometry, decent in alg.2 and horribly in Trig (B and a D) im doing well in Stats so far but i’m terrible at test taking so i’m worried i’ll be placed wayy to low :(</p>
<p>I was always the best or just about the best in math of my peers. Skipped 2 grades in it(should’ve been 3 but I transferred school districts)</p>
<p>come highschool I’m in algebraII in the 9th grade, easy A never did homework never studied… trig/precalc comes and my scholastic ethic declines. I basically slept in class and did the bare minimum to get by, B-s both semesters. It was OK though, the teacher said that we didn’t really need trig for calculus and the precalc stuff was simple enough. 11th grade, instead of doing AP calc, I take calc at the community college. I was the only 16 year old there. I dropped it. I didn’t have the work ethic(ok, I worked around 30-40 hours a week) to succeed in the class, especially when I slept the whole time. I dropped it. Took Ap calc my senior year, skidded by with a C and got a 2 on the AP test. Took calc1 in college. B+(almost had an A I was kicking myself over it)</p>
<p>here’s the tragedy…
took calc2… I determined I was a genius already… HARDCORE fail, not even close to passing. was sorta getting the hang of it but not really. I had a vague idea of what was going on. Took it again in the summer D+ ARGH!!!</p>
<p>next semester I couldn’t enroll in it without special permission. I took honors calc1+2 instead. Also did nothing(for I was a genius) BUT TRIG… WOW TRIG. OUCH IT KILLED ME. Where was this stuff coming from? I got… another D+. next term I retook calc2 and honors calc1+2 got Bs in both(in my defense honors calc had A LOT of proofs which i didn’t care to memorize and I basically dropped the final as I was focusing more on other courses) and I determined that the grading scale of the regular calc2 prof I had was horrible(also missed an entire page on the first test, OOPS).</p>
<p>but yeah, trig gets USED A LOT IN CALC2.
A LOT.</p>
<p>things which are most important
sin^2 + cos^2 =
tan^2 + 1 = sec^2
half angle formulas
Sum-Difference Formulas</p>
<p>OP: I was basically in the same position as you a year ago. Worked my way up to Calc 1 and realized that I wasn’t cut out for this (yes I suck, I know). You probably have more willpower than I do. All I can say is that I found trig to be a pain in the ass. Pre-cal, on the other hand, was easy.</p>
<p>Edit: your school don’t offer a combined pre-cal/trig course?</p>