@ucbalumnus I am fully aware of the course offerings. The Professors offering MATH 1231 and MATH 1220 (you must start at the beginning of the sequence) this semester are known to be incredibly difficult, poor instructors (esp. if you’ve never taken it before), and to produce low grades (like Cs). It’s not that I am not confident in my pre-calc knowledge, I just don’t want to risk getting a low grade because of a poor instructor if I don’t have to. What’s your suggestion? Am I going to be hurt in the application process w/ top ranked econ programs if I don’t take it this year?
Read the book. Go to class and pay attention. Start assignments early. If you have trouble, go to instructors’ office hours and ask for help.
The people who complain about the course or instructors probably do not do these things.
Look up the requirements for economics majors at your target schools.
Most of them will require the equivalent of MATH 1231 and 1232 (single variable calculus). Many will require the equivalent of MATH 2233 (multivariable calculus) and/or 2184 or 2185 (linear algebra).
Do every problem in the book. Then go back and do every problem again. Then go back and do them again. And maybe again. That’s the real secret to passing Calculua
Practice, practice, practice is key, as other users have stated. I see why you would want to avoid having a bad professor, but college courses largely depend on the amount of effort and time you put in.
As I’ve stated before, it’s not a matter of when you complete the course (double check with each institution if you can take the course the summer term after Freshman year), it’s a matter of grade and completion and requirements.