<p>I am taking Calculus this fall in college and I wanted to know how hard is it? After completing my Chemistry summer course I have 2 weeks before I start back to school and I just wanted to know what are the key things that one needs to know about if they never even stepped a foot in a calculus class before. I have already taken College Algebra and Pre Calculus now my next step is Calculus & Analytic Geometry.</p>
<p>Same here, I got an A in precalc and have ~3 weeks until fall starts and I’m taking Calc I. There is a beginning Calculus course on coursera which i’m going to study to hopefully have a slight head start. But I would be interested in other people’s replies too. </p>
<p>Good luck. </p>
<p>Calculus is largely conceptual with a few algebra tricks thrown in. Honestly, get a solid base in algebra. Be able to recall rules and be able to apply them. It’s things like spotting that something can be factored and suddenly you’ve gotten rid of a divide by 0 issue in a problem involving finding the limit. Usually teachers review that with the class, but if they don’t, it’s a really good idea to review algebra rules. Since the rest is conceptual and builds on itself, follow the teacher and ask for help from tutors, friends, professors, whatever when you’re lost so you can really master the math.</p>
<p>Also, I hadn’t taken Calculus before reaching college. The first test was sort of rough because I didn’t have a full grasp on it yet when I couldv’e asked for more help and spent more time on it. I did that and I ended up unscathed by the end of the semester.</p>