<p>I posted this in the Community college section but I didn't get any responses, parents are usually more knowledgable anyway so I thought I'd try it here.</p>
<p>I would like to get a few courses out of the way before I head to college next fall, so I thought enrolling in my local CC's summer semester would be a good idea.</p>
<p>More specifically I would like to take 3 semesters of calculus and 2 semesters of physics... Would this be too much to handle for one summer? Should I spread these courses out between this summer and next?</p>
<p>Please help me out, I'm unfamiliar with how CCs work.</p>
<p>Do not take that many classes in the summer.</p>
<p>Look at the summer school schedule at the CC you plan to attend. Most courses are condensed and you sit in class every day for several hours and then have homework for the next day. You may or may not have an experienced teacher, which is something the advisors on campus can tell you; do not register online.</p>
<p>I would recommend taking something a little fluffier in the summer that would fill a humanities or social science requirement. If you are going into a hard science or engineering, you will want a good foundation and you may or may not get that at your local CC. The professors at the university you will attend in the fall will know what you will need to be successful at that program. The CC where I work does not even offer the level of science and math courses you want to take as summer classes.</p>
<p>Do you mean credits rather than quarters? :)</p>
<p>Calculus and Physics are both hard subject . . . Check how many days there are in the summer semester. Then compare with the teaching days in the CC’s other semesters. If the summer session has less days, that may mean harder classes. (More info per day, less time to absorb it.)</p>
<p>If you aren’t doing anything else in the summer (like a job or volunteering), it’s probably possible to do well in both. You could also sign up for both and drop one class after assessing comparing the syllabi. (Make sure you know the last day you can drop a class to get a full refund BEFORE signing up.)</p>
<p>The reason I want to take physics and calculus at a CC is because I’ve heard they are difficult at the school I’m going to attend and I am not a very strong math student. As long as I get a 75 or above the credit will transfer without effecting my GPA, and these two courses are the only subjects that would be excessively difficult for me on the whole degree plan. </p>
<p>So I just want to get them out of the way, see where I’m coming from? Anyways, I appreciate the responses and let me know what you think.</p>
<p>You might also look into the possibility of taking those courses pass/fail at your university. It is a great option to take classes at a CC, and if you do not need the knowledge for your major, it is even better. I still would not take more than two classes at a time. The better you do in calculus, the easier physics will be. Oh, and just my two cents, if you have any trouble at all in the classes you take, get over to the tutoring center (or go to the professor) immediately for help.</p>
<p>thanks md mom, unfortunately my major does not allow me to take those courses pass/fail. So this summer do you think I should take Calc 1 and PHS 1 and then take calc 2 and phys 2 next summer?</p>
<p>That would probably work, but do go talk to an advisor because he/she will be able to guide you to more experienced professors–and there are some very good ones at CCs. Good luck.</p>
<p>Physics 1 usually has Calculus 1 as a co-requisite - that is you have either already taken Calc 1 or be taking it at the same time in order to take Physics I.</p>
<p>Summer courses can start around mid-May so it is possible to fit a 12-14 week semester in. To take three courses, they would have to be split up into classes of about four weeks. I’ve taken very condensed courses before (Boston College offers 3-week courses I believe), and it’s not something that I would recommend. There’s a lot of pressure and you have to absorb a lot of material in a short period of time. I think that learning is better accomplished with more time.</p>
<p>I would recommend taking Calculus I and maybe Physics I if you have the time and energy. Definitely get started preparing for both as early as you can. There are calculus video lectures on the web. There are also calculus textbooks, quizzes, tests and lecture notes on the web. You might even try to learn Calc I on your own this semester with help from your current tutoring center.</p>
<p>My son tutors Calculus and the biggest problem that he sees isn’t related to calculus. It’s skills in algebra - students aren’t proficient so that they make mistakes or take a long time to do simple problems. Make sure that your base skills up through precalculus are strong.</p>