<p>I'm thinking about taking pre-calc Trig. during the summer at my CC, so I can just get it out of the way and start Calc. there during the Fall. But I already know how some material may have to be skipped over, I just don't want to miss out on any concepts that I will need for Calc.. </p>
<p>Is it a good idea to take Trig during the summer?</p>
<p>Good question. I’ve wondered the same thing for a while. I’m pretty good at trig - have had lots and lots of practice with the six functions, mastered two dimensional vectors, etc - but that was all on my own. Never have I had a class. After taking many practice ACT tests and NEVER missing any of the math problems, I know my scores from the upcoming test will allow me to go straight to calculus 1 (only need a 27 math), however, I’m planning on taking both calculus 1 and plane trigonometry next semester. I want to make sure by the end of that semester that I have enough knowledge of trig and have also taking calculus 1.</p>
<p>go and buy this book:
Pre-calculus for dummies.</p>
<p>it will prepare you very well for your calculus class.</p>
<p>I’ve heard horrible things about the for dummies trig book. Plus, you need to do lots of practice problems. Google can link to a good site that will explain the process if it’s new. I use old textbooks, do all of the odd numbers problems, and then check my work in the back and redo everything I got wrong.</p>
<p>Most Calculus courses are actually called “Calculus & Analytic Geometry 1/2/3”. You may want to look up what Analytic Geometry is. When I was in high school, it was the course AFTER Trigonometry.</p>
<p>Also…</p>
<p>Calculus II will have a TON of integrals for the trigonometric functions. Calculus III will use trigonometry for vectors.</p>
<p>After your Calculus courses, you will have Differential Equations and when you start doing 2nd-order Diff Equs with imaginary numbers, the solutions will use Sin and Cos functions.</p>
<p>So, to answer your question…CALCULUS HAS A FRIGGIN’ LOT OF TRIGONOMETRY</p>
<p>Trig is unskippable. Feel free to self-study rather than take a class, but cover that material one way or another.</p>
<p>It isn’t just about how much you will need trigonometry in calculus, but how much you will need it in general as an engineer. It is ubiquitous. There are plenty of people who could self-study it and be fine. Others would need a class.</p>
<p>pre-calculus workbook for dummies.
it is amazing and has tons of exercises.
I downloaded the book for free considering I am in Syria and there is not copy-rights here 
if you want to check it out,I can send it to you.</p>
<p>best;</p>
<p>Trig cannot be skipped. </p>
<p>You won’t be using trigonometry to solve for angles or sides of triangles until Calc II, but knowing basic trig identities and what different trig values equal is paramount. Take it over the summer if you must, but don’t skip it.</p>
<p>On the topic of the for dummies book: I would actually recommend buying the Calculus for Dummies book. It has a section that goes over the basic trig that you need and the author explains calculus concepts really nicely. Link: <a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Calculus-For-Dummies-Mark-Ryan/dp/0764524984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363218637&sr=8-1&keywords=calculus+for+dummies[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/Calculus-For-Dummies-Mark-Ryan/dp/0764524984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363218637&sr=8-1&keywords=calculus+for+dummies</a></p>
<p>If you need have problems learning the unit circle, watch this video: <a href=“❖ A Way to remember the Entire Unit Circle for Trigonometry ❖ - YouTube”>❖ A Way to remember the Entire Unit Circle for Trigonometry ❖ - YouTube; . Patrick really breaks it down into something that is easily memorable; or at least easily derived. It’s much better than doing laborious memorization.</p>
<p>Barron’s precalc book is very good, very comprehensive, though riddled with typos.</p>
<p>self-study Lial & hornsby, one of the better books on the market. don’t rush pre-calc. it is the most important math course out there.</p>
<p>I took the calculus/physics series without having taken a trig class in close to 10 years, and I probably got a C in it 10 years ago.</p>
<p>Obviously you don’t need to take a formal class, but you really need to at least self study. I made it much harder on myself than needed by teaching myself trig along side calculus and physics.</p>
<p>In Elbonia we devoted an entire year on Trigonometry… Depending on what engineering you do you may never see a cosine again or you may be seeing it a lot… Also cameo appearances of trig in the usual basic engineering type classes also (Dynamics some, Physics, Statics, and so on)</p>
<p>You need trig for calculus. When you do integrals, there are trig tricks you can use to transform an integral into a simpler form when you have quantities that can be viewed as lengths of the sides of a triangle. Very useful and sometimes the only way to do it without a numerical quadrature to find a number value for you. And as others said, needed for many other areas even outside of calculus. Learn it asap for sure.</p>