<p>Do most entering freshman engineering students take 1B or 53 as their first math course?</p>
<p>i might take 1b for the fall, going to take 1a over the summer :)</p>
<p>I think people should just go ahead to take 53. why? Your schedule will get increasingly harder after your freshman year. If you take 1b, which I heard is a pretty hard class by itself, you will have to put Math 54 somewhere in your sophomore year, along with all other more difficult science lowerdiv classes. Having an extra math class will just make your sophomore year even more burdensome and stressful. Well, unless you are good at math......</p>
<p>If you've mastered BC, or did very well on it, I think 53 is a good way to go. Read what the math deparment says on their website. It might help you out.</p>
<p>54, or linear algebra, i heard is a easy subject compared to 53, or multivariable calculus.</p>
<p>Well, I have a friend who aced the BC, got an A+ is 53, and is struggling with 54. I think it's relative to the person. Maybe more people find 54 easier.</p>
<p>from what i've heard the difficulty difference between 53 and 54 varies completely from person to person. from what i've experienced with 1b, it's definitely not the same as taking bc calc in high school. if you want the better understanding (which would be good for engineering) go with 1b.</p>