Math...

<p>Could someone explain the difference between all those freshman math classes to me?</p>

<p>Math 31, 32, 32L, 41, 103?
From what I've read, I'm supposed to be dreading Math 32 or 32L or something...is it really that bad? Don't get me stressing before school starts haha. How are the other classes, like 41, in comparison? What is the best course to take based on particular grades, like a non-passing BC exam grade (which I felt I made today haha).</p>

<p>Sorry if this question makes me sound really stupid...really, I just wanna make sure I know what I'm getting myself into. I don't quite understand how this whole class thing works (first person in my family to go to college haha)</p>

<p>well as far as I understand Math 31 is calc... Math 32 is kinda like calc II... math 41 is between math 31 and 32 and is for people with some, but not full, understanding of calc 1. It like goes over some stuff and then moves on.</p>

<p>well, i'm a fellow oh-ten, but i've done a little research myself...</p>

<p>31 = calc I
32 = calc 2
32L = calc 2 with lab
41= calc 1 and 2 in one semester
103 = calc 3 (multivariable)</p>

<p>From what I gather, 32L is the most failed class at Duke. The general feeling is that people go in thinking that they've already had most of calculus 1/2, so they tend to not dedicate as much time into the class. But apparently, calculus at Duke is taught in a much different way than AP. Also, grading is kind of weird... the math department only gives out as many semester grades as the number of grades that were on the final. So if only 20 people made As for the final, 20 people in the class would get As for semester. The difference between "L" classes and the other ones are that those labeled "Labs" are more application based; calculators are permitted. Math41 and math32 are more theoretical; no calculators allowed. Oh, also, the people in math 41 take the same final as people in math 32. Math 41 is generally taken by people who've had one year of calculus but didn't make a 4/5 on AP to earn credit. </p>

<p>People I've talked to say that I DO NOT want to take math at Duke for "review". They all tell me to go ahead and take the next available math course I can take.</p>

<p>If I posted anything wrong, definitely correct me. You can find info about the classes at the Duke math department website.</p>

<p>777 pretty much got it. I was told mixed things about where to start. A current Duke sophomore told me to start in 32, as she took it and did fine, but everyone else said to start in 103. SO I took 103, and ended up getting a C. Of course, I had one of the worst grades in the class so really, that's not representative of, well, the class.</p>

<p>My person opinion is if you can start in 103 start in 103, because from what I've heard 32 sucks. They're just going to make stuff you feel like you know phenomenally difficult. PLUS nothing from BC is really used in 103...no series and sequences or anything. So in my opinion it was definitely worthwhile, even if I didn't do so hot.</p>

<p>how can AP Calc credits (both AB and BC) be used for math? can you skip out, or just move up in level? what scores do you need to do either? and what is the math requirement at Duke? I read the AP credits Duke site but I'm still confused :( thankssss</p>

<p>For Trinity, only 2 AP credits can be used FOR CREDIT. Six additional APs can be used for placement. For Pratt, only two APs can be used to fufill the humanities requirements, but all other APs (math/science/econ) can be used for credit. </p>

<p>I'm going into Pratt, and will have credit for Physics 61 (AP), Physics 62 (AP), Math 31 (AP), Math 32 (Transfer), Math 103 (Transfer), English 29 (AP), and History 18A & 18B (AP). </p>

<p>This year I'll be taking AP exams in an attempt to get credit for Art History 20, English 20, and History 19A, 19B, but since I've already earned credit for two courses in the humanities my tests will only count for placement purposes.</p>

<p>
[quote]
For Trinity, only 2 AP credits can be used FOR CREDIT. Six additional APs can be used for placement.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>The two for credit limit is right (unless you're graduating early) but you can actually place out of as many classes as you want. It's the department's call.</p>

<p>don't forget about 25/26 for those of us who are math geniuses!!</p>

<p>all i have to say is lab SUCKED</p>

<p>Take Math 41 with Hodel. It's a good foundation for 103, and Hodel is one of the best math professors.</p>

<p>When you say Math 41 in one semester.....what do you do with the other semester then?</p>

<p>Sorry, I haven't got my schedule stuff yet so I have no clue about how this all works yet. And I don't think I did to hot on that BC exam yesterday...so it looks like Math 41 for me lol :o</p>

<p>BC is curved like crazy. Don't worry too much until you get your score. And I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "what do you do with the other semester." If you knock calc out in one semester, that frees up a semester to take something else.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Take Math 41 with Hodel. It's a good foundation for 103, and Hodel is one of the best math professors.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I don't know which Hodel this refers to but...seconded. Richard Hodel is seriously the only reason I'm doing well in 104 right now.</p>

<p>Don't take 41 with anyone other than Hodel...seriously. I took it this semester, and both teachers were grad students. I don't want to say names on here (it's oh so public) but my teacher definitely did NOT do a good job of teaching the material, it went incredibly quickly, the test average always hovered around a 50, and the final just had way too much information on it. I wound up with a C in the class, and even for a girl who was used to always getting straight-A's in High School, I was thanking God that I even passed. Ugh. It was just bad.</p>

<p>And Diana -- I could be wrong, but from what you said I have a feeling you may be thinking of this in terms of high school. In college, you change classes every semester - usually taking 4/semester, so you have taken 8 classes at the end of the year. It's not like high school, where you continue the same 5 or so classes all year. Christmas break marks the end of one set of classes and the beginning of another. So if you knock out Math in 1 semester, it just means that you don't have to take another semester's worth of Math - not that you sort of don't have a "class" where you once had one before. Hoping that's what you were thinking/that I helped...</p>

<p>Yeah, I haven't heard good things about 41. You only need a 3 on the BC exam to take 32, so that would probably be a better idea. And if you get a 4/5 you can go straight into 103.</p>

<p>Does anyone know what some of the differences between Math 103 and 103X are? I plan on doing a double major in math, so does taking the honors course help me in any way?</p>

<p>103X is either for math majors or people who want to dig more into the proofs and theory of multivariable calculus. Not that math majors must take X, mind you. Might help in terms of gaining practice writing proofs and whatnot.</p>

<p>bgrill27- since you have transfer credit for multivariable calc, what are you going to take as a freshman at duke?</p>

<p>I want to know because I'm sort of in the same situation. I'm already taking multivariable in high school, so I don't know if I should still take Math103 at Duke, or try to place into the next higher math (linear algebra). According to the website I'll need to write to the dept head about it if I've already completed multivar in high school. But I'm afraid of being surrounded by mostly upperclassmen in class if i take linear algebra.</p>

<p>I know freshman in 104 this semester...not fall semester but hey, it works. Alot of people who probably should be engineers/math majors and stuff.</p>

<p>If you want to dig into theory and proofs and don't want to do X...take 103 with Clark Bray. That class made my mind want to explode because that's about all he did.</p>

<p>So I know I've probably exhausted you guys with my anxiety over 32, but I couldn't pass up this thread.</p>

<p>Status: Took AB as junior. Got 5.
BC not offered by school.
Took Stat as senior: Don't know yet.<br>
Planning on getting the calc textbook and looking over stuff that would have been covered in 31, as I remember pretty much no calc. </p>

<p>Will this be sufficient to do okay in 32, having not done calc in a year? What chapters of the Penney book should I thus know, for those of you who took 31, and does 32 have any review of what we'll need to know from Calc I at all?</p>

<p>Thanks a ton. I want to get reacquainted with my dear Fundamental Theorem as soon as I can.</p>

<p>I took multivar in high school and went straight into linear (104) here. It really doesn't use anything from 103 besides 3D vectors. I almost skipped 104 too, but I'm kind of glad I didn't, because that's the class where they get you accustomed to proof-writing and stuff. Going straight into an even higher math class would require a lot of catching up.</p>

<p>Whoa, thanks for all the feedback guys.</p>

<p>Right now, I've settled on either Math 32 or Math 41.
I'll probably end up with a 2 on the BC calc exam (even if the grade curve is crazy nice, I still drew a LOT of pictures on free response problems i blanked out on haha), so...I guess it'll probably be Math 41. I pray for a good math professor haha.</p>

<p>Just a hint for any upcoming juniors...I think it would be a great idea to take AB before you take BC calc. You get a much more thorough understanding of calculus that way...unless of course, you were just born a math genius (not me).</p>

<p>I barely kept an A in BC all year</p>