Precalculus during first semester

<p>I am a mechanical engineering major and I have a setback. I know that the average STEM major takes Calculus 1 their first semester of college since their major's curriculum is designed in a way where all the classes act like prereqs. for each other. At my university, engineering majors are required to complete a HUMONGOUS amount of ME courses. However, I was put in Precalculus for my first semester. Because of this, I am not permitted to also take Physics as well, due to Calculus 1 having concepts that are used in that course. In high school I took AP Calculus BC and AP Physics C in my junior year. However, like the other AP courses I took in high school, I didn't take any of the AP exams due to the cost of the exams and scheduling conflicts. According to my university's policy, the only way students can be placed in Calculus 1 is if they received a passing score on the AP exam or take the Precalculus prereq. they offer and get a passing grade in the class. Because of this, I technically will not be able to start the real engineering courses until my second year then. A few of my friends have suggested that after my first year, I should try to take Calculus 2 next summer so I can be caught up with the other ME students. Others have told me that I shouldn't since it would be extremely intense. Does anyone have any sort of advice as to what I should do?</p>

<p>Will you be a freshman in the Fall? Where?</p>

<p>I will be a freshman at CSU Fullerton </p>

<p>I’d talk to the department chair and see if you can test in. Explain why you didn’t take the AP. There’s a good chance they’ll let you “prove” your way in. Make sure you study pre-calc and calc before you test. Good luck.</p>

<p>I already talked to the department chair. The last day to test into it was filled up already, so I can’t do that.</p>

<p>$80 for a clep exam. Cheaper than tuition for precalc + calc.</p>

<p>My parents were paying $22,000 for my sister and my high school tuition, along with textbook costs and other prices. </p>

<p>You stated that your parents paid tuition for your high school, so you attended a private school. I am surprised that your private school allowed you to take AP courses and not mandate that you take the AP exams.</p>

<p>I suggest you make another attempt to talk to the department head because as @da6 said, paying to take the AP Calculus exam in no way compares to paying tuition to re-take these math courses.</p>

<p>My school gave students the option to take the AP exams for the only 10 AP courses they offered us. Only 15% of students at my school took Honors/AP courses at all so class sizes were small and very few students received passing AP scores. </p>

<p>Nvm, 10char</p>

<p>OP - I hope you find a way around this. </p>

<p>Once your problems are sorted out, please do contact your hs Guidance Counselors. They should know enough to coach students to take the AP exam,especially engineering applicants. Not doing so is being penny wise. I’m not faulting you… it’s understandable that you didn’t know enough to anticipate this scenario. </p>

<p>OP, yes it sounds like your HS guidance counselors failed in their job. But the blame isn’t theirs alone. YOU are the responsible for making sure that you have the skills, credentials, forward planning to make sure that you will successful. It sounds like you figured out a lot of this too late. Be more proactive in how you plan your life; understand your roles, responsibilities and what is necessary to be successful. </p>

<p>Have you considered a gap year and get everything set up (testing, etc.) for next fall?</p>

<p>How well did you do in AP Calculus BC? Can you still test out of Calculus 1 at this time if you did well in your HS class?</p>

<p>Otherwise, it sounds like a almost wasted first year in college. You can take a lot of general ed classes and get as many out of the way as possible. But, engineering classes follow a sequence that is hard to do in 3 years, which is the timeframe you will be under as it appears to stand now.</p>

<p>@HPuck35 My parents would NEVER let me take a gap year. If anything doing that would be a waste of time. At least in my first year of college I could knock out some non-engineering GEs. In calculus BC I had a 97% (A) and Physics C I had a 95% (A). I worked hard to get straight A’s in high school. Plus the counselors have nothing to do with what students take the AP exams. That is on the teachers. Plus like I said earlier, the timing of the exams conflicted with my heavy schedule during the dates. </p>

<p>@colorado_mom My guidance counselors in high school were among the best. They were very personal and helpful towards students at my school. They were like family to us, especially it being a small Christian school. With their guidance and advice, a lot of my friends and I succeeded in school. Plus they helped write the best letter of recommendations for lots of students in my senior class. A large amount of my graduating senior class got accepted to Claremont schools and UCs with the help of these guidance counselors. Because of their motivation and Christ-like attitudes, my school is among the very few high schools were 100% of a class graduates. It’s because of my counselor that I was able to stay motivated, take the courses I needed, and score a high GPA that put me in the “Top 10 Students”.</p>

<p>edit: Sorry to hear you had a family emergency. Next time try opening with that instead of “I didn’t take any of the AP exams due to the cost of the exams and scheduling conflicts” and “Plus like I said earlier, the timing of the exams conflicted with my heavy schedule during the dates.” Easier to understand the truth.</p>

<p>Another note, did you talk with Dr. Goode or Jan Sheridan (google is your friend)? Placing out of a math class has nothing to do with the engineering department. If you were going to discuss the possibility of placing out of math150A/B (i.e. taking a proctored final exam for both), it likely would be with either of those people mentioned above.</p>

<p>@da6onet I have another meeting scheduled in August regarding that. However, if I do not have any success in changing out of my math class, I need another alternative. Like probably taking Cal. 2 or Intro to Linear Algebra with Diff. Equations in summer school. As for the AP exam, I was out of town during the weeks of the exams due to a personal family emergency, so your remark isn’t beneficial to this conversation at all.</p>

<p>@da6onet Family emergency does count as a scheduling conflict. I already have a meeting with the math department scheduled in August. </p>

<p>I don’t have experience with many schools but the sequence as you describe it seems off. From what I have seen at other schools getting AP credit for BC calculus will get you out of taking calc 1 and possibly 2, not give you eligibility to take these classes. I have seen other criteria such as SAT scores, grades in math classes or math skills testing done by the college to determine your entry level and eligibility to take calc 1. Maybe others have seen requirements that you describe but it seems strange that you would need to get AP credit to be eligible to take the class. AP credit usually gets you out of the class and allows you to move on to the next level. It really seems that you need to speak with an advisor at your college. But if you do need to take precalc for whatever reason I would expect that you will not be alone with this and that you can get more required courses out of the way freshman year and catch up. That is how it is at S’s university. It just doesn’t make sense that you would need to take a class to prepare you for a class you have already aced. That just seems wrong. </p>

<p>@spectrum2 SAT math score determines whether or not a student has to take the ELM (a test that determines if a student should be placed in remedial math or not). I got a 660 in math and the lowest score to be exempt from the ELM was 550. So therefore, i was eligible to take college level math. If you receive a 3+ on AP Calculus AB, you get placed into Calculus 1 or possibly 2, depending on how advanced you are in the subject. If you get a 3+ on AP Calculus BC, you get placed in Multivariable Calculus.</p>

<p>CSU Fullerton has a Math Qualifying Examination (MQE) to determine whether a student is ready to take calculus 1 (skipping any remedial precalculus courses):
<a href=“Redirect”>http://www.fullerton.edu/admissions/prospectivestudent/placementexams.asp&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“404: File Not Found - University Testing Center | CSUF”>404: File Not Found - University Testing Center | CSUF; (NOTE: deadline to register for the July 19 test date is July 9 – given that, you need to go there in person to register)</p>

<p>“Contact University Testing Center at (657) 278-3838 for additional testing information.”</p>

<p>There is also a math department exemption mentioned on that web page. Ask the math department about that as well.</p>

<p>If you cannot start in calculus 1, it is likely that your graduation will be delayed by a semester (or even a year if some of the courses in the key prerequisite sequences are offered only once per year).</p>

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<p>This is true of CSU Fullerton: <a href=“Undeclared and Academic Advising Center | CSUF”>Undeclared and Academic Advising Center | CSUF;