<p>I really don't think you can get a fair report how long much easier 102 is compared to 103 because no one has taken both. I personally thought 103 was a really good class (and fairly easy), but I have also seen it destroy people. My roomie took 102 and looking at the material, I'd say its easier to a little less than much easier.</p>
<p>ah thank you HiWei!
hm... I guess I should seriously think about taking 102 instead...
While it's true that I have covered most of the topics in 103, I personally don't think I'm mathematically talented or anything... I don't want to take any risks...</p>
<p>another thing that I was wondering about was... Are these classes at Duke the sort of classes that if you really spend your time and effort, your work pays off?
I mean, I did get a 5 in Calc AB, didn't have much problem with BC, and did survive multivariable calc in highschool... But I feel that my good results are attributed to my diligence, not my flair in the subject.
I have always worried that math at college would be so hard that even if I work very hard, with my mediocre "mathematical intelligence," I wouldn't be able to do well... What do you tihnk HiWei? (Or anybody else)</p>
<p>everyone at duke that starts in 102/103 got a 5 on the AP test, and thinks they are the **** at math. the average grade in those classes is a B-, and only about 25% As are given.</p>
<p>so uh, it really separates the crowd.</p>
<p>that being said, diligence does go a long way... unfortunately some people at duke take diligence a step too far and study for 10+ hours for each test or something like that :-) if thats what it takes for you to get an A- in math103, then go for it.</p>
<p>haha didnt mean to scare you... a lot of people go to Duke with the belief that it will be just like high school... i think its best to go in with a realistic view and to understand who you are up against (yes who, everything is normalized somehow, no matter what they tell you). grades aren't handed out, but that also means that getting a B in math103 isn't the worst thing in the world (considering you beat over half the people that took the course). lots of smart people get B+ and below in every course. these people end up FINE. employers and grad schools (for the most part) understand that Duke is not an ordinary school, and a 3.5 is still really good.</p>
<p>Uh yea, I can't give good advice about how much Calc BC prepares you for 103 because I took multivariable for the first time at the University of Minnesota, which was already pretty intensive. This I do know though: dedication to work in any class, especially math IMO, will pay off to some degree. What I've heard about the transition from HS calc to 103 is that if you go to the office hours, 103 becomes just like an accelerated version of HS math. The material can't get harder; at that point, its just about keeping up (how hard you work). However everybody has natural limits in any subject. I've seen people study for 8+ hours for a 103 test and still not do well, and I've seen no studying and still get the top grade. </p>
<p>the 25% A isn't a set percentage. If you try hard and deserve an A, you'll get it. </p>
<p>One more thing, if you know you're going to be an Econ major, I think the department actually suggests you take 102 over 103 because its more applied to economics. Either way, no one will look down on you if you take 102 rather than 103.</p>
<p>hm yes you are right bsbllallstr8... I'm keep reminding myself that college requires me to become more diligent and organized... </p>
<p>And yes HiWei, I think they do recommend 102 for freshmen who know they will major in econ.. and yup I'm one of them... although uncertainty prevents me from saying 100%, I'm pretty sure I will end up being an econ major (with a possible double major in political science or some other form of social sciences).</p>
<p>So if I'm not terrible at math, would I be able to end up with a fairly good grade (B+ or so) if I do dedicate myself, take the time to visit offices, and go beyond the assigned work? </p>
<p>Again, I sincerely thank both of you for all the input.</p>
<p>Haha if you "dedicate yourself, take the time to visit offices, and go beyond the assigned work," you can basically expect an A.</p>
<p>The problem with college is it becomes exponentially harder to do those things because there are so many other things to do. I've had entire weeks where I couldn't focus because of distractions and didn't go to 103 cause I stayed up too late. If you can do the things you said, I'd be very impressed and jealous of your 4.0.</p>
<p>i dont think in all cases with dedicated effort you can expect an A. i put in a huge amount of time and still got a B+ (missed an A- by .5% on the final exam lame as hell). anyway, i think aptitude plays a pretty large factor - remember there will be a sizable portion of the group that have either taken it before or just... get it..</p>
<p>25% is not a set number for A/A-, but thats what they gave my semester. They make the final hard enough so that even a low score can be curved to a decent grade. i got a 155/200 on the final and 156/200 was A- (i think those are right, its been a while)</p>
<p>hiwei makes a good point.. sometimes it can be difficult to dedicate the time academically.. and in a lot of cases i would say its not as important as being social and figuring out 'real world' things. a good school/life balance is very important in college.</p>
<p>I want to say that duke is hard. and you do realize the people on CC usually represent the higher end of the class, just because CC people (especially those who go to duke forums in the summer) are overachievers. again, generalization.</p>
<p>For math, it's going to be hard. I got a 730 on Math SAT I, 5 on BC, took 103 and got a C working my ass off. I went to math help hours/office hours, etc. I guess I 'suck' at math (according to duke standards), that's all. I just want to let you know off the bat that certain duke courses won't care how hard you work... it's more about the results, not the effort you put in necessarily. One of my best guyfriends got high every night, drank 5x a week, took 103 with me and pulled an A with very little work. I guess it just depends on how well you 'get' the material and can pull it off on the exam. There really is no extra credit and homework counts for very little.</p>
<p>Sorry guys... this isn't high school. You will pray just to pass a class. I'm not saying all of y'all will be like this, but just to give you a heads up. A couple of Cs will not kill you. (at least, I hope not)</p>
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<p>Haha, I have to find something to do when I need to take a break from working... </p>
<p>And of course, everybody is right, its not easy. Hopefully I didn't come off as saying that because I'd be screwing you over a little. Definitely expect lower grades than in HS... if you don't accept this, it will destroy you.</p>
<p>I took 103 last semester (which was my second semester of freshman year). I am also an Econ major, and I decided on 103 instead of 102 because I was really unsure what I wanted to do at the beginning of the semester, and I felt like 103 is more general and applicable for other programs (if I'm not mistaken, 102 pretty much exists just for Econ majors).</p>
<p>I would tell you to take 102 if you're absolutely sure you want to be an econ major because it is definitely easier. But consider holding off on it until second semester after you've gotten an econ class under your belt and know for sure that's what you want to do...I believe econ is one of the most popular majors going into freshman year, but a TON of people get weeded out.</p>
<p>In any case, whether you take 102 or 103, you want Clark Bray as your professor.</p>
<p>yes. Clark Bray is the only prof for 102, and I heard so much good things about him (though his tests seem to be notoriously hard).
But the thing is, I'm thinking about doing Econ 55 first semester. If I don't have math 102 or 103 under my belt, then I can't take a higher econ class the second semester. What schedule would you recommend godevils 2011?</p>
<p>and the another thing that makes me hesitate is that I have taken materials covered in 103, whereas more than half of stuff in 102 looks new to me (I went to Clark Bray's website and tried the previous tests there).
However, the impression that I got was that 103 really required you to grasp the in-depth material behind everything. On the otherhand, 102, while also quite hard, doesn't go too far. For example, multiple integration was sth I covered in highschool and when I looked at multiple integration questions on 102 old tests, I could actually do almost all of them fairly easily, whereas on 103, it was really hard. What do you guys think?</p>
<p>I can say that Bray is pretty good. His teaching was one of the only positive experiences I have had with the math department. (had him for 103)</p>