<p>i've stayed out of this thread thus far, but:
[quote]
And, just because you got a 5 on BC and took multivariable doesn't mean that Calc I will be an easy A.
[/quote]
yes, yes it does. trust me. half the people in Calc 1 have never seen calculus before, and you have an enormous advantage. you don't even have to show up, if you can do the problem sets on your own.</p>
<p>my advice, which may not be the advice you want to take, is to accept every opportunity for an easy A. your GPA is your most precious asset at a school like Columbia, and every easy class you have is more free time you have to focus on the hard ones (like Intensive G-Chem or Contemporary Civ) that are worth your time. I was a "math whiz" of sorts, but I started with (essentially) Calc 2 and took it easy. There are plenty of opportunities to challenge yourself, but background stuff you've already done (i.e. Calc 1-3) shouldn't be one of them. wait till you get to Partial Differential Equations, THAT one is worth your time. Everything before then is largely trivial.</p>
<p>What about employers? Colleges look at the courseload of high school applicants, so shouldn't employers look at the level of difficulty of your college transcript? Doesn't the "a B in AP Calc is better than a A in AlgII" expand to universities as well?</p>
<p>If you fulfill all your requirements, everyone should essentially have taken the same courses in your concentration.</p>
<p>I like how the OP is trying to determine the math ability of Columbia peers, by categorizing by the level of math one has thus studied, which will not matter, unless the majority do what Denzera has described. You should be placed in the class best suited for you, and you are only competing against people within your own class.</p>
<p>
[quote]
What about employers? Colleges look at the courseload of high school applicants, so shouldn't employers look at the level of difficulty of your college transcript? Doesn't the "a B in AP Calc is better than a A in AlgII" expand to universities as well?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Employers don't have time for this sort of thing. A 3.8's a 3.8.</p>
<p>So what sequence of math courses do most kids in SEAS take?
Calc 2 and onwards?</p>
<p>I also went to the SEAS degree requirements and there was this seperate "honors" math route... what is this? Is it worth the trouble?
will it help out when you are taking major related classes in junior year?</p>
<p>i havent taken honors math but from the friends i have who do take it, it seems a LOT more proof oriented than the regular calcs or whatever.</p>
<p>that's just what i've observed tho, maybe someone here has actually taken it</p>
<p>
[quote]
I also went to the SEAS degree requirements and there was this seperate "honors" math route... what is this? Is it worth the trouble?
will it help out when you are taking major related classes in junior year?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It's very theoretical. It's more geared to pure math majors. If you enjoy that sort of thing and are good at it, go for it. It's meant to be a "killer class," but if you're not great at math, you wouldn't be taking it. It's not really going to help you all that much in engineering classes.</p>
<p>it's extremely proof-oriented and abstract. the regular Calc sequence is more traditional problems and concepts in a calculus sequence.</p>
<p>ahh well thanks for clearing that up everyone.</p>
<p>So about my other questions...</p>
<p>Would calc2 be a good place to start if you have already taken BC?</p>
<p>i'd call that a "middle of the road" choice. Starting with Calc 3 would be rather aggressive - it would be mostly new material to you - but starting with Calc 1 would be kinda wimpy, you'd then have two semesters of 'review' instead of one.</p>