<p>I transferred into another university, and while I'm planning to continue pursuing my humanities major, I was also considering Computer Science. Yet if I would decide to major in that, I would have to catch up a lot, and so I thought it would make sense to take Intro to Comp Sci in the summer which would both give me a taste of it and help me catch up if I were to decide it's my thing.</p>
<p>However, there's a lot of math in that field, and I thought it's a good idea to take it together with Pre-Calc to see whether I'll be able to handle it. I had it in HS, but remember almost nothing from it since I did not care about math back then at all. I got a B- in it, my lowest grade ever in HS.</p>
<p>Does my plan make sense? The summer classes in my new college are really cheap and I wouldn't mind doing it all over again now that I actually see a reason to it... Or should I just go on to Calculus and let it abuse me? I know, I should ask my adviser, but my new college is notoriously bad for its bureaucracy...</p>
<p>Take the pre-calc. It can’t be a mistake. College Calculus classes will be very abusive indeed for those students whose preparation is not top notch.</p>
<p>I think Pre-calc will actually be more directly useful for comp sci than more advanced math classes (except for logic and statistics). So, definitely re-take so you are up to speed.</p>
<p>You don’t need much (if any) calculus for comp sci. Discrete math will ultimately be more useful. But if you don’t remember pre-calc you should probably review before going on to more advanced courses. I suggest you talk to someone in the comp sci department as to what specific math courses would be best to take. All I know is that my son (who took Calc BC and Differential Equations in high school) has dropped calc completely in college - though he is still taking some math courses.</p>
<p>I agree - take the pre-calc. It certainly couldn’t hurt. As mathmom said, discrete is probably more important, but calc. will also be required for CS. S understood the principles of discrete, but struggled grade wise as the prof’s tests were very difficult. But he has found it useful in his CS courses.</p>
<p>Calc I and II are usually coreqs for physics. Calc II is usually a prereq for mathematical statistics which is typically a prereq for algorithms. Calc III can be useful in graphics.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for the advice. Turns out that when I took a math placement exam for the university I transferred into back when I was accepted there as a freshman, I got placed into Calculus I. It also turns out that my old score is valid and I don’t have to retake the exam. I also can’t take Pre-Calc since I was placed above it.</p>
<p>Now, can someone please recommend me some books that would prepare me for Calculus? I feel very insecure about my algebra and trigonometry; I don’t think I remember much. I would very much like to actually learn not just the mechanics, but also the concepts. </p>
<p>I heard good things about G. Polya’s “How to Solve It.” Would that be a good book to read, in addition to guides on specific kinds of math?</p>
<p>Additionally, should I get a tutor during the summer, or is it possible to self-teach a subject like this?</p>
<p>Some calculus textbooks do a better job explaining and working problems than others. I like the Larson/Hostetler/Edwards editions. The one I bought is a 1994 edition and I got it really cheap online. You could work through the early parts of the book with a tutor or self teaching yourself. </p>
<p>Chapter one is a good review of algebra and geometry usually.</p>
<p>Congrats on placing into Calculus. That’s a good sign! But I agree with the prior posters who say (1) Pre-calc is definitely worth taking this summer (2) Most colleges use Calculus to teach Physics (3) Most CS majors require several semesters of Calculus, even though other math courses are perhaps more applicable to CS, and (4) College calculus in usually taught at a rigorous pace, and some colleges use it as a “weed out” course. Given the above, especially item (4) I’d recommend taking Pre-Calc (or even Calculus) at a local community college. If that’s not practical, I’d prefer a tutor rather than trying to self-learn via textbook. JMHO.</p>
<p>^I would take calculus at a local community college and not for credit. Many of the kids at the CC are probably taking it for a second time themselves.</p>
<p>^^ I agree with lmnop…that’s what I’m suggesting that D do…take calc at the CC level. Pre-calc was one of her least favorite subjects. She managed a B, but it was with the help of her sister (until they got ugly with each other about it!), and then it was her sister’s bf that tutored her the rest of the way through the course at the end…Jumping into a college-level calculus class would be a mistake for her.</p>
<p>My son tutors calculus (and differential equations, probability and statistics, etc.) and he said that the biggest problem that he saw with Calc I students was preparation - problems with basic algebra I and algebra II skills. Kids that thought that (a + b)^2 = a^2 + b^2 or that couldn’t reduce fractions or identify equivalent fractions in different forms.</p>
<p>My son placed into Calculus I, so he took it. Big mistake. Then he went back and took Pre-Calculus, as he should have in the first place, and when he took Calculus for the second time he was fine. BCEagle is right; lots of people are rusty in their algebra skills, and if OP is one, he should brush up before stepping in the Calculus classroom.</p>
<p>At least he did the right thing to take precalc again. My son runs into kids that keep taking calc I over. One guy he knows passed it on the fourth try. Whether or not he actually knew the material is another thing. His father is a professor at one of the state colleges so he didn’t have to pay to retake it - the taxpayers paid for it.</p>