<p>I'm required to take Calc I for my major. I plan on taking it this summer at my local community college instead of doing it at my university because I already have a heavy load of science courses and math will just make things worse. On top of that, math and science courses at my school are extremely difficult. My math background is not the best either since I never took any "real" precalculus classes in high school. (The teaching was laughable) so I didn't learn a thing. I'd say my knowledge goes up to Algebra II and a tiny bit beyond that. The Calculus I class that I'm taking at my community college is called Calc & Analytic Geometry I and since the community college in my neighborhood isn't that great academically, I know it would be much easier to take it there.</p>
<p>I've heard many things such as precalc doesn't really help you with Calc I and that since Calc I is just the basics, its easier, etc, etc. Mind you that taking precalc this summer will delay my taking Calc I for a year because I refuse to take it at my school. I'm not a math person. I really just want to take this class and be done with math forever. For those of you who are experienced with math, should I take precalc first?</p>
<p>---edit---
I wanted to take Trigonometry in high school, but they didn't even offer the class. Yeah, my high school was pretty bad.</p>
<p>UIUC uses a placement test:
[ALEKS</a> | Mathematics Courses | Illinois](<a href=“http://www.math.illinois.edu/ALEKS/]ALEKS”>ALEKS PPL Mathematics Assessment Exam | Mathematics at Illinois)</p>
<p>You can also try this exam to check your knowledge of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry anonymously at no cost:
[Calculus</a> Diagnostic Placement Exam | Department of Mathematics at University of California Berkeley](<a href=“http://math.berkeley.edu/courses/choosing/placement-exam]Calculus”>http://math.berkeley.edu/courses/choosing/placement-exam)</p>
<p>Why do you not want to take calculus at UIUC?</p>
<p>Hey^. I’m already a student at UIUC so ALEKS doesn’t apply to me. I want to take my math at community college over the summer. They don’t require a placement exam for students already in college. My courses are already heavy and it would be a burden and a risk to my GPA to add Calc I, especially since math is my weakest subject.</p>
<p>I just want to know if its possible to keep up with Calc I without ever taking precalculus. Especially at a community college where it’ll definitely be easier. I’ve heard that you can and I’ve heard that you can’t.</p>
<p>I kind of answered that in my first post already. I apologize if it’s too long to read.</p>
<p>Depends on your trig, and your knowledge of logarithms and exponents. Also depends very much on your general math/algebra skills. Since you describe yourself as “not a math person,” I’d say take as much prep as you can for calculus. But I also used to hate math, and pretty much flunked out of calculus twice during my first attempt at college. Now I love math.</p>
<p>I’d say you really just need to know algebra well and probably watch a Khan Academy playlist on Trigonometry. </p>
<p>Reason people fail calculus: bad at algebra.</p>
<p>I’d say what’s more of a concern than not taking precalc is that you haven’t taken trig. I don’t know how they’ll let you take calc without taking either of those courses. Personally, I think you might struggle since you said you aren’t great at math. Maybe if that’s your only class you can pull it off. I’d probably gut it out because you want it done with.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who replied. I’m only taking that one Calculus I class and its over the summer at a CC. Do you think after watching those Khan Academy videos, I’ll be prepared by the time I start in June?</p>
<p>What topics does Calc I cover anyway and what type of math does it rely on. I heard that the algebra isn’t as heavy as in precalc, but then again, that’s just what I’ve heard.</p>
<p>Depends on whether you take real calc or Mickey Mouse calc, I guess.</p>
<p>You’ll start off learning about limits, like what happens to (x+1)/3x as x in the limit where x approaches infinity? That one’s easy, it approaches 1/3. They can get harder. Maybe it’ll be the limit where x approaches zero, which is where the derivative comes in.</p>
<p>The derivative is the rate of change of a function. Picture a graph of a function, like
f(x)=x^2. Now picture a particular point on the graph. Now picture a straight line that goes through that point and is also tangent to the curve (meaning it only touches the graph at that one point, like laying a ruler against a basketball). What is the slope of that particular line?</p>
<p>That’s all there is to calc I aka differential calculus (at least under quarters, where I took it). Maybe you’ll get into integral calc, or sequences and series.</p>
<p>The reason the class is called calc and analytic geometry is because of the heavy use of graphs on the xy plane. The stronger you are at these, the better. The stronger you are at the equations of a straight line (point-slope formula, slope-intercept, etc.), the better. The stronger you are at solving equations for a variable, the better. The stronger you are at simplifying expressions the better. Trig is important to calc I because, if for no other reason, the trig functions are some of the ones you will have to find the derivative of. Trig becomes WAY more important in integral calc. It’s important in math overall, but in principle you could teach basic calc without needing it. Like business calc classes, I don’t think they cover trig, which limits what they can do with integrals but hey…</p>
<p>Thank you! ^</p>
<p>This is the course description:
Basic terminology, limits, derivatives of algebraic and transcendental functions, antiderivatives, definite integrals, and applications. Graphing calculator required, TI-83 or 84 preferred.</p>
<p>It seems that the course goes up to definite integrals, but starts off with review and introductions. Hopefully I’ll be able to ease my way into the class.</p>
<p>Just because it’s at a community college does not automatically mean that it’s going to be easier. Just bear that in mind. I’m in a community college, and the math program here is very rigorous. And I’m a math person…so…take that for whatever it’s worth.</p>
<p>You’ll definitely be at a disadvantage not having a solid foundation in the precalc topics. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it…but if you spend a good amount of time previewing topics and getting prepared for it, it won’t be impossible.</p>
<p>Try the placement test at the Berkeley math department site linked in post #2. It is anonymous and free. It will give you an idea of which prerequisite math topics you know and do not know.</p>
<p>Also, even if you are not required to take the ALEKS test, will they let you take it anyway? Just say that you are considering taking a math course, and want to know which one to take.</p>
<p>@comfortablycurt Oh no, that’s not how I meant it. I was saying that the specific CC in my neighborhood isn’t that great academically. I took dual enrollment classes there my senior year of high school and it was a joke.</p>
<p>I guess you guys are right. I’ll struggle regardless…but then again I don’t want to wait a year. Hopefully I can just trek through it and get it over with. At least I won’t have other classes to focus on.</p>
<p>I took a pre-calc course before I took Calc I (with Analytic Geometry). I’d say it was a waste of time if you were already strong at algebra II but considering you’re weak at math…</p>
<p>If you had to take Calc II, trig will be extremely useful. I think a bare minimum of knowledge of what this derivative of this trig function or that trig function and knowing the formulas is pretty good for Calc I. I didn’t need it really. I knew my trig very well at the time. You should know how to graph functions. It doesn’t take a genius to learn how to do that.</p>
<p>If math is totally irrelevant to your major and your community college is a joke, I’d say just take calc. If that is the only thing you are doing for the summer, it shouldn’t be bad. Just make sure to watch videos such as Khan Academy or get help when you need it.</p>
<p>Just because one class was a joke doesn’t mean they all were. Cscc where I started had much better (and more thorough) math instruction than the same classes at OSU had.</p>
<p>You can’t take the calculus class you’ve described without knowing trig.</p>
<p>And as CalDud said, you can’t pass calculus if you’re bad at algebra. Take precalculus. If you take and fail Calc I, you’re going to be just as far behind as you’ll be if you take precalculus and learn it well.</p>
<p>I agree with sikorsky. You would be at a tremendous disadvantage trying to take calc without knowing trig and having a solid foundation in algebra.</p>
<p>I took AP Calculus in high school without ever having taken a pre-calculus or trigonometry class, and I did fine. </p>
<p>Calc 1 shouldn’t require much pre-calc beyond basic properties of exponentials, logarithms and trig functions: these all fit onto a single sticky note in case you need a reminder. </p>
<p>Calc 2 is normally much heavier on trigonometry, but I did fine here even without any previous trig training. I really only needed to learn the trig identities and the trick for computing sin(arccos(x)) and similar expressions of this sort. It took me a single afternoon to catch up on everything I’d missed.</p>
<p>I do agree with previous posters who said that your algebra background is absolutely crucial for calculus. If your algebra background is solid, you’ll probably do fine in calculus. If you struggle with algebra, you will struggle with calculus too.</p>
<p>Thank you for your contributions!
As far as algebra, I know up to Algebra II material and then some on a basic level: functions, basic logarithms, exponential growth and if basic trig includes working with sin, cos, and tan, then that too. But I’m slower with math in general (from algebra to basic adding and subtracting in my head). I’ve been that way since I was 7. I do admit I haven’t touched real math since my junior year of high school and I’m currently a freshmen in college.</p>
<p>I might take the previous posters’ advice and watch Khan academy videos. If by then, I’m still lost, then I’ll probably (grudgingly) have to take precalculus.</p>
<p>@barium- So would you advise that I just review algebra material and then I’ll be good for the class?</p>