<p>Hello,
First of all, I'm not sure if this would technically go here, but as UVa is where I'm probably going to school now, I figured it couldn't hurt. So I was admitted EA to UVa, and admitted to the Echols scholar program. For those that don't know, that frees me from requirements and lets me study essentially what I want to. Now, I'm not really decided on my major, although I am fairly certain I won't be majoring in math. However, I do really enjoy the subject. I'm in BC Calculus this year, and I passed the AP Calculus exam with a 5 last year. Given my performance this year, I can expect another 5 in BC. According to CollegeBoard's UVa page, that could get me placement into a second year calculus class. Now, I wouldn't technically <em>have</em> to take a math at all. However, I genuinely enjoy calculus (I know, I'm a nerd), and it would be ideal to take it without a year in between. (In other words, after two years of calculus, I would want to continue with it right after). So can anyone speak to the differences? As in, is it safe to go into more advanced college calculus after high school? Or should I play it safer?</p>
<p>You could take Calc III with a 5 from BC, BC is Calc II. It’s really up to you what you want to take.</p>
<p>Calc 3 is usually pretty cut n’ dried, and you won’t get too many curve balls, but you might fb some upperclassmen to find out for sure if there are any professors teaching the course that may try to challenge you to wit’s end. Calc 3 is usually imaginary notations for spatial objects, real space or otherwise, with vectors, and then it works into collective objects like gradients to help you map out fields of space, real or otherwise. And if I remember its also order two operations on derivatives, and then Lagrange thingies which incorporate multi-dimensional expressions. Conceptually intricate but there are lots of good review guides. If you’re not going to use it for science or engineering, it’s still “useful” in a way to learn about the implements with which people map out space and perform operations on space, real or categorical or otherwise.</p>
<p>If you get a 5 (and I think a 4 works as well) on the BC test, then you’ll have credit for Calc II. In that case, I would advise you to take Calc III if you still want to take a math class. Calc III, while covering more advanced material, is not so aggressively paced and is considerably more geometric, which I think make it a better class to take for fun.</p>
<p>Calc II is one of the most-failed classes at UVA; it’s in many ways designed as a barrier to entry for quantitative majors (econ, environmental science, etc.) It’s not actually that hard, especially if you’re smart and/or good at math, but to get an A you might have work harder than you want to in a class you’re taking for fun. I am a top-of-the-department math major, and I don’t know how to do some of the integrals that they give you in Calc II (and while you obviously can learn them, that takes effort).</p>
<p>Short version: Calc III will probably require less effort for the same grade as Calc II even though it’s “more advanced”, so if you have credit for Calc II I would go ahead and take Calc II first semester.</p>
<p>Note: Calc II is MATH 1320, while Calc III is 2310.</p>
<p>From everything my son was counseled on last year (class do 2017) I would agree with all previous comments. Calc II is a weed out class that would be repetitive material to your AP (BC) class and challenging workload for no good payoff for you. Take your AP credits and then take Calc III if you want to take a math class. </p>