Calculus 1 (I'm taking the class in a week.)

ME_student

I am finally getting my feet wet, actually taking math courses that apply to my degree. Anyone have any suggestion what I should be studying before I take the class?

I have borrowed a book from a local library called "Calculus Essentials for Dummies." I have a friend who is in calc 3, I think. He recommend I memorize the unit circle and trig identities. I am supper stoked! I can't wait to take this class!

BloodyFrozen

Be comfortable with College Algebra/ Algebra II topics and trig like your friend said.

Mandlebra

Make sure you are comfortable with algebra and arithmetic!

Millennial

Well, memorize some trigonometric function values and trigonometric identities. They often come up when you have to simplify expressions. Also be comfortable with algebra as well. That's about it.

ME_student

Okay thanks. I should probably study up on some basic algebra. I noticed when I took college algebra and trig I sort of struggled with a few simple algebra rules... Like multiplying both top and bottom with a conjugate or eliminating the square root sign from the denominator or knowing that X^-3 is 1/X^3.

ZenOne

Don't worry--Calculus 1 is cake, if you're excited and willing to put in the work you will end up loving it.

seaofghosts

Calculus itself is extremely easy. The hard part is remembering trig and all the little algebraic tricks that have inevitably been forgotten since those classes were taken (it's been three years for me). So try getting one of those "trigonometry in 10 minutes" books (or whatever they're called), and perhaps algebra as well.

Chunkysalsa

Yea most of the time in Calc 1, the easy part of the problem is the calculus (taking a derivative), the rest of the problem is more or less algebraic simplification. People who struggle with calc 1 are the ones who are bad at algebra. (This actually goes for alot of subjects)

mathwonk

most mathematicians think calculus was the hardest course they ever took. that is probably because they tend to take honors level versions that are very rigorous. in non honors calculus, the gatekeeper is ALWAYS algebra skills. memorizing formulas does not help. skill in manipulating expressions is the essential. exactly what chunkysalsa and others said. I taught university calculus for over 35 years at every level, from first semester to graduate analysis.

ME_student

Same here.

I had recently taken trig, did pretty well. I actually did better in trig than college algebra. I bought my calc book yesterday looking through the book, noticed calc is very different.

ME_student

I am not necessarily bad at algebra. I just don't have a strong foundation in that era because the last algebra class I took was four year ago.

seaofghosts

I did better in trig as well, probably because things just finally started accumulating by that point. I'm taking calc (again, had to drop because of work before) in the fall, so I'm trying to catch up on all the trig and will probably at least go through Kline's Calculus before class starts.

Windowmaker

I don't think the trig identities are as important in calc 1 as they are in calc 2. Mostly of Calc 1 is limits, derivatives and basic integration. It's been a year since I had calc 1, but I don't remember needing a lot of trig, besides knowing what the integral of sin or cosine was. I know it pops up A LOT in calc 2.

seaofghosts

My calc 1 class had a LOT of trig. One of my friends who took the class at the same campus posted on FB, "I might as well just tattoo the unit circle on my arm..." I'm sure it depends a lot on the textbook and instructor you have, but I wouldn't skimp on the review just in case.

ZenOne

^^^Maybe you had a Calculus 1 and 2 joint class?^^^

Calculus 2 was trig heaven (or hell if you don't like it--I do) compared to calculus 1--in my experience, at least.

seaofghosts

I don't think so, it was the first of the standard three calc courses.

Of course, "a lot of trig" could mean a little once I see what's in calc 2, haha.

krobben

From my experience in all of the calc courses, this is all that matters...

1. WHO you learn from. Calculus is more about ideas/concepts where as college algebra is just rhetoric memorization. Who guides you in learning is everything in calc. If your professor is standing up there speaking total gibberish to you, then seriously consider substituting that time with a personal tutor or a different lecture professor. Calculus is so easy if its explained correctly. Khan Academy is probably your best friend for as far as tutoring goes. My experience from calculus was that lecture was straight boring and helpless and so was recitation. So I found a good book on calculus, learned from it and never showed up to another lecture or recitation in calc for all 3 courses did well on the exams and tests.

2. Know your basics. Seriously, don't waste your time with calculus if you can't score an 80 on a college algebra final right now. Yeah, you could skid through one hell of a bumpy semester with poor college algebra preparation as I've seen my friends do whereas I spent maybe 3 hours a week in every calculus course and most of it was on just the theory.