Calculus 2 Online Course Required

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a student's concerns about taking an online Calculus 2 course during the summer after a significant break from university studies. The focus is on preparation strategies, the perceived difficulty of the course, and the student's previous academic performance.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Homework-related
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • The original poster expresses anxiety about taking an online Calculus 2 course, citing negative feedback from peers regarding the course's difficulty.
  • One participant suggests starting to study for Calculus 2 immediately, emphasizing the importance of mastering foundational concepts.
  • Another participant notes that students often exaggerate the difficulty of classes like Calculus 2, suggesting that consistent daily study could lead to success.
  • The original poster acknowledges their strong performance in Calculus 1 and expresses intent to begin studying ahead of time.
  • The original poster agrees with the notion that students may exaggerate the challenges of the course, indicating a desire to approach the situation with a more positive mindset.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that preparation is important and that students may overstate the difficulty of Calculus 2. However, the discussion does not reach a consensus on the best strategies for preparation or the actual difficulty of the course.

Contextual Notes

There are no specific limitations noted, but the discussion reflects varying personal experiences with the course material and differing perceptions of difficulty.

Who May Find This Useful

Students preparing for Calculus 2, particularly those considering online formats, and individuals interested in strategies for managing anxiety related to challenging coursework.

LadyAkatosh
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Hey everyone!

I started back at my university after a 3 & 1/2 year break and changed my major from Journalism to Physics last May. I am coming up on my finals in a couple of weeks for the Spring Semester and then I will be taking a class over the summer and doing research. My grades are great and I plan to keep that up until graduation!

Unfortunately, the class that I need to take over the summer is an online Calculus 2 course and I am VERY NERVOUS! It's seven and a half weeks long and exclusively online since my campus no longer offers calculus classes in person over the summer since enrollment is so low for summer math courses. Taking this class is not optional as I need it to move forward with all of my physics and math courses in the fall, since all of my core curriculum was completed when I was a Journalism major.

Everyone that I have talked to who is a physics or math major says the same thing when I say that I am taking Calculus 2 online over the summer, "Oh noooo. That's awful. Good luck to you! We'll pray for you...blah blah blah" and it's starting to really worry me.

Is there anything that I can do to prepare myself for this, maybe online resources or anything else that could help me stay on top of it?

Thankfully I know the professor (he taught my first class back last May, Pre-Calculus and I got an A in his course), and he's a tough grader but very fair. I figured I could go talk to him before the summer term starts to get his opinion as well.

Any thoughts/tips? Thank you so much for listening!
 
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Start studying for calculus 2 right now! You'll need a decent mastery of the beginning. Spend some time every day in reading the book and solving problems. Start today.
 
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But keep in mind that, at least in my experience, students have a tendency to exaggerate the difficulty of some classes, particularly calculus 2. If you study daily and stay on top of things, you should be fine.
 
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Okay great thank you for the advice! I have done great with Calculus 1 and just have the final left so I will definitely start reading ahead and doing problems!

I also agree that students exaggerate too, I think it just threw me off a bit!
 

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