How is calculus 1 over the summer?

[RaulTheUCSCSlug]

Also, if you are taking something over the summer (ten weeks or under) then I recommend doing or at least attempting all the homework the day it is assigned that way it mauls over in your brain over the next couple of days. Calculus online is very easy, at least the one offered for the UC (university of california) system was.

 

[Student100]

If you are a college student, then taking calc 1 over the summer isn't a bad idea if you want to graduate on time. Use khan academy and go through every video, and mathstockexchange for any questions you might have or thsese forums. Just need to be very disciplined.

Khan Academy videos are horrible, and videos aren't going to be that helpful in general. Like Ogg and Micromass have said, you need to do problems yourself. I could explain the entirety of the concepts from calculus one in ten minutes, that doesn't mean you'll actually be able to solve any problem yourself afterwards. It's the same with watching videos of others solving problems.

In short, watching examples may be helpful if you can't understand the same examples by reading them from the book- but it's no substitute to solving problem sets.

Calculus online is very easy

Calculus can be as easy or as hard as the professor makes it, your subjective experience is no guarantee the OP will find it easy or their class will be easy.

To agree with what everyone else is saying, to do it in the summer if you've never seen it before, have no idea what it entails, and need it for future classes is a horrible idea. Calculus one is completely foundation to every other class afterwards. You want a strong foundation, something that may or may not be obtainable in a shorter term. Tell your parents it's your education, and you want to be successful. Take GE in the summer.

 

[PhotonSSBM]

Do a search for threads/posts about taking classes like these over the summer and see how many of them did well. You'll see how right most of the people in this thread are.

I took my intro E&M over the summer over six weeks, and while it was easy, I didn't retain anything about it. The professor clearly made it easier than it should have been, and all I learned to do was use an equation over and over.

The reason I didn't learn the material and others here say YOU won't learn the material isn't because it's necessarily super hard conceptually, but because the reason people get GOOD at Calculus is because they grind problems into the ground for 14-16 weeks, as opposed to 6-10. It's like doing reps in the gym, you may look cool in your head doing curls or press really quickly, but you actually strengthen yourself when you do slow, controlled movements that get a proper range of motion. Your brain works in a similar way. When you stretch out the time you learn the material your brain gets better at processing the problems, and when you get to Calc 2 or 3 and you have to churn out a long derivative it takes way less time because you had a full 50-100% more time to study a section of the book (Supposedly you think you're good at math, so do it here).

Also if your parents are telling you to do this they clearly have an unhealthy image of what a good student is and you should not be taking advice from them. Just because they're your parents, and even if they've steered you right in a lot of ways, doesn't mean they're infallible.

 

[RaulTheUCSCSlug]

When I said it was easy, I meant that it was very arbitrary, like the problems that are shown in Khan Academy, did you also not see my other comments? I said to do the homework later on. Khan Academy helped me through Calc 1 Calc 2 on understanding things conceptually, not the problems. BUT... OP also said that he just needs to take calc 1 and did not mind getting a B or C, which means, it doesn't seem like he wants to continue to the rest of the calculus series. This all depends on where OP is at with school, whether he is in college or not, whether he would have the chance to retake the subject or not, and whether he wants to move on to higher math.

The truth is that OP will take the course over the summer if he wants to or if his parents want to and he should realize that there will be both positives and negatives to taking it over the summer. Also there are some that could be either or (perhaps OP just wants to get it over with as quickly as he can?)

 

[ModusPwnd]

I took Calc I over the summer and did great and got a lot from it. I treated it like a full time job though, and it was my only summer class. I spent many hours every day after class in the tutor center (4 days a week). I asked questions of my fellow students, tutors and professor. If you are motivated and have the time there should be no problem. After acing the class I was more than well enough prepared for further calculus and physics classes.

I know that other students did not do so good, but then, they didn't spend the afternoon in the tutor center every day. That is my advice to you, spend all day on it at the tutor center.

 

[symbolipoint]

Why calculus 1 over the summer bad? Is there something wrong with it? I really need to take it because, my dads university will only pay until I am 24. If I wait until fall to take calculus, that will set be back TWO more semesters.

I'm in a community college, and if I want to transfer I need to do it by fall 2017. I should be applying by fall 2016. Since Penn State has rolling admissions :)

some professors and I have noticed that I do much better with one subject. So I don't think taking ONLY calculus will give me a lot of problems.

You have a hellofalotof work to do between now and the time when you take your summer-session Calculus course. Start reviewing NOW for "College Algebra" and Trigonometry - may take you 6 months; learn everything well in your review. Then, pre-study Calculus 1 on your own using whatever GOOD book you can find; and learn the material well or as well as you can, and with plenty of practice. Calc 1 on your own may take 5 or 6 months. Be sure that you cover ALL the topics that will be in the official Calculus 1 course that you plan on taking in the summer session, because no professor will care if you missed anything - they will just keep going expecting that you covered what is needed in your calc 1 course.
Now, you may be ready for trying the Calculus 1 course in the official summer session class.

 

[symbolipoint]

If you really really want to make the course, then self-study it and make sure you understand everything before taking the course. That is in my opinion the only way to pass this course comfortably and be prepared for the new material that will follow later.
If you want suggestions, then just buy the calculus book that you will be using and work through it carefully.

EXACTLY!

 

[symbolipoint]

i actually have some old calculus textbook. Should I start from there? Do I need some precalc background before I can read some of the topics?

Old books are often excellent. You can also use more than one for reassurance or for a different arranged wording or sequencing of a topic's presentation.

You MUST be strong in your intermediate algebra concepts and skills, and you absolutely MUST have had a Trigonometry course within the last 15 months and had earned no less than a B grade from it. Understand clearly, you must have your concepts and skills well maintained; course credit in the prerequisite algebra & trig by itself is meaningless.