I am planning to skip precalc I and go to precalc II good or bad?

  • Thread starter Thread starter xjinaxleex
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Precalc
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the appropriateness of skipping Precalculus I and directly enrolling in Precalculus II at a college level. Participants explore the implications of this decision, considering prior mathematical experience, course content, and university recommendations.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether skipping Precalculus I is advisable without knowing its specific content.
  • Another suggests that understanding the topics covered in both Precalculus I and II is crucial before making a decision.
  • Some participants argue that having taken Calculus I in high school should suffice to skip directly to Calculus I in college, implying that Precalculus may not be necessary.
  • There are claims that Precalculus courses may not provide significant value for students who have already succeeded in Calculus.
  • Concerns are raised about universities requiring multiple semesters of Precalculus, with some participants suggesting this may be financially motivated.
  • Several participants express skepticism about the necessity of Precalculus courses, particularly for students with strong math backgrounds.
  • One participant mentions that universities may require Precalculus based on standardized test scores, indicating a precautionary measure rather than a universal requirement.
  • There is a discussion about the potential perception of Precalculus as a "weed-out" class, with implications for students' future success in mathematics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether skipping Precalculus I is advisable. Multiple competing views exist regarding the necessity and value of Precalculus courses based on individual backgrounds and university policies.

Contextual Notes

Some participants highlight the importance of understanding course prerequisites and the potential implications of skipping foundational courses. There is also mention of the variability in course structures and requirements across different institutions.

xjinaxleex
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Skipping Precalc I and taking precalc II?
I am in college and we have two parts of precalculus here..part I and part II. i guess precalc I covers the introductory, basics of precalc... i was wondering if i will be okay if i skip precalc I and go to precalc II? i never took precalculus but i DID take trigonometry, and calculus I in high school. will i b okay if i go to precalc II w/o taking precalc I? I am fairly good at math but yeah i need feedback thanks
 
Physics news on Phys.org
i guess precalc I covers the introductory
You may want to find out exactly what it covers before you think about skipping it.
 
Last edited:
PreCalculus 1 and PreCalculus 2 ? Find out what topics each of these contains. You would or should want all of the College Algebra AND Trigonometry components of the typical one-semester PreCalculus course.

Could you start Calculus 1 after finishing the PreCalculus 1 course? If you can, then you might try doing PreCalculus 2 during the same semester as you have Calculus 1.
 
if you took calculus in high school why would you start out in pre-calc in college?
Calc I in high school should be more than enough to take calc I in college.

I found pre-calc not very helpful for calculus I, basically pre-calc was like algebra III.
Yes algebra is very very important but its the type of thing, if you forget, look it up.
 
Last edited:
i never heard of two semesters of pre-calc. it might be interesting to know what is covered in each.

in my school, they called in College Algebra and Trigonometry and you took them both at the same time so you could take Calc 1 the next semester. (i took neither and started with Calc 1 my first semester.)
 
I don't understand why you wouldn't just take a Calculus course if you've already taken one in HS
 
A university is a business. Even if they told you YES you should take all of the pre-calc's you probably didn't need too. If your engineering or science your going to be way behind if you didn't start out in calc 1. The longer your in school the more money they make.

When I got to college they recommend I take pre-calc I said f that. I took calc 1 in high school and did great, and got all A's in calc 1-3. If I would have taken pre-calc I would be quite behind because all my courses require calc 1.
 
A university is a business. Even if they told you YES you should take all of the pre-calc's you probably didn't need too. If your engineering or science your going to be way behind if you didn't start out in calc 1. The longer your in school the more money they make.

When I got to college they recommend I take pre-calc I said f that. I took calc 1 in high school and did great, and got all A's in calc 1-3. If I would have taken pre-calc I would be quite behind because all my courses require calc 1.
 
Why is your university recommending that you take precalculus at all? There is NO university that requires all incoming students to take two semesters of precalculus before calculus (how on Earth would math majors ever graduate?). What some do, however, is require precalculus if your Math ACT score is low. This is just a precaution.

Poor universities. They're damned if they do and damned if they don't. If they want you to take a pre-req, they're money-grubbing. But if they don't, students call it a weed-out class and accuse the university of trying to fail everyone.
 
  • #10
zhentil said:
Why is your university recommending that you take precalculus at all? There is NO university that requires all incoming students to take two semesters of precalculus before calculus (how on Earth would math majors ever graduate?). What some do, however, is require precalculus if your Math ACT score is low. This is just a precaution.

Poor universities. They're damned if they do and damned if they don't. If they want you to take a pre-req, they're money-grubbing. But if they don't, students call it a weed-out class and accuse the university of trying to fail everyone.

Outside of using ACT or SAT, a university has its own assessment system. In case you don't pass above that assessment, obey the recommendation for course placement that the counseling or admission department tells you.

One way to pass above the PreCalulus course requirement for Calculus 1 is to enroll in and succeed in PreCalculus; you need to have the elementary function skills for Calculus 1. If you find PreCalculus to be difficult, then you will also find Calculus 1 to be difficult. If you find PreCalculus to be not so difficult, not easy immediately to know if you would or would not find Calculus 1 to be difficult.

If you characterize PreCalculus as a weed-out class, then you can beat the weed-out effect if you are willing to study it hard, and study it again on your own, in case you found it to be so difficult. If you want to be a Math major, then finding PreCalculus to be a weed-out means that many other Math courses will also be weed-outers. Your staying a Math major depends then on how hard and how long you are willing to keep studying & restudying until you effectively learn.

The effect of PreCalulus may be a weed-out course; but the intent is really to ensure good prerequisite proficiency for Calculus 1.
 

Similar threads

Supplemental topics for precalculus
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Schools College Algebra And Trig at the same time?
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
5K
Is it possible to skip precalc/trig? for calc
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
25K
Studying Advice Needed: Seeking Help with Math & Physics for Engineering Studies
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
3K
Other I don't truly know if I like physics
  • · Replies 43 ·
2
Replies
43
Views
6K
Content for Algebra I/II and Precalculus and Trig.?
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
3K
Courses Is Skipping Honors Physics Beneficial for Aspiring Theoretical Physicists?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Undergrad Which topics from precalc are essential for calc 3?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Is ommiting precalc and geomtry good for a school to be doing?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Schools Struggling with first year college (maths/physics)
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K