Seeking your advice on Preparation for Calculus Exam

[bacte2013]

Dear P.F. friends,

I am a college sophomore with double majors in microbiology & mathematics, and I am currently trying to prepare for the Calculus II credit examination (which is on next Wednesday) to get a credit for Calculus II in my college and take a linear algebra and multivariable calculus on upcoming semester.

Calculus II in my college covers the techniques of integration, sequence & series, taylor series, and brief vector geometry like dot products and vectors. Unfortunately, it has been a year since I took the Calculus I so quite many concepts are faded from my memory...Currently, I have a calculus textbook called "Calculus and Analytic Geometry" by George Simmons, "A First Course in Calculus" by Serge Lang, "Calculus Lifesaver" by Adrian B., and the past Calculus II exams written by pro

 

[symbolipoint]

Calculus II Credit by Examination is a bad idea for you. Do the full Calculus 1 course, and follow this into the full Calculus 2 course. That advice is because you have not maintained your skills in Calculus 1, and maybe neither your algebra & Trigonometry.

 

[Dishsoap]

So you have only a few days to learn all of calculus II when you took calculus I a year ago? I'm with the above poster, I don't recommend it. Calc II is difficult and I can't imagine learning it all by yourself within a week or so. Calculus I and calculus II are nothing alike in terms of difficulty, content, and learning methods.

 

[symbolipoint]

Calculus II Credit by Examination is a bad idea for you. Do the full Calculus 1 course, and follow this into the full Calculus 2 course. That advice is because you have not maintained your skills in Calculus 1, and maybe neither your algebra & Trigonometry.

So you have only a few days to learn all of calculus II when you took calculus I a year ago? I'm with the above poster, I don't recommend it. Calc II is difficult and I can't imagine learning it all by yourself within a week or so. Calculus I and calculus II are nothing alike in terms of difficulty, content, and learning methods.

The very bright part of doing the actual Calculus 1 and 2 courses (repeat of Calculus 1) is that you should earn an A for Calc 1, and possibly B or more in Calc 2.

The possible restriction about repeating Calculus 1 is that you earned at least a C when you finished a year ago and your school might prohibit your repeating it. You still must restudy it fully. Enroll as an audit if allowed, or study Calc 1 on your own, thoroughly.

 

[bacte2013]

Thank you very much for the input. However, I am determined to take the exam as Calculus II course has a schedule conflict with my other majors courses for next semester and my undergraduate independent research. The exam is based on the past Calculus II exams, which are linked in http://math.library.wisc.edu/reserve/221.html . Based on those exams, is it possible for me to do well? Right now, I am reading the books I have along with Calculus Lifesaver and so far I did not face a serious difficulty.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Based on those exams, is it possible for me to do well?

No.

If you need someone else to tell you if you will do well, you don't understand the material well enough. Furthermore, there is about 150 hours in lecture and homework that you will be missing. Even if it were possible to learn a subject all at once like this, you don't have enough time if the test is in a few days.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

To the OP, with all due respect that was an utterly redundant question you asked. No disrespect. However, as a college student, surely you are an adult how could you think to take a math class by credit for examination if you are not familiar with the course. It is the equivalent of saying, hey let me drive a plane in 1 week, when I only played Ace Combat for 1 week.

Retake full semester.

 

[462chevelle]

Are you sure that the link wasn't for calc1? The final is calc1 material in my experience.

 

[bacte2013]

^
Sorry! The link is: http://math.library.wisc.edu/reserve/222.html

I want to retake but it will slow my graduation time and hinder my independent undergraduate research schedule...I thought it would be better to college the calculus by examination and proceed to linear algebra..