Seeking your advice on Preparation for Calculus Exam

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a college student's preparation for a Calculus II credit examination, addressing concerns about their readiness given a significant gap since completing Calculus I. Participants share their perspectives on the feasibility of self-studying for the exam and the implications of pursuing credit by examination versus taking the full course.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • The original poster (OP) expresses a desire to take the Calculus II exam despite having not studied Calculus I for a year, citing scheduling conflicts with other courses.
  • Some participants argue that attempting to pass the exam without a solid grasp of Calculus I is unwise, suggesting that the OP should retake the full Calculus I and II courses instead.
  • Concerns are raised about the difficulty of learning all of Calculus II in a short time frame, with some participants emphasizing the difference in content and learning methods between Calculus I and II.
  • One participant mentions the potential for the OP to earn good grades if they retake the full courses, while also noting possible restrictions on retaking Calculus I based on previous performance.
  • The OP insists on their determination to take the exam, referencing past exam materials and expressing confidence in their current study methods.
  • Another participant challenges the OP's understanding of the material, suggesting that if they need reassurance about their performance, it indicates a lack of comprehension.
  • There is a mention of a potential mix-up regarding the exam materials linked by the OP, with a participant questioning whether the provided link was for Calculus I instead of Calculus II.
  • The OP expresses concern about how retaking courses might affect their graduation timeline and research commitments.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the viability of the OP's plan to take the exam, with many advocating for retaking the full courses while the OP remains determined to proceed with the exam preparation. No consensus is reached regarding the best course of action for the OP.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the OP's lack of recent experience with Calculus I concepts and the potential challenges of self-studying for an advanced exam in a limited timeframe. There are also considerations regarding institutional policies on retaking courses.

bacte2013
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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
 
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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.
 
symbolipoint said:
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.
samnorris93 said:
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.
 
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.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
bacte2013 said:
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.
 
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.
 
Are you sure that the link wasn't for calc1? The final is calc1 material in my experience.
 
^
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..
 
Last edited by a moderator:

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