Should Freshmen Take Calc III? Advice for Math Majors

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around whether a freshman math major should enroll in Calculus III immediately after completing AP Calculus BC, or if it would be wiser to take Calculus II first. Participants share their experiences and opinions on the difficulty of these courses and the implications for academic performance and future goals.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses confidence in their math skills and considers taking Calculus III, but is unsure about the risks of starting with a higher-level course.
  • Another participant questions the freshman's readiness and emphasizes the importance of being able to seek help if needed, suggesting that GPA considerations may influence the decision.
  • Some participants share personal experiences, noting that they took Calculus III directly after AP Calculus and found it manageable, while others caution that the transition to college-level courses can be challenging.
  • There is a claim that Calculus II is often perceived as the hardest course, while Calculus III may be easier for those who are visually oriented and comfortable with geometry.
  • One participant argues that Calculus III is not an upper-level math course and suggests it may be easier than Calculus II, depending on the student's strengths.
  • Another viewpoint recommends taking Calculus II to solidify foundational knowledge, highlighting that some students struggle with material that is often assumed knowledge in higher courses.
  • There is a discussion about the nature of the Calculus II course, with some suggesting it may be less rigorous depending on the institution's curriculum.
  • One participant advocates for taking Calculus III, arguing that it is a waste of time to retake material already mastered, suggesting that any gaps can be filled as needed.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus; there are multiple competing views regarding the appropriateness of taking Calculus III versus Calculus II. Some advocate for taking Calculus III based on prior knowledge, while others emphasize the importance of a solid foundation and the potential challenges of transitioning to college-level coursework.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention varying experiences with the difficulty of Calculus II and III, which may depend on individual learning styles and the specific curriculum of their institutions. There are also references to the importance of GPA and academic goals, which may influence course selection.

underacheiver
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hey guys, i need some advice as to which math class to enroll in.
i just got accepted to college and will be starting first semester of freshman year in september.
i will be a math major, and i am really comfortable with math. So right now, i am in ap calc BC and i am confident that i can get a 5 on the AP test, which means i will be able to skip calc I and II. Being new to college, I'm not sure if starting with calc III right away is a good idea, since its a higher level math class and i don't want to fail, so I'm thinking if i should take calc II. But then again, i don't want to waste time learning things i already know.

is calc III easy enough to take first semester freshman year? any advice/comments will be appreciated.
 
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underacheiver said:
hey guys, i need some advice as to which math class to enroll in.
i just got accepted to college and will be starting first semester of freshman year in september.
i will be a math major, and i am really comfortable with math. So right now, i am in ap calc BC and i am confident that i can get a 5 on the AP test, which means i will be able to skip calc I and II. Being new to college, I'm not sure if starting with calc III right away is a good idea, since its a higher level math class and i don't want to fail, so I'm thinking if i should take calc II. But then again, i don't want to waste time learning things i already know.

is calc III easy enough to take first semester freshman year? any advice/comments will be appreciated.

How are your grades right now? Are you confident that you can put in the time necessary to make up the gaps? You may have to find help from your professor / TAs in order to learn what you need to learn. Are you confident that you'll be able to do that?

Also, what are your goals with your degree? GPA is always important of course, but it's more important for getting a PhD than for most other things, for example. Are you willing to risk your GPA to be able to take an extra upper level course or two during school?

I took BC calc and went straight to calc 3 in college. I think my background was fine, I just wasn't ready for college level courses when I started, and I was also starting in sophomore physics at the same time. I didn't get the grades freshman year that I should have and that I ended up getting my other years. I'm glad I went straight to calc 3 though, because it allowed me to double major and minor in 8 semesters. The double major has proven more helpful than a higher GPA would have been. It all depends on what you want to do though, and I had freshman friends in class with me who did get As.
 
Oh, and it varies by school of course, but from my experience calc 2 is considered the hardest. Calc 3 at my school was an extension of the easier parts of calc 1 and 2 to multiple dimensions, which I didn't have a problem with. I was lacking on calc 2 knowledge when it came to my physics courses though... the AP calc 2 content didn't cover everything we used in physics. I scored a 5 on the BC exam.
 
Calc 3 is not "upper level math." It's another easy peasy computation class. as to what kote says, that really depends. if you're a visual thinker and good at geometry etc., then calc 3 will be easier than calc 2. but if you struggle with visualizing things and are better at algebra, then calc 2 is a walk in the park next to calc 3.
 
awb1989 said:
It's another easy peasy computation class.

This statement is realtive
 
I would recommend taking Calc 2. It might be easy for you depending on your background, but college is a bit of a transition so it can't hurt to play it safe. Also, there is a lot of background material that students struggle with and forget in Calc 2, especially near the end of the course. Getting a solid foundation is more important than progressing through your courses more quickly. If you really feel like overachieving, you can ask your professor if there are any advanced problems that connect to the material but let you take it a step further.
 
Depends...If your a math major and Calc II is a rigorous, proof-based course, then go ahead and take it. If the Calc II course is a weeder "math for engineers" course, then it should be just like high school calculus except that the exam questions are harder. Calc III, IMO, is much easier than Calc I or II, since you will be learning calculus a second time around, except with more variables.
 
I'll chime in on the "just take Calc III side," but bubbles is right that if you're a math major and you can take a more rigorous Calc I/II sequence, you might want to do that. I don't buy into the "ease into college with courses you've already taken" idea -- total waste of money, and if your grades sag a bit in the first semester it's no big deal. You can pick up any bits of material you might have missed when you actually need it, rather than wasting your time on a bunch of stuff you already know.
 

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