Calculus pre-requisites

  • Thread starter Thread starter Omnis
  • 6 comments
  • 669 views

Omnis

Not Even A Real Mod
Staff Emeritus
Messages
39,155
United States
Application hell
Messages
MP-Omnis
I need to take Calculus and Analytical Geometry classes for my degree. They don't list the pre-reqs, but I'm assuming it's either pre-cal, trig, or both. I also need trig before I can take my physics courses. So my question is this: Should I take trig before pre-cal, or pre-cal before trig or what? I can take them concurrently if I have to.

It's kind of sad that the advisers here at my college are so bad. But I trust my fellas at GTP for some sound advice. What do you say, guys?
 
I only took trigonometry and I was perfectly fine going into calculus. Calculus is actually pretty fun, and if I can keep an A average in both regular and AP calc I think you'll do fine.

EDIT: Trig should also include analytical geometry, at least that's how it was for me.
 
For my university, my math class was chosen by placement testing or possibly my ACT scores. I took geometry, algebra II, pre-calculus and statistics in high school. Then I was allowed to take calculus.

I would say that the order of the trigonometry and pre-calculus classes doesn't matter. If you are good at math if it's not required, you could probably skip pre-calculus.

Are you sure they don't have anything on their site?
 
No, they don't. But I ran into my college algebra professor on campus today and he recommended pre-cal then trig, which is most likely what I'll be doing. So I guess I'll be graduating at the end of fall instead of summer. I'll take pre-cal the first half of summer and then trig the 2nd with my 2nd chem. Then I'll do the physics, calc, and organic chemistry during the fall.

Yes, I am crazy.
 
I'd think trig first.

Back in the day. . . . I had Geometry my freshman year of high school, Algebra II following, trig was semester one of my junior year and analytical geometry the second semester. Something they called Math Analysis was in my senior year, I'm assuming that could be called pre-calc. It had a lot of statistics as well as basic derivatives, slopes of a curve, that kind of thing. I was then ready for calculus as a college freshman.

Like I said, it was a ways back. I wasn't old enough to go to war in Viet Nam after high school, but I only missed it by one year. Anyway, I'd think trig first.
 
Personally I think you're wasting your time with pre-calc. Trig is just going to help you out getting more into logs and sin, cos, etc. As long as you know the basics of trig, going into calculus wont be hard at all. Hell, the first part of calculus is just learning the basic things that you'll be using the entire class.

Speaking of the start of calculus, just wait until you have to do delta x equations, you'll feel so stupid when you realize it's just doing a derivative the really long way, lol. Good times.
 
See but I have no idea what you're talking about. It's been a year since I've had a math class.
 
Back