Quick! Can someone teach me Calculus!?!

monkeykoder · Jul 8, 2008

Check out the used book stores in your area and see if they have any pre-calculus books you'll spend like $5 and it will tell you if you're ready or not. Math is one of those subjects where anything pre-upper division hasn't changed since Newton+Leibniz.

Big Bully · Jul 8, 2008

Rhys said:
Calculas? Look up integration and differentiation. I did calculas hence it's not my favourite subject - too darned hard.

Don't tell me its hard!! I have to take it in the spring semester!

clarinetJWD · Jul 8, 2008

I've used a TI-89, and it's so much different from every other TI model, I just couldn't do it, and went with my trusty TI-86. It was a moot point anyways, because the math department at Hopkins disallows all calculators on tests...

monkeykoder · Jul 8, 2008

I've found calculators to be disadvantageous in any math class.

Big Bully · Jul 8, 2008

monkeykoder said:
I've found calculators to be disadvantageous in any math class.

Only because you are beyond a brain when it comes to math. I swear you are a human calculator. No wonder you don't like the machines. They take your job away. :sexywink:

clarinetJWD said:
I've used a TI-89, and it's so much different from every other TI model, I just couldn't do it, and went with my trusty TI-86. It was a moot point anyways, because the math department at Hopkins disallows all calculators on tests...

Doesn't that qualify as cruel and unusual punishment?

clarinetJWD · Jul 8, 2008

Big Bully said:
Only because you are beyond a brain when it comes to math. I swear you are a human calculator. No wonder you don't like the machines. They take your job away.

Doesn't that qualify as cruel and unusual punishment?

no, actually. If they allow calculators, Profs don't worry about how messt answers are, so you're never quite sure. Nearly every calculator free answer will be a relatively friendly number, so you can feel better about it...if you get that far

Senor Hound · Jul 8, 2008

I just found out my school DOESN'T offer Calculus. Its in the catalog, but they just never have classes for it. Not even Precalculus!

I'll have to figure something else out. This sucks.

Corry · Jul 8, 2008

clarinetJWD said:
no, actually. If they allow calculators, Profs don't worry about how messt answers are, so you're never quite sure. Nearly every calculator free answer will be a relatively friendly number, so you can feel better about it...if you get that far

^^ Joe here is the one that took math classes with names that hurt my head, like Signals and Systems, and Fields, Matter, and Waves.

Ow.

monkeykoder · Jul 9, 2008

Corry said:
^^ Joe here is the one that took math classes with names that hurt my head, like Signals and Systems, and Fields, Matter, and Waves.

Ow.

#1 if a school doesn't offer calculus you need to go to a different school it is absolutely necessary for most science majors.
#2 Those are not math classes they are either physics or engineering classes math classes have such names as Analysis, Abstract Algebra, Set Theory, Number Theory and the like...

Corry · Jul 9, 2008

Doesn't engineering require a lot of math? :scratch: Close enough!

Senor Hound · Jul 9, 2008

monkeykoder said:
#1 if a school doesn't offer calculus you need to go to a different school it is absolutely necessary for most science majors.
#2 Those are not math classes they are either physics or engineering classes math classes have such names as Analysis, Abstract Algebra, Set Theory, Number Theory and the like...

Well, I like the school, and its the only school within 60 miles of me. But even though they don't have a lot of ground classes, they have a great distance learning program where you go in and listen to a lecture from a teacher 4 hours away. But you're right, the school is very small and not being very old still has a small class selection.

My favorite class name is, "fluid dynamics." It just sounds so cool

I'm really scared to do this. I keep thinking I'm not smart enough, but I got a 32 on the math portion of my ACTs, and I have a high IQ. I put no weight in these scores (they're just numbers to me), but it should give me an indication if I'm capable of doing well in Math. I've just never applied myself before, and I don't know what I'm capable of.

Sorry for getting personal there. I'm just really worried. I tried taking Calculus once before, and I quit after a week cause I didn't know what my instructor/professor was talking about (he was from India, and a lot of words got lost in translation). I've taken a few more math classes since then, though, so maybe I now know enough. But Precalc sounds like a great class to audit, if they only offered it...

Corry · Jul 9, 2008

That is strange they don't have it.

It's such a basic math class. For my degree, before transferring out of my community college to a University, I have to have either Calc, pre-calc, or statistics. I think I'm taking stats.

BoblyBill · Jul 9, 2008

monkeykoder said:
I've found calculators to be disadvantageous in any math class.

+100 :thumbup:

clarinetJWD · Jul 9, 2008

Corry said:
Doesn't engineering require a lot of math? :scratch: Close enough!

Yep, engineering requires a lot of math, as do most sciences, but those are definitely engineering classes. My math ones were Calculus I, II, III, and Linear Algebra

Corry · Jul 9, 2008

clarinetJWD said:
Yep, engineering requires a lot of math, as do most sciences, but those are definitely engineering classes. My math ones were Calculus I, II, III, and Linear Algebra

Meh, I just remember you showing me the math that was in those classes. I still have nightmares.