Current Events > Did you ever take Calculus?

(+) Yeah! (+)

were you able to pass the class, etc.....?

Yeah I took Calc 1-5. Calc 1 and 3 were manageable, but Calc 2, 4, and 5 were tough >_> Other math classes like combinatorial theory and discrete mathematics weren't as hard as them imo

1 was alright. I almost failed 2.

I passed but retained nothing from it.

Never made it that far in math classes.

mario2000 posted...

1 was alright. I almost failed 2.

Do you dudes believe that you have to be very intelligent to do good in calculus? Have heard others say this

GranTurismo posted...

Do you dudes believe that you have to be very intelligent to do good in calculus? Have heard others say this

Nah, there's definitely dumb people in my class that passed and smart people who struggled >_> You kinda have to have a certain way of thinking imo. I had to do problems over and over before it finally clicked. I think if you're average at math, you can still do this stuff but you definitely gotta put a lot of work in it.

I took Calc 1 and 2

I consider Calc 2 to be the hardest class I took, withdrew the first time since I was failing it badly and only passed with a C the second time around

(B.S. in both Biochemistry and Psychology)

GranTurismo posted...

Do you dudes believe that you have to be very intelligent to do good in calculus? Have heard others say this

No. Do not believe people who say this. Math, like any other subject is something that can be practiced and worked on. Do not let people saying that stuff demotivate you.

https://youtu.be/pMWxnjgvUQM

Its been ~5 years now but I took 1-3 in college.

1 & 3 I remember being alright. Derivatives, integration, limits. 3 was mostly a continuation of 1 iirc but with Z-axis 3D graphs, vectors, double/triple integration, Green theorem, fairly alright still.

I remember 2 went hardcore on the trig functions and their applications.. oh and sequences and series. Fuck those.

I teach AP Calc.

I took up to 5, sometimes it clicked, sometimes it didnt. But the difference in grades was always more about effort put in and less about "getting it"

Except for 5, I do think you need to get it and try for that one. The class where the professor essentially said "Do/Use whatever you want on the exam, if you dont get it it wont matter". Average was a 42%.

Yes, no, yes, no, yes.

high school calc - passed 1st semester, D 2nd semester

college calc - passed (barely) 1st semester failed 2nd semester (self-paced class; BAD idea)

changed majors (chemistry to English), eventually retook 2nd semester and got a B

Never did understand how to use the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus to solve a problem.

Im not a dude, but I think my weak algebra skills hurt me some, and my atrocious study habits hurt me more. I had the same teacher for Algebra 1 & 2, and he was pretty bad. I basically taught myself, and I wasnt a very good algebra teacher.

I understand it SO MUCH better now, but its been 30 years, sonow I try to help my son with his college calculus. He has the same problem - weak algebra skills.

I dont think you have to be particularly smart, but you have to be persistent and willing to look at things in different ways. Dont just plug and chug without understanding why the algorithms work.

DipDipDiver posted...

https://youtu.be/pMWxnjgvUQM

Dammit I was gonna say that

Calc 1 isn't that hard from what I remember. It's mainly just learning the basics of derivatives, definite integrals, indefinite integrals, and limits. Then they teach you some shortcuts so you don't have to use defn. of derivative to do anything with those first three.

Calc 2 was decently hard, I remember having trouble with stuff like Taylor and McLauren series. I don't remember Calc 3 at all.

GranTurismo posted...

Do you dudes believe that you have to be very intelligent to do good in calculus? Have heard others say this

No but you have to have foundational critical thinking skills. I.e. the ability to think outside of the box and not just be trained to see buzz words in word problems to know to use X formula. If you cant learn to apply the material you wont succeed.

Its one of the main reasons (outside of actually being able to utilize the formulae as needed) it is core curriculum for all things engineering. I personally dont need to know most of calculus as a network engineer, however I do have to think critically on my feet constantly, use abstract math with no clear and concise answer, etc.

ThisIsAKnoife posted...

Its been ~5 years now but I took 1-3 in college.

1 & 3 I remember being alright. Derivatives, integration, limits. 3 was mostly a continuation of 1 iirc but with Z-axis 3D graphs, vectors, double/triple integration, Green theorem, fairly alright still.

I remember 2 went hardcore on the trig functions and their applications.. oh and sequences and series. Fuck those.

Yeah, that's what I liked about Calc 3. It's just Calc 1 but in 3D or with partial derivatives or whatnot. Calc 2 is a whole different beast

I took calc for econ, did well iirc, but that was it

I took 1-3, 3 being multivariable and vector calc

What is 4 and 5? I took up to DiffEq 2 (partial diff equations)

I did IB Math in high school, which had a significant calculus component. never took a class that was specifically calculus though

Gwynevere posted...

I took 1-3, 3 being multivariable and vector calc

What is 4 and 5? I took up to DiffEq 2 (partial diff equations)

For my school 4 was Differential Equations. 5 I honestly forgot most of it lol, but it had Laplace Transformations and other similar stuff in it. All I remember is the average was like a 45% and I never had to use anything from it ever again >_>

eh

Classes are generally only as hard as the professor.

Pre-Calculus I got a B, Calculus 1-3 I easily got an A almost a perfect score in the classes, and Statistics I got a C. Pretty mixed bag just based on which professors I had.

I took Calc 1-3 and I used to teach Calc 1 / Calc 2 to undergraduates.

I did way better in Calc 3 than Calc 2 but don't remember a single bit of Calc 3 stuff.

One of the most interesting things about calculus is that it allows us to study the behavior of functions and how they change over time. This is incredibly useful for a wide range of fields, from physics and engineering to economics and biology. By analyzing the rates of change and derivatives of functions, we can make predictions and models that can help us better understand and control our environment.
Calculus also allows us to solve optimization problems, such as finding the maximum or minimum value of a function. This is important for many real-world applications, such as designing efficient systems, maximizing profits, or minimizing costs.
But perhaps the most fascinating aspect of calculus is its connections to other areas of mathematics and science. For example, calculus is closely related to geometry, algebra, and physics, and can be used to solve problems in these fields. Additionally, many important concepts in calculus, such as limits and infinity, have philosophical implications and have influenced the way we think about the nature of the universe.

Not as far as I remember.

Failed 1 twice and 2 three times before passing and never thinking about it again.

Yup. Took real analysis as well. And most of my upper division core classes required it too.

Hell no

No. We had to take 4 or 5 maths. I took Tech Math, Geometry, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Stats.

Fucking hate math.

Just in the teeth

yeah

i'm currently enrolled in school.

took calculus last semester. did really well, aced it. crazy considering i nearly failed pre-calc lol. Edit: I took pre-calc when I went to school 10 years ago, and failed it. i also wasn't putting in 100% back then though.

taking calc 2 this semester. got a 98% on the first exam, but it's still the beginning of the semester. so far i'm doing well, but i don't want to count my chickens before they hatch.

eh?

Yes, Calc 1 felt pretty straightforward. Calc 2 was a different beast, though.

Yeah. I took cal 2 twice, though.

Yeah, but I cheated all the way through it.