How hard is calculus, Really..?

Question

im preparing to take college level calculus in the fall and im really intimidated by it. is there any prep that i can do to give myself an advantage?? i never really was good at math but its required.. ( any self help books, tutorials etc?) please help!

Answer 1

I think that the best preparation you can do is to make sure that you are quite comfortable with algebra and trigonometry. The following things will be particularly crucial to know very well in Calculus:

-What a function is; how to graph certain functions (lines, circles); how to identify values of a function by looking at its graph
-How to multiply and factor polynomials (for example, you should be able to simplify (x + 2)(x - 3)(x + 1), and you should be able to factor x^2 - 6x + 8)
-The values of sines, cosines, and tangents of common angles, especially in radians (for example, you should know what the sine of pi/3 is). You should also know what sines and cosines mean in terms of a unit circle and a right triangle.
-Laws of exponents and logarithms (for example, you should know that 6^(a + b) = 6^a times 6^b, and you should know that 6^x = 2^x times 3^x)
-What negative exponents mean (for example, you should know how to compute 3^(-2) )
-You should know what absolute value means, and you should be able to solve equations and inequalities involving absolute values (for example, you should know how to find all solutions of the inequality |x - 5| < 3)
-Properties of square roots (for example, you should know that √(ab) = √a times √b; you should know that √(a + b) does not equal √a + √b; you should know that √a and a^(1/2) mean the same thing)

(Please note above that, when typing, I use ^ for exponents, so that by "2^3", I mean "2 to the 3rd power.")

You will probably review many of the things I said above at the beginning of your Calculus course, but it will give you a head start if you already know most of these sorts of things ahead of time, or are at least fairly comfortable with all of them.

If you have taken a course in precalculus which covered limits, you may find it helpful to review these. You will learn about limits anew in Calculus, but many students find limits to be tricky. (If you haven't taken a course which covered limits, I wouldn't worry about it, but be prepared to spend some time studying them in your Calculus course to figure out what they are and how they work.)

If you are taking Calculus at a college and you have not taken a college-level math course before, you should be aware that it may be taught a little differently than you are used to. The course will move much more quickly than a high-school course. Your instructor will probably introduce the new material and give a few examples, but a lot of what you learn may be done outside the classroom in working some problems yourself and learning formulas.

If you can't understand something from class, don't be afraid or embarrassed to go talk to your instructor. He/she will probably have weekly office hours for this purpose. Even if you don't find your instructor very helpful in lecture, your instructor may be be helpful during office hours, because he/she can work at a less strenuous pace, give more examples, and make sure that you, personally, understand the material. Your school may also have other places available that you can go for help. Ask your instructor what these are.

I'm not trying to scare you by any of the above--many students don't find Calculus to be too difficult. However, if you are worried about it, some of the above may help to make your Calculus experience go more smoothly.

Answer 2

i'm in calculus stunning now. once you're a math orientated man or woman, Calculus is quite exciting. do no longer base your assumption approximately calculus based on the variety you probably did on your pre-calculus type. Pre-calculus is amazingly different from calculus and is a lot much less stressful. that's extra conceptual and there is way less to memorize. that's amazingly useful in physics as properly. as quickly as you already know the effort-free suggestions, each thing else falls into place.

Answer 3

I had to study a lot in calculus 1 given that I am not naturally gifted in math like some people. But the hard study paid off because with a good background in calc 1, the other math courses I had were not as difficult.

It's definintely a course where you don't want to fall behind. Keep up with the homework.

Answer 4

i have taken 8 college math classes. I believe the hardest classes have been
college algebra, Calculus 2, Linar algebra
cal 1 is fairly easy but its the algebra that kills ppl
just do the homework and ask questions and you will be fine.
i promise

Answer 5

calculus is very is easy if understand very carefully
other wise it is very dificult
but one thing is clear that perfetct basic formula & this will give u a perfectness in calculus