I'M TERRIFIED OF MY COLLEGE CALCULUS CLASS!!!

[Placebo]

Okay, I've never been good at math. I am a super star in every subject that DOESN'T involve math. And I'm terrified of my Business Calculus match class that I have this quarter in college. It's going to be a disaster.

Has anyone else ever taken it? Anyone give me any feedback? :scared:

[gmoney]

1. I took it in High School, but it didn't click...

until I took it again in college.

[liontamer]

2. never took business calculus

but calculus is a nuisance most have to take. If you can take it pass fail it becomes miraculously stress free.

[Placebo]

3. I have to get a C- or better.

Or else it doesn't count towards my degree.

[liontamer]

4. well business classes are generally competitive

but if you're super nervous, aim for a C- in your head. It's okay to have one or two bad grades on your transcript. You don't want to go nuts this term over one class.

[skooooo]

10. If it's any comfort...

...I wasn't good in Math either and got talked into taking "Finite Math" in college (should have stuck with Algebra, because I understood it at least). IT was a disaster. I hardly even went to class and didn't do the homework.

However, the final was set up so that even the "dummies" (not that you're one) could pass the class with a C-. So, do your best and maybe get a tutor. I bet you'll do well enough to get at least a C-.

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. This isn't bad at all

However, your algebra has to be pretty good. If you have a good teacher, everything will work out ok.

[WillyBrandt]

6. Be sure not to sweat integration using polar coordinates

The principles are identical to those on the Cartesian plane.

Likewise, double integration is easier to follow if you remember that at every point the other integrand is being kept constant; it'll make the summations easier to grapple with.

[liberalhistorian]

9. SAY WHAT?

WTF does that mean? You might as well be speaking in ancient Russian, lol!

Sheesh, this is why I'm glad I'm a liberal arts and humanities kinda gal! I was lucky to be able to add two plus two in school, let alone any other math. The only good thing about that is that it gets me out of helping my 7th-grade son with his math homework, not that Mr. Math Genius (and he sure as HELL didn't get it from me!) needs any help.

[skooooo]

11. Ancient Russian...

= "Old Church Slavonic".

[liberalhistorian]

14. LOL!

Okay, okay, so I'm not so great in languages, either. Although I did take Spanish in high school and Russian in college.

[skooooo]

15. Oh that's a very arcane bit ..

...of knowledge. I just saw a chance to use it (first time in 20 years), and couldn't let it go.

LOL

[WillyBrandt]

16. If you keep it up, we'll have you thrown in the Panopticon!

[skooooo]

18. And what's THAT??

pray tell.

[WillyBrandt]

19. It's fascinating--here's a link

http://cartome.org/panopticon1.htm

[WillyBrandt]

13. It's easier than trying to understand why Kant

said the two categorial formulations of the categorial imperative were identical:

(a) Always treat a human being as an end and never as a means alone

and

(b) Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law

Or, why it is that the English Revolution was simultaneous with a huge explosion of religious sects, while the same did not happen in the nascent US, even though the changes to the political structure were just as fundamental.

OK, I'll stop I'll stop :)

[Nikia]

7. I took calculus from the high priest of math in college

Since you are taking business calculus as opposed to the pure mathematics version, my experience shouldn't be as bad as your's.
I was actually good at math. I got A's in all my high school math classes. I scored in the 99th percentile on all those standardized tests in math in elementary school and junior high. Unfortunately, it turns out that my high school wasn't as academically minded as many schools so my advanced math class wasn't really the best preparation for regular calculus.
I realized that I was having trouble in the class the first week of classes. I approached the professor who said that although my math SAT scores were sufficient that my high school preparation wasn't sufficient for me to do well in that class. When I tired to ask him questions, he said that it was obvious that I didn't understand anything at all and I should drop the class. I briefly considered his advice but had a difficult time finding a professor who would let me in his/her class after the first week. I stayed in the class to his dismay.
I found out that this professor liked encouraging people to drop the class or failing them. He took pride in the fact that as many people failed as got As. To him, mathematics was a superior subject that only the brightest minds could grasp. In fact, mathematics was the closest thing to the divine that humans could experience. He actually said that in class.
I worked my butt off and got a C in that class. I decided that there was no need for me to take Calculus II. When I got home for winter break, I found out that three other of the great mathatics minds in my advanced class also got Cs. We all confronted our teacher together when we saw each other and the teacher at a basketball game. He said that at least we passed, unlike he did on his first time through the class. He added that another girl who had been in our class got an A- in pre calculus class. I wanted to strangled him.
Anyway, that's my calculus experience. I hope your's goes better. Remember to stay on top of it and do all the homework whether its required or not.

[democracy eh]

8. I failed it twice

got like 18% the first time, 12% the second time. I was never able to answer any questions on the final exam.

unfortunately it was a first year prereq for my program. I put off taking it till by 4th year and then I was able to convince my Dean that as I had an 'A' average in every other 4th year course, it was kind of silly for me to take a 1rst year pre req.

miraculously he agreed. I had the exemption letter on my door. all my friends figured I would have to take summer school after I was done...hah hah on them.

[Fleshdancer]

12. When in doubt, get a tutor.

If you need help, get it. I wish someone had given me that advice when I first started college.

Hang in there and good luck!

[DrWeird]

17. Easy, easy, easy stuff.

The problem is people get way to worked up about it and freak out. Just go to class everyday, pay attention, and do all the assigned homework and you'll be fine.

[Endangered Specie]

20. Ive had 4 semesters of Calculus/Diff Eq...

PM me if you have any questions... I should (read: should) be able to handle them, if not, I know folks who are math wizards.

[Tangledog]

21. What Gloria said

Get a tutor. If it's at all possible, "audition" a couple of tutors and pick the one you relate to better.

It'll probably take some time and work before the concepts snap in, but you can do it.

[comradebillyboy]

22. i teach calculus and the fact is

you gotta be persistent. its complicated. do more problems than the prof assigns. go to all office hours and ask questions, especially if he has a grad student doing his grading, ask the grad student.

on the bright side biz calculus is stripped of all theory and is totally mechanical. for the average engineering student biz calc is a piece of cake compared to the "wash out" or gateway calculus classes engineering and science majors take.

[daa]

27. I agree

Much more practical. Have a positive attitude, follow comradebillyboy's advice and its not so bad.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

29. Great advice, Comrade

When I taught foreign language, I noticed that the struggling students never came to the help sessions. It was always the super A students who were afraid that they were missing some tiny nugget of information.

That should tell you something.

Go to the professor with questions, go to the help sessions, and get a tutor or work together with someone who is more confident about math.

[Ilsa]

23. Yeah, it's not that bad.

I'm pretty good at math, but I only needed business calculus. Get a tutor before you fall too far behind. Do extra problems.

[kitkatrose]

24. Well, I'm in it now...

We can be scared together. :scared: :) I hate math with a passion, but I need it for my biology degree. :( Fortunately it's only Cal 1. Chem students have to take up to Cal 3. Talk about :scared:

[Placebo]

25. errrr, Calc 3

:scared:

[Endangered Specie]

26. Try that at 8am everyday.

NOT fun.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

28. get a tutor or

pair up with a student who's good in math.

I passed advanced algebra in high school by meeting with a good math student before class and comparing homework answers. If we differed, we'd both rework the problem, comparing steps along the way. Usually the other student was right, but occasionally I was. Note: this is NOT the same as copying someone else's homework. When I was a teacher, I found that a lot of students either couldn't tell the difference or pretended not to know the difference--even though teachers can almost always detect the copycat papers.

In calculus and above, the answer is important, sure, but knowing the process to follow is even more important.

Math is a different way of thinking that is not always obvious to humanities and social science types.