LoriM or others: After College Algebra?

[brendafromtenn]

Lori and others,

 

Good morning, y'all!

 

A long time ago, YEARS AGO, I remember you(LoriM) telling us that one of the first classes a math student needed to take at the CC was College Algebra. And while this class might be a little easy for some math students, that it was good to step back just a bit, get used to the college atmosphere and get a comfortable with CC classes.

 

So, we are doing that this fall with my senior. He has taken Algebra I, II, Geometry, and PreCalc at home. (Scored a 31 on the ACT math subtest) And this fall he will go to the CC and take College Algebra to "get his feet wet".

 

But what math class do we follow this up with in the spring?

 

Any thoughts?

 

Blessings,

 

Brenda:001_smile:

[In The Great White North]

After algebra,geometry, and precalculus, with a 31 on the ACT, I'd go to calculus.

[Dana]

Check the cc. You can use the course catalog to check out prereqs or check with the math department. The website may have a flowchart for course progression.

 

At our cc, from College Algebra, you can take a statistics course or finite math (both transfer to the university). If you're going towards a business program, you can take the business calculus (which doesn't require trig), or you'd take trigonometry which will then let you start the calculus sequence that's trig based.

[LoriM]

At our CC, College Algebra is followed with PreCalculus (a 5 credit course that meets for 6 hours each week in class, and is quite intensive), and then Calculus I. I was pleased they chose a Larson text that was Calculus I with PreCalculus, so one book matched up with both courses.

 

My dd was in exactly your situation--completed Algebra 1, 2, PreCalc/Trig, Stats and Calc at home, then went to College Algebra. Yes, it's a "regression" but it built confidence, skills, and taught her the college pace of completing a course in one semester. She went on to graduate summa cum laude in her math degree. I think it worked for her; I hope it's beneficial to your student. Honestly, I have a classroom full of 7th graders right now that I wish I could convince their parents that they don't HAVE to do Algebra I in 8th grade. A year of "regression" would serve them VERY well right now. Sigh. :)

 

Good luck to your student!

[emubird]

My daughter went right on to AP calculus after the same math that your son has had. After that she did Calc 3 at the local 4 year college. It was a challenge, but she was up to it. (She did really well, in fact.)

 

With that ACT score and math background, I'm not sure I'd want to hold him back. People do get bored and slack off and do badly if they've already had the class.

 

If he does do the college Alg, you'd have to check the college to see what that is a prerequisite for. If they cover trig, or if he's already had trig (in the precalculus he did), he might go right into calculus. However, it may depend on what he wants to major in. With some majors, he might just as well take statistics.

 

If he wants to head into physics or chem or such, he might be happier in the long run getting the calculus over with now. My daughter is really glad she did it already, so she won't be saddled with another hard class while she's trying to get through other hard classes. She took the approach of spreading the hardness out rather than taking baby steps at first.

 

I've also found that my daughter has a really good sense as to what she can handle, what will be too much, and what will bore her so much that she'll stop paying attention. I laid out what she was going to have to do for certain majors and she made decisions from that. You might want to let your son make the decision. Another thing you might do is talk to a counselor or professor at the cc. They may have some sense as to how a student in your son's position might do as they may have seen the situation before.

 

I'm thinking they'd be likely to tell you to put him in calculus. (Unless you get a counselor who is math phobic, in which case you can't trust their advice.) They may even have a placement test. A lot of colleges do that. However, the ACT score alone may place him past Algebra.

[brendafromtenn]

My goal for this class is not to hold him back at all. This is his VERY first CC class. I want this to be a good experience. I don't want him to struggle right off the bat. He is going to be getting used to the whole college atmosphere, being on time, doing the work assigned in a timely manner, and listening to someone who is not mom.

 

So, my goal for this class is for him to ENJOY the college experience with something he loves....ALGEBRA. :D My goal is not to find the most rigorous course. There will be time enough for harder math classes....Next semester.....;)

[Jane in NC]

After algebra,geometry, and precalculus, with a 31 on the ACT, I'd go to calculus.

 

This would be my advice as well.

 

My dd was in exactly your situation--completed Algebra 1, 2, PreCalc/Trig, Stats and Calc at home, then went to College Algebra.

 

 

With that ACT score and math background, I'm not sure I'd want to hold him back. People do get bored and slack off and do badly if they've already had the class.

 

 

 

Obviously, repeating Algebra and Precalc worked for Lori's daughter, but it never would have worked for me! If someone had signed me up for College Algebra after completing rigorous high school math, I would have been bored out of my mind.

 

Perhaps the OP should have a conversation with her student on the merits of both paths, i.e. building confidence via repetition or moving forward. What does the student say?

[brendafromtenn]

We DID hold our 2nd DD back and not push her to do Algebra until 9th grade. It was the BEST thing we could have done for HER. She feels SO confident now in her math skills and may even do as well on her ACT scores as her big brother! But she really needed me to let her mature. I am SO glad that I did.

 

Continue to encourage those parents.:001_smile: I used to teach too. I understand where you are coming from.....;)

 

Gotta run make sandwiches for workers who are still helping flood victims in our area.......

 

Thanks for ALL the advice and words of wisdom.....

 

Blessings,

 

Brenda

[emubird]

If the goal is an easing into the college experience, maybe he'd be better off taking something other than math?

 

If it were me, and I'd already done the math, I'd be bored out of my mind. I'd rather take something more interesting.

 

Actually, he might find that a stats course would be fairly easy, and it wouldn't be a repeat. It wouldn't be like jumping into calculus. Statistics courses tend not to be too difficult until you hit the upper division/grad level ones.

 

I mentioned the idea of doing college algebra to my daughter. She said there was no way she would have redone algebra. What would be the point? She's much happier with what she did, even if it was a lot of work.

[kiana]

Obviously, repeating Algebra and Precalc worked for Lori's daughter, but it never would have worked for me! If someone had signed me up for College Algebra after completing rigorous high school math, I would have been bored out of my mind.

 

Perhaps the OP should have a conversation with her student on the merits of both paths, i.e. building confidence via repetition or moving forward. What does the student say?

 

:iagree: