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High school veterans: DE Math Options after Calculus?


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My dd who is a rising 9th grader will be taking PreCalculus Honors next year.   (She will attend a university model high school and this was their recommendation based on her placement test score).

 

My question is for those of you who have had dc follow an accelerated path -- what are some good course options for dual enrollment after calculus for junior and senior year?  I am happy to learn that AoPS has now received A-G approval, but I'm not sure it will be an option.  So far, she has studied some of their texts independently, but their online courses are a bit pricey for us and they only offer the courses in the evenings, which has never worked with her dance schedule.

 

So, the free option is dual enrollment.  Our community college has offerings in Calc 1 and 2.  I believe they also offer multivariable calculus as Calc 3.  In addition, more options are linear algebra and elementary statistics.  Any advice as to the best path?  Just move forward through Calc 1, 2 and 3?  or would the linear algebra or statistics be better to take before any of the others?

 

This is totally new territory for me.  She's thinking about majoring in Biology or Chemistry in college, if that helps.  

Edited by amsunshine
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My son took Calc 1, Calc 2, Calc 3, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, and Statistics for DE at a community college.  I can't remember the order he took everything, but I think statistics could be taken anytime.  I am pretty sure he took linear algebra and calc 3 at the same time, and then differential equations last.  So maybe linear algebra should be taken after calculus 2.  

 

You are fortunate to get free dual enrollment!  We get four credits free next year and the rest we pay for.

 

 

Erica

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Most CCs would have prerequisites to clear. E.g at my son's CC he took Calc 1 then Calc 2 which would have cleared him for Linear Alg, Discrete Math and Calc 3. Diff Eq is after Calc 3.

 

What he did: Calc 1 (fall), Calc 2 (spring), Diff Eq with Linear Alg at a UC (at the UC the prereq was Calc 1 & 2). He also took Calc 3 at the CC at the same time as DiffEq at UC. He wants to add Abstract Algebra at UC next (not interested in Discrete for now).

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Thanks all! This is helpful and scary (to me) at the same time. Dd seems to just take it all in stride. I will have to take a closer look at the prerequisites. I couldn't make heads or tails of them on the first go.

 

We are very fortunate to have free dual enrollment! I'm very thankful for that.

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Most CCs would have prerequisites to clear. E.g at my son's CC he took Calc 1 then Calc 2 which would have cleared him for Linear Alg, Discrete Math and Calc 3. Diff Eq is after Calc 3.

 

What he did: Calc 1 (fall), Calc 2 (spring), Diff Eq with Linear Alg at a UC (at the UC the prereq was Calc 1 & 2). He also took Calc 3 at the CC at the same time as DiffEq at UC. He wants to add Abstract Algebra at UC next (not interested in Discrete for now).

So, after Calc 2, would there be no preference at all for doing Calc 3 before either linear algebra or discrete math (assuming the student only takes one course at a time)?

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There's a brave lad!  AA can be a mind-bender - not for the feint of heart.

 

Thanks Mike! He had a lovely, playful taster course via his tutor a few years back and was even more enamored after AoPS rolled out their beta Group Theory Seminar last summer. He is really looking forward to the challenge!

 

Thanks all! This is helpful and scary (to me) at the same time. Dd seems to just take it all in stride. I will have to take a closer look at the prerequisites. I couldn't make heads or tails of them on the first go.

 

 

Definitely check out the flowchart like a pp said. Helped me understand it so much better! :thumbup:

 

So, after Calc 2, would there be no preference at all for doing Calc 3 before either linear algebra or discrete math (assuming the student only takes one course at a time)?

 

For DS it was just interest/ goal specific. No push from the CC to do this or that.

 

Maybe more than you want to know and sorry if it is discouraging but I'll tell you like it is so you can decide. A science major might not feel the same way but the CC math courses can be rather uninspired for a hoping-to-be math major who is also a math lover/ explorer. He finished the Calc series there only because he was thinking that he might want to transfer at some point (and UCs sometimes like to see the series completed at the same CC).  

 

He didn't want to have anything to do with CC math after Calc 2. Pushed himself to finish and be done with Calc 3 as explained. The good stuff was explored outside the CC (intermittent MIT OCW, AoPS, misc. reading/ poking around websites). 

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Maybe more than you want to know and sorry if it is discouraging but I'll tell you like it is so you can decide. A science major might not feel the same way but the CC math courses can be rather uninspired for a hoping-to-be math major who is also a math lover/ explorer. He finished the Calc series there only because he was thinking that he might want to transfer at some point (and UCs sometimes like to see the series completed at the same CC).  

 

He didn't want to have anything to do with CC math after Calc 2. Pushed himself to finish and be done with Calc 3 as explained. The good stuff was explored outside the CC (intermittent MIT OCW, AoPS, misc. reading/ poking around websites). 

 

I do kind of suspect the cc courses may not be that imaginative.  She does participate in our local math circle on weekends, so that will stave off some boredom, at least.  Also, If there's any way we can squeeze in at least one AoPS class, I'm hoping we might be able to do that, in addition to the MIT Open Courseware here and there to supplement.  I was just trying to put a skeleton progression together to feel as if I have a vague idea of where she might be headed.  UC Scout is also an option, I suppose, but I've heard those courses are poke your eyeballs out boring (I'm open to any contrary opinions, though)!

 

Thanks for the words of advice -- I appreciate them!

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