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Is easy local DE Calculus redo okay for future STEM student? Updated


MamaSprout
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UPDATE. We're redoing Calculus 1 & 2 at the DE Uni. She has a friend who is also taking the Calc 1 class in the fall and will be on track with lots of kids at school #1.
 
We did find a few trig topics that are kind of weak in Precalculus. That chapter would have lined up time-wise with when she lost her math study-buddy/ tutor because of quarantine last spring, so I'm not overly surprised. So I'll have her redo those chapters before Calc starts in the fall.
 
THANKS for the input. 
 
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I am debating what math class to put Dd into for fall semester. Right now I have her scheduled into a local DE Calculus 2 class even though she finished a good (challenging) Calculus BC class with a B and has a very good SAT math score. Unfortunately, her Calculus AB sub score is a 3, which none of her target colleges accept (although it's fine for her current DE university). I am considering putting her in the school's DE Calculus 1, but the teacher is known to be easy and it's an "essentials" book. Is there any harm in taking an easy "A" class in Calculus 1 as a STEM student?
TIA
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On my first day of college calculus 1, the prof asked how many kids had a five on the AP test.  Half the room raised their hands.  Okay this was UC Berkeley, but still, STEM kids 100% retake Calculus 1 for an easy A.  Do it.  Her science GPA will thank her. 

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Huh. My Calc AB score was fine but no one at my eventual U looked at it because I had credit for Calc 3 (and Diff Eq) through DE when I enrolled. (Don't ask about Calc 2 because I never took it!)

Are you sure she would have to get Calc 1 credit eventually? I mean, does she need those 3 credits on her eventual college transcript? Wouldn't it kind of be like having French 102 credit through DE, being able to start French 201, & not having to go back to get French 101 for those 3 credits? 

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44 minutes ago, RootAnn said:

Huh. My Calc AB score was fine but no one at my eventual U looked at it because I had credit for Calc 3 (and Diff Eq) through DE when I enrolled. (Don't ask about Calc 2 because I never took it!)

Are you sure she would have to get Calc 1 credit eventually? I mean, does she need those 3 credits on her eventual college transcript? Wouldn't it kind of be like having French 102 credit through DE, being able to start French 201, & not having to go back to get French 101 for those 3 credits? 

I'm not sure, honestly. We could hedge, I guess. I know school #1 does allow for some course by-passing and school #2 would take a CLEP score if it came down to it. ETA- I'm reluctant to rely on a test of any kind for course credit because she's a really inconsistent tester.

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  • MamaSprout changed the title to Is easy local DE Calculus redo okay for future STEM student?

Hopefully a sum up is OK so I can make sure I have this straight. If not ok, I'll delete it. Just say the word.

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She has a good grade in a solid Calc BC class. She wants to take Calc 2 at a nearby Uni & is signed up for a good class & prof for it in the Fall. In the Spring, she could take another math class at the same U. Maybe Calc 3 or something next in the series. And you are worried that a future college will require her to backtrack to get Calc 1 credit. Do I have that right?

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I'm not seeing it. I can't imagine it. I suppose it is possible. Yeah, sure, some colleges are weird and picky. So, if you want to make sure, I'd call Place 1 & 2 as a guidance counselor and ask Admissions if Student has Calc 2 on their college transcript, what is the policy about Calc 1. 

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Yes, that's pretty much the sum of it. I want to make sure she has a solid foundation, though too. Homeschool mom anxiety and all.

Since she got her score yesterday I've had her working through finals for each Geometry, Algebra 2, and Precalculus, cold, just to make sure there are no holes (she self-studied precalc). So far, so good. The only thing I've discovered it that she doesn't have the unit circle memorized. She's not quite done with the precalculus final yet.

I might make her do the Thinkwell Essentials Calculus 1 and then the CLEP exam before fall classes start, just to be sure she hasn't just bluffed her way through. She's pretty intuitive with math, and it isn't impossible.

ETA: She tutored a friend who got a 4, so it's also possible she just had a score sheet mishap.

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If she would have time to get through the complete Calc sequence, I'd start her in Calc 1 again. An easy start never hurt anyone. If she wouldn't be able to finish Calc 3 at the same school, I'd have her thoroughly review Calc 1 and start in Calc 2 in the fall. I would avoid having her split the sequence between two different colleges because they may not line up well.

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  • MamaSprout changed the title to Is easy local DE Calculus redo okay for future STEM student? Updated

@MamaSprout   During recent years, there have been some threads and some responses on WTM that I wish I had the links for as I write this.  If your DD is a STEM major, IMO she should take Calc 1 in the STEM university when she gets there. Concentrate now on Pre-Calculus. 

Many students including students with excellent grades in AP courses or DE courses get to university and find themselves ill prepared for Calc 1, despite their paper credentials.  Sometimes, not infrequently, they founder because of a lack of mastery of Algebra 1.

The STEM university that your DD eventually attends will teach Calc 1 the way they want it taught.

Much good luck to your DD!

 

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2 hours ago, Lanny said:

@MamaSprout   During recent years, there have been some threads and some responses on WTM that I wish I had the links for as I write this.  If your DD is a STEM major, IMO she should take Calc 1 in the STEM university when she gets there. Concentrate now on Pre-Calculus. 

Many students including students with excellent grades in AP courses or DE courses get to university and find themselves ill prepared for Calc 1, despite their paper credentials.  Sometimes, not infrequently, they founder because of a lack of mastery of Algebra 1.

The STEM university that your DD eventually attends will teach Calc 1 the way they want it taught.

Much good luck to your DD!

 

That’s too far off (she just finished 10th grade, although she might graduate early).

She used Derek Owens for Precalc, so reviewing is pretty straight forward, and it really is just a chapter or two that she needs.

We do have the text that her target school uses for Calc so she can look at the challenge problems, she plans to join the Math Club at her DE school and continue the eImacs stuff. I probably should have her learn the math software target school uses, though.

Hopefully that’s enough. Her first pass through calc was rigorous, even though her testing skills stink. (and it was her first ever AP exam- bad planning on my part). I’m hearing that scores are just lower this year, too. It’s fine. Calculus is a good place to repeat.

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  • 2 months later...
On 7/23/2021 at 7:56 AM, Lanny said:

Many students including students with excellent grades in AP courses or DE courses get to university and find themselves ill prepared for Calc 1, despite their paper credentials.  Sometimes, not infrequently, they founder because of a lack of mastery of Algebra 1.

This was me and I had an inkling it was my poor mastery of Algebra.  I am 56 so it was a long time ago. I am glad to know someone confirms my inkling. I have two very engineerish young children so I don’t want to see happen to them what happened to me.

I was premed so it didn’t matter. I suffered through one semester and it was over. I have seen Calc 1 be the reason Engineering majors switch majors. I don’t want that to happen to my kids who seem to be so STEMy at this early stage.

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I’m OP.

Kiddo has an A+ in her calc class and is seriously bored/ annoyed with her classmates. However, she does seem to be getting past her test anxiety, lol. It’s okay. It gives her time to work a job, do scholarship application and double down on her other classes.

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4 hours ago, drjuliadc said:

This was me and I had an inkling it was my poor mastery of Algebra.  I am 56 so it was a long time ago. I am glad to know someone confirms my inkling. I have two very engineerish young children so I don’t want to see happen to them what happened to me.

I was premed so it didn’t matter. I suffered through one semester and it was over. I have seen Calc 1 be the reason Engineering majors switch majors. I don’t want that to happen to my kids who seem to be so STEMy at this early stage.

I’ve seen engineering majors with a weak grasp of math facts, relying on their calculators for everything. Where I’m at, those students tend to end up in a engineering design technology program. They don’t generally end up in engineering jobs- usually sales or manufacturing supervision. 

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8 hours ago, MamaSprout said:

I’m OP.

Kiddo has an A+ in her calc class and is seriously bored/ annoyed with her classmates. However, she does seem to be getting past her test anxiety, lol. It’s okay. It gives her time to work a job, do scholarship application and double down on her other classes.

It should be an excellent review/reinforcement of concept, and, if all else fails, it might be a nice confidence boost!

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@MamaSproutThe title, which has been updated, includes "Easy" and "STEM".  They really don't go together.  I think the idea you have now of her taking courses in the local CC is good.  Then, when she enters a STEM college or university, she will have a basic understanding of Calc and she will take the courses from Instructors who know how the school wants them taught.

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2 hours ago, fourisenough said:

It should be an excellent review/reinforcement of concept, and, if all else fails, it might be a nice confidence boost!

Yeah, pretty much just a confidence boost. She had a B in her hard Calc BC class last year. She just couldn’t wrap her head around preparing for the exam. 

Definitely a dealing with the consequences of her actions kind of situation, and I’d rather she do that now than later.

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2 hours ago, Lanny said:

@MamaSproutThe title, which has been updated, includes "Easy" and "STEM".  They really don't go together.  I think the idea you have now of her taking courses in the local CC is good.  Then, when she enters a STEM college or university, she will have a basic understanding of Calc and she will take the courses from Instructors who know how the school wants them taught.

She’s actually taking it at an engineering school. She already knows she won’t have to retake it at any of the schools she’s applied to. Last year she took it in a class with lots of aops-style problems in addition to AP content.

She approached the AP exam worrying too much about how to test quickly rather than just doing the calculus. Her teacher told her that her focus was wrong and she didn’t listen.

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It looks like you have a plan, so I won't comment on that. I did want to give you a general piece of advice though on the topic of reviewing 🙂 My daughter was also doing Calc in 10th grade (she finished DE 2 and 3 before the start of junior year.) Anyway, make sure she goes back and reviews SAT-specific math before the junior year PSAT if you are hoping for National Merit. It's amazing how much they forget, and it can really impact the very advanced math student's score.

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27 minutes ago, GoodGrief3 said:

 Anyway, make sure she goes back and reviews SAT-specific math before the junior year PSAT if you are hoping for National Merit. 

Think OP’s daughter is a junior and the first two PSAT dates are over. Only the alternate date Oct 26th is left.

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Dd is a graduating junior (so she did Calc BC in 10th). None of her schools she’s applying to offered enough money to go back and prep for the PSAT, so we decided to let it go. Her SAT is in the highest merit range for her first pick school, so good enough for a kid who doesn’t test well.

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11 hours ago, MamaSprout said:

She’s actually taking it at an engineering school. She already knows she won’t have to retake it at any of the schools she’s applied to. <snip>

@MamaSproutThat's much better than what many students do, but IMO it is  not ideal for your DD. The best situation is for STEM students to take Calc 1 in the school where they plan to get their B.S. degree. 

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1 hour ago, Lanny said:

@MamaSproutThat's much better than what many students do, but IMO it is  not ideal for your DD. The best situation is for STEM students to take Calc 1 in the school where they plan to get their B.S. degree. 

Disagree. The most rigorous calc course will almost certainly be the one taught at the engineering school, which is where OP's DD is taking her class.

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2 hours ago, regentrude said:

Disagree. The most rigorous calc course will almost certainly be the one taught at the engineering school, which is where OP's DD is taking her class.

@regentrude   Would you agree with me that if a student is going to seek a BSEE degree, for example, that it is better for the student to take Calc 1 in the school that will issue the degree?  My reasoning is that they know best how they want to teach it.

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2 hours ago, Lanny said:

@regentrude   Would you agree with me that if a student is going to seek a BSEE degree, for example, that it is better for the student to take Calc 1 in the school that will issue the degree?  My reasoning is that they know best how they want to teach it.

The schools DD is applying to are engineering schools mostly in the same state where she is taking DE. While this round of calc is not as deep as what she took last year, there are clear articulation agreements for Calc 1 &2 between the schools where she is applying and where she is doing DE. Most of the engineering programs she’s applying to have the majority of students enter with Calc 1&2 completed.

It’s fine. She wanted to move on more interesting math before she started at an engineering program (with little room for electives), but the benefits for graduating and moving on outweigh the drawbacks at this point.

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