<p>Something has been confusing me for awhile now. Take, for example, a CC and MIT. Both have math majors. At the CC, someone is taking Multivariable Calculus, and at MIT, someone is taking the same course. Both cover the same time span. There are many proponents of going to a CC and transferring to another school. I just don’t understand how math majors at MIT (who are presumably pretty smart) and students at a CC, who probably (on average**) have a lesser math ability, can cover the same material with the same depth within that time period, and receive credit for the same course. I don’t understand, in general, how people say that prestige means little. Some would even assert a math major at a lower ranked state university has the exact same experience/knowledge as someone who attended MIT. This post is not meant to offend, I am only curious. Thanks!</p>
<p>Usually MIT’s multivariable calculus course will cover the same material over the same time period, but at much greater depth. I loved calculus in high school (and got a 5 on AB), e.g., but I have to stay the heck away from continuing my math education here at Harvard unless I want to damage my GPA with a likely C+/B-. It is quite possible to go from beginning to end of a multivar textbook in both a shallow and a very deep way.</p>
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<p>They don’t. MIT is unusual among colleges in cramming what is ordinarily three semesters of calculus (two semesters of freshman calculus and one semester of multivariable calculus) into two semesters (18.01 and 18.02). It also has honors versions (18.014 and 18.022). [Fall</a> 2012 Course 18: Mathematics](<a href=“http://student.mit.edu/catalog/m18a.html]Fall”>IAP/Spring 2024 Course 18: Mathematics)</p>
<p>However, CCs typically model their courses on those of state universities that the CC students aim to transfer to, and lower division math courses tend to be fairly standardized at all except elite STEM-focused schools. So while the CC math courses may not be like MIT lower division math courses, they should be similar in content to the lower division math courses at state universities.</p>
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<p>Not all Harvard math courses are super-hard like the famous Math 55a and 55b. Harvard even offers an AB-like course Math Ma and Mb, covering the usual content of Math 1a over two semesters instead of one. Harvard also has lower division math courses like Math 18, 19a, and 19b for social studies majors, which are presumably less rigorous than the versions for math and physics majors.</p>
<p>Of course, there may be greater variations in course content and pacing in other subjects with less standardized courses (e.g. computer science).</p>
<p>To come out on top of a curve at MIT means doing better than hordes of math geniuses, while the same cannot be said for a Math major in a CC.</p>
<p>better teachers, a deeper understanding of the subject matter</p>