<p>So, im an incoming first-year in the e-school and im having cold feet about which calc class to take…we’re given three options: APMA 1090, APMA 1110, and APMA 2120. Currently, I’m enrolled in APMA 1090. I took AP Calc BC in high school my junior year and passed the test. On SIS, APMA 1090 is described as a course for students who have never had experience in calculus. I’m a bit apprehensive about adjusting to college life and I definitely do not want to take more than I can handle. In addition, it has been two years since I have taken Calc. These are all pros to taking APMA 1090. As for cons, none of the curriculum outlines from the different engineering branches shows APMA 1090 in the first semester. They all start with APMA 1110. While I want to ease my adjustment, I also do not want to fall behind in my courses. So, I guess what I’m trying to ask is…will taking APMA 1090 my first semester put me behind in my curriculum for whatever engineering I do? If so, does this mean I have to play catch-up sometime later in my college career? Thanks so much!</p>
<p>My friend was in a similar situation to you, he took Calculus BC junior year and passed the test, but was nervous that his knowledge was getting rusty. He ended up taking Calculus II and really regretted that, most of the material was review to him and he found it really boring.</p>
<p>I feel like you could probably handle multivariable calculus no problem. In multivariable, the integrals themselves tend to not really be too rigorous to solve, the tough part is figuring out how to set them up properly.</p>
<p>Yeah don’t drop back (especially not to Calc 1!!). If you’re nervous, are you allowed to skip calc your first semester and take it (calc 3) in the spring? That way you could help your friends with their calc 2 homework or just do it on your own time to get used to it again, and be fresh and ready in the spring.</p>
<p>It depends on what major you choose – for example, if you wind up in Systems, you’ll be a little bit behind and will have to double up on math classes during your second year, which can be a lot of work. Less math-intensive majors should present less of a problem in this area. It isn’t a definite “no” to taking 1090, but if you passed BC, you should definitely think about taking 1110 or 2120.</p>
<p>I entered Engineering first semester and took APMA 1090 after taking and passing Calc AB my senior year. I got an A in it, but they made it much harder than it had to be. APMA in general has a tendency to make their math courses much harder than they have to be. Anyway, I ended up regretting it because I had to take Calc 2 second semester along with Chem 2, two weed outs. Made second semester a living hell. Made an A in both but those two classes sucked the life out of me. Anyway, to catch up I had to take Calc 3 in the summer which believe it or not was easier than 1 and 2 imo. Moral of the story, just take calc 3. Like ymon said, the integrals in calc 3 aren’t challenging enough to warrant a retake of calc 2. Brush up basic trig sub and polar coordinates and you’ll be fine. (Note I took MATH 1320 and 2310 which are the college equivalents to APMA, but not the exact same thing. My engineering friends however did find calc 3 easier than 2 as well.)</p>
<p>Definitely retake CalcII if you’re going to do anything. Calc will come back to you easier than you expect and starting at CalcI if you already got credit for CalcII will really hose you in terms of getting behind, and it’s probably two classes that are of no use.
I suggest just going with CalcIII this semester; you only have to take 4 classes of 15 credit so the workload will be fine. This way, second semester, you don’t have to take a math class and can either move on into another math or engineering class, or you can just take 4 classes and a 1-credit class and stay at 15 credit hours.</p>
<p>In the e-school, get ahead where you can. No sense in repeating a difficult weeder class if you don’t have to (which Calc I and DEFINITELY CalcII are). Trust me on this one, get ahead. If you got a 5 in your junior year of high school, you’re fine in the math dept.</p>
<p>My daughter did not get a 5 but she struggles with standarized type tests - she passed though, that isn’t it, just not a 5, and she got an A (and is not from a school where As are easy to get) and then took MV last year and also got an A. At orientation they recommended she take 1110 and then she could opt out of 2120 if she wanted since she already has a credit for it. She does fine in math, it’s one of her strongest subjects but she’s worried because she didn’t get a 5 maybe she should keep it as is and take 1110 and then she may even repeat Calc 3 since she wants to make sure she’s on the same track as they recommend in case she’s forgotten anything or wasn’t taught something that is important. I’m worried though since so many of you are saying Calc II is a major weeder class - should she try to take a placement test out of it or should she just leave it as is? She’s a very hard worker so she’s not worried about it but I of course read too much and get worried for her 
Thanks!</p>
<p>calc 2 is a serious weed out class here. if she can get out of it, she should do it.</p>
<p>+1 to Hazel.
Calc II was a struggle for many, if not all. Sure you can get an A or B, but it’s a ton of work and it’s 4-credits of class time.<br>
Just FYI, if you did ok in BC calc, you’ve covered the CalcI stuff thoroughly. That class goes over derivatives, integrals, areas under curves, etc. It’s all the “basics” of calc. However (and Hazel, you may or may not confirm this feeling) I always noticed all upper level Calc course are is harder and more complicated versions of the “basics”. Everything in calc is based off derivs/integrals, they just get harder as you go along. If you did well in BC (and especially if you get a 5) then you obviously understand the basics. Going back and “reviewing” the basics is pointless because you’ll review them again in upper level courses. With enough repetition, it’ll all come back to you. Calculus was never really “math” to me…I saw it as an art, with every problem based off the same 5-10 topics; it was just up to you to manipulate those 5-10 paints/brushes into a masterpiece of a solved problem :)</p>
<p>My advice, again, is skip what classes you can get credit for in the e-school. Getting ahead is crucial. If the e-school thinks you’re prepared, you will be. By skipping these basic, fundamental classes, you’ll be able to go on and take either more advanced courses in your field, have a lighter courseload (aka, higher GPA), or take other classes that interest you outside of your field. Wiggle room is next to none in the curriculum, you have to make it if you want it. Don’t waste precious credit-space retaking a weeder course.</p>
<p>i was smart enough to take all of my calc dual enrollment - no ap test, no calc here (all transferred). i skipped calc 1 and just did calc 2 & 3 at villanova (and then diff eq). calc 2 was seriously hard. calc 3 was a lot easier. diff eq was hard like calc 2. most upper level math classes don’t even use calc. i think engineering uses it a bit more though.</p>
<p>Just to confirm with the OP CALC II is a WEED-OUT, if you have credit, stay away. I have friends who had fives on the AP test, retook it and it goes Bs and Cs. Not an easy A even with the five in your back pocket. Take multi.</p>
<p>I took DiffEq at a community college (NOVA). Dude…I had to get a 21% on the final to not pass the class. Was it super easy? Nah, I did have to do hw and study. But it wasn’t like UVa DiffEq, which is notoriously hard.
APMA 310 (Probability), on the other hand… $#$<em>&$#</em>&%@<em>#$@</em>#$@ that class. x10000000. It was entirely calc based, the book sucked, the teacher didn’t care, and people stopped caring. Never again…
Linear Algebra was meh…too much math theory, not enough APPLIED math.<br>
Prob/Stat = heaven in the math world.</p>
<p>It’s funny, 310 our prof said people either do really horribly on the non-calc prob part, or the calc part, and I completely bombed the first test but did well enough on the rest of the calc stuff to pull an A-. That was my first semester… Crazy. 312 was a lot more calc than that, but it was all the same integral I seem to remember.
Linear was definitely super theory… Even in apma it’s more theory than applied???</p>
<p>rodman, what if i were to choose biomedical or nanomedicine engineering? i know that in nanomed, there is more freedom in terms of classes…</p>
<p>thanks, everyone for their feedback!</p>
<p>eggroll – BME’s student guide has a page showing the APMA 1090 schedule. Here’s a link: <a href=“http://bme.virginia.edu/downloads/2011_StudentGuide.pdf[/url]”>http://bme.virginia.edu/downloads/2011_StudentGuide.pdf</a>
It looks like you’d have to double up on Multivar and DiffEq third semester, since biomechanics (4th semester) requires both.</p>
<p>Based on the nanomed student guide (<a href=“http://www.seas.virginia.edu/acad/programs/engrsci/pdfs/Nanomedicine.pdf[/url]”>http://www.seas.virginia.edu/acad/programs/engrsci/pdfs/Nanomedicine.pdf</a>), it looks like you’d be able to push back your math classes a semester without a problem in that major.</p>
<p>Does only the college accept Dual Enrollment Classes? My daughter took Multivariable dual-enrollment through NOVA and has been getting mixed answers as to whether it will be accepted - her APMA teacher said no but her advisor gave her the impression it would at orientation. I guess we’ll find out soon enough - she did sign up to take the placement tests for 1110 and 2120 so we’ll see if she can test out of those - any tips for the placement tests? Thanks!</p>
<p>Another view on this subject:
I just had dinner last night with an ME friend. She got a 5 junior year on BC and decided to retake CalcII since she had the “gap year”. She said it was the worst move ever because CalcIII (MultiVar) wasn’t difficult at all, yet CalcII was made way harder than it should be because they’ve designed it as a weeder-class.</p>
<p>Once again, do not, do not backtrack if you got a 5 in BC Calc. MultiVar really isn’t that difficult. If you take CalcI, you run the risk of a) getting behind b) them not giving you credit for CalcII and having to retake it.</p>
<p>In the eschool you have to take the placement test. In the college the credit would be accepted without question.</p>
<p>Even with a 5?</p>
<p>I think she meant for dual enrollment that doesn’t have an AP test (MV) :)</p>
<p>Thanks Hazel - that’s what we assumed they meant (and they confirmed today) - which I guess is good so you know you do in fact know what you are trying to not take again :)</p>
<p>Has anyone taken any of the placement tests - any tips? She’s scheduled to take the 1110 and 2120 ones.</p>