<p>I did not intend for it to seem like the empo was a strategy to weed kids out. Quite honestly, the Empo was built to save money and it does that considerably well.</p>
<p>As for passing up AP credit in Calc 1 (MATH 1205 here) I would suggest signing up for Calc 2. You’ll take a stupidly easy basic skills test and all of the important calc 1 concepts will be ‘reviewed’ in the first few weeks. I know guys who didn’t take their calc 1 AP credit and regretted it. They got less than an A at VT because they would make simple mistakes since they figured they already knew everything.</p>
<p>If worst comes to worst and you really aren’t ready to make the jump? Just drop the class and pick up Calc 1 again. Absolutely zero harm done. NONE! And you won’t be behind because you already know the material.</p>
<p><em>edit</em> vector geometry is more emporium based than calculus is, but it’s certainly nowhere near as emporium centered as linear algebra. Basically, for each class here’s how the assignments work:
Calculus (well, 1206C for Computer based WHICH YOU WANT TO TAKE!!!) has 6 emporium tests. You’ll probably have homework that may or may not be graded and maybe in class quizzes. You will get 5 chances during the week of each test to take the test; your best score counts. At the end of the semester, you’ll take what may be your only written exam in the class in the form of the common-time final. The best part about these emporium tests is that, like ALL OTHER EMPORIUM GRADED WORKS, you have a huge practice question pool to work on. The problems will all be of the same type as those on the exams just with different numbers or trig functions. The key to emporium classes is volume of practice quizzes taken = good grade. There’s really zero excuse for missing any questions on an emporium grade because you can theoretically see every problem before you take the test.</p>
<p>Linear Algebra: These notes are all online and there’s videos too. You’ll be able to finish the course on time with the average pacing or, if you’re smart, you will work ahead and finish early. Some students finish within a month, and that includes the final exam. Every week you’ll have a quiz that you can take from your own personal computer (no emporium required) and you will occasionally need to go to the emporium’s proctored section for a computerized test. You only get one shot at the emporium test; however, the tests are all pulled from the same pool of questions as the practice quizzes so there shouldn’t be any surprises.</p>
<p>Vector Geometry: This class meets during the week with both a lecture and a recitation. Recitation at VT in any freshman engineering class basically means you’ll be taking a quiz or working on problems; other universities sometimes have an actual reciting/review of material, but not here. Some find lecture useless and you’ll see your class attendance dwindle, but I still recommend going to class. All the notes you’ll need for the quizzes or the emporium tests will be in the book, but it’s good to hear it from a professor. At the recitation, you’ll work on problems far more difficult and on topics you probably didn’t cover in class. Get used to it 
and just do your best. VT used to do graded quizzes in the recitations, but I am pretty sure that ended two semesters ago. You only get one shot at the emporium test; however, the tests are all pulled from the same pool of questions as the practice quizzes so there shouldn’t be any surprises.</p>
<p>Long story short? I took all 3 classes last semester. Did better than a 95% in all of them. Know why? Because I probably took more practice quizzes than anyone else and spent the time I needed to getting help from the tutoring lab and friends. If you can give your empo classes a few hours a week and a few more hours during the weeks of exams, you’ll be fine.</p>