Struggling in Calculus should I reconsider my major?

umcoe16
Wed, 31 Aug 2016 13:16:35 +0000

If you are struggling, the number one thing you should do is to talk to your instructor early. Believe me, most people may try to avoid doing so because they fear being judged as dumb or whatever. However, the proper solution is to seek help early. Your instructor’s job is to help those who really put in the effort succeed, but the responsibility for seeking help when you need it is yours. Leaving the situation as is or waiting until the end of the term to seek help becomes a recipe for disaster.

Calc 2 is statistically failed more than calc 3 not because it is harder than calc 3, but because people who really cannot do math may take calc 2 due to their major requiring it (e.g., biology) and then stop after it. Once you get to calc 3, you will not really be able to find anybody who really cannot do math.

I’m sure that for you, it is just the very beginning of the fall semester at this point. You probably have not had any exams to actually assess your understanding of the material yet. If you really feel that lost already, you should talk to the instructor about whether or not you have adequate preparation for the course. Are you a first semester freshman who received AP credit for calc 1 and went directly into calc 2? If so, you may simply not be ready, as AP courses and tests typically do not match the rigor of their actual corresponding college courses, and your instructor may advise you to drop the class and start by actually taking calc 1 at your university.