# How hard is Calculus I



## dcaffeine (Oct 26, 2013)

I am currently in pre calc, and have a 94 average. Considering that, how hard should calc I be next semester?


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## Princu (Jun 10, 2013)

Everything is difficult before they are easy..
But considering your average,you shouldn't find it too hard.


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## Remnant of Dawn (Feb 22, 2012)

I found Calc I a bit easier than precalc, if it helps. I think you should be fine.


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## arao6 (Jul 12, 2013)

It's surprisingly easy. You'll do well if you do all the assigned homework problems.


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## InfiniteBlaze (Jan 27, 2011)

If you're doing well in pre calc, then Calc 1 shouldn't be a problem at all.


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

As hard as you think it is. Precalculus I didnt even finish or pass. I had to take a placement exam to get into Cal I freshman level. Eventually I did pass my precalculus modular and calculus I six years ago.


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## I Lurk Life (Oct 9, 2013)

I think it's different for everyone.

Precalc introduces a bunch of important math concepts so that you can have some kind of "overview" of mathematics while Calc is more focused (Calculus is the study of change) and the concepts are better connected and more closely related to each other.

From my experience, I found Calc to be easier than Precalc. In Precalc, I felt like I had to memorize a bunch of stuff but in Calc all the concepts led to one another and it was easy to follow. Though, Calc does build upon some Precalc material.

i.e. Precalc - complex numbers, matrices, polynomial functions, series, etc.

i.e. Calc - limits, derivatives, antiderivatives, antiderivatives of series, etc.

Basically in Calc, you're looking at graphs and you're using concepts to see how the graphs are affected if you do such-and-such to it.

I think you'll do fine, judging by your 94.


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## absreim (Jun 19, 2012)

Like most of the posters have said, I too found Calculus I to be quite easy. Overall, I feel that Calculus in general has gotten an unfair stigma in terms of difficulty. Calculus, while an relatively _advanced_ topic in math, is arguably _easier_ to learn than the courses preceding it: algebra, geometry, and pre-calc.

I actually find that it is an overall trend that math courses tend to get easier the more advanced you get, until you reach very advanced courses, at which point the difficultly skyrockets.


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## Remnant of Dawn (Feb 22, 2012)

absreim said:


> Like most of the posters have said, I too found Calculus I to be quite easy. Overall, I feel that Calculus in general has gotten an unfair stigma in terms of difficulty. Calculus, while an relatively _advanced_ topic in math, is arguably _easier_ to learn than the courses preceding it: algebra, geometry, and pre-calc.
> 
> *I actually find that it is an overall trend that math courses tend to get easier the more advanced you get*, until you reach very advanced courses, at which point the difficultly skyrockets.


I kind of agree, although I wouldn't know about very advanced courses. I still have way more difficulty doing long division than taking an integral, and that's what...fifth grade?

I've been finding multivariable calculus harder than calc 1-2 though. Although that might be because it's taught at a college level and I took 1 and 2 in high school.


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## Unknown0001 (Aug 2, 2013)

I'm finding it somewhat difficult. But it depends on the individual.Then again I'm not a mathematics person, but I found pre calc way easier than calculus. Calculus is mostly theorems and proving those theorems.


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## Rainbat (Jan 5, 2012)

Calc I is not that bad considering it's mostly just differentiation which has a plethora of convenient little tricks you can use to quickly solve things.

Calc II is harder, since you deal with different integration techniques, which can be convoluted.

Calc III (multivariable calc) depends largely on how visual/conceptual you are. It's differentiation/integration over multiple variables (not just x), and mostly deals with 3d shapes and projections (x, y, and z axis).

If you have a 94 in pre-calc then Calc I should be okay.


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## Morumot (Sep 21, 2011)

I believe that the difficulty of calculus is overrated. You'll do just fine.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Calc II was the hardest and I got the best grade in it. Figures.


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## meepie (Jun 20, 2010)

Depends on how your college university teaches it. Calculus can be entirely arithmetic and numerical exercises or you can get theoretical with the defintions of a derivative, limits, continuity and other topics. Check with what is on the syllabus to get yourself accustomed. Personally, I like theoretical calculus more, you just do a couple of proofs and learn the "why" behind the "how". Remember to ask yourself the purpose of the exercise you're doing, if you want to go into higher mathematics it will serve you well to understand that.


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## cyanide444 (Oct 20, 2013)

I found Calc I (limits, derivatives, a few important theorems, so forth) relatively easy. If you can do precalc well, you shouldn't have a great amount of difficulty tackling Calc I. There are some new concepts that may or may not be difficult to grasp, but in my experience Calc II was the most difficult in terms of new concepts and Calc IV in terms of general difficulty.

My experience was this (I'm from the USA):

Calc I: Limits, derivatives, a little bit of Euler's method/newtons method, antiderivatives

Calc II: Pretty much entirely integration math

Calc III: Infinite series, Taylor/McLaurin series, calculus with polar/parametric systems

Calc IV: Calculus in n dimensions, volume integrals, surface integrals, basically everything I had learned in Calculus except expanded into >2 dimensions

Practice is really great for calculus. I struggled with calc when I started, but I tended to study things repetitively due to lack of confidence, and I found that as I practiced, I became very familiar with what I needed to know.


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## Rainbat (Jan 5, 2012)

cyanide444 said:


> My experience was this (I'm from the USA):
> 
> Calc I: Limits, derivatives, a little bit of Euler's method/newtons method, antiderivatives
> 
> ...


You must be on some quarterly system or something because Calc 4 doesn't exist in the vast majority of the USA. All of the things you described in Calc IV are taught in Calc 3 and all the things you described in Calc III are taught in Calc I and II.

What college do you go to by chance?


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## cyanide444 (Oct 20, 2013)

> You must be on some quarterly system or something because Calc 4 doesn't exist in the vast majority of the USA. All of the things you described in Calc IV are taught in Calc 3 and all the things you described in Calc III are taught in Calc I and II.


Yes, we are on a quarterly system. I took calculus as AP Calculus AB which was divided into two semester-length parts (I and II). I did Calc III and IV along with Ordinary Differential Equations and Computational Mathematics at the local university (Portland State). I substituted Calc 3 for AP Calculus BC and took that exam, just because there was an enormous overlap between material.


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## prettyful (Mar 14, 2013)

I never took this, thank God, but I've heard it's very hard.


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## BelowtheCurrent (Mar 14, 2013)

Not horribly hard. Just study and you should be fine. For me it was okay, but it does require weekly studying to get a decent grade.


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## mnemonicdv (Dec 8, 2013)

Conceptually Calc is difficult to understand at first. Calc is the study of change, and the calculations of real world problems.

To master you must have a strong foundation in Trigonometry, Algebra and Geometry.

Check this site out, http://www.sosmath.com/calculus/calculus.html


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## mezzoforte (May 16, 2010)

I had around the same average as you in pre-calc, and I thought Calc I was pretty easy. Calc II on the other hand... :afr So glad I'm done with it.


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