# Calculus......I'm too stupid



## destroyX

I am failing Calculus really bad- every quiz I've failed and there is a test on tuesday and I can't do any of the homework on my own. I should hire a tutor but I'm too scared too....I feel so dumb should I just drop the class? I'm already 2 years delayed of graduating!!!


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## lostinlife

destroyX said:


> I am failing Calculus really bad- every quiz I've failed and there is a test on tuesday and I can't do any of the homework on my own. I should hire a tutor but I'm too scared too....I feel so dumb should I just drop the class? I'm already 2 years delayed of graduating!!!


Do you need calculus to graduate or just a "math requirement"? If you really need calculus, switch into one of the "applied calculus" classes, which are supposed to be easier (less material covered). I assume you are in college, in which case there should be free math tutoring/math help offered by your campus or office hours. Barring that, there are a lot of great free resources on the internet. My personal favorites:
Paul's Math Notes: http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcI/CalcI.aspx
Calculus.org's worked problems: http://www.math.ucdavis.edu/~kouba/ProblemsList.html (incomplete but what is there is pretty solid)
Patrick JMT's youtube tutorials: http://www.youtube.com/user/patrickJMT

If you are looking to spend money on a resource, I recommend thinkwell's calculus course: http://www.thinkwell.com/ (Edward Burger is really fantastic and Patrick JMT has a coupon code floating around somewhere for a free trial.)

I doubt you are too "stupid" for calculus. It's a tough subject and, in my experience, they really try to rush you through the material in college courses. Try looking outside the classroom for better teaching methods. Best of luck!


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## CopadoMexicano

I took calculus Six times until I passed after three years taking it


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## Jess2

I have a friend who is in love with this website..
http://www.khanacademy.org/

I hope it helps


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## lonelyjew

Calc and organic chem seem to be two classes which depend on good teachers who are able to explain the concepts in a way which is understandable. If you're unlucky enough to get a professor with a thick accent (or a professor who is just a bad teacher), the classes get way harder.


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## anxiousguy

destroyX said:


> I am failing Calculus really bad- every quiz I've failed and there is a test on tuesday and I can't do any of the homework on my own. I should hire a tutor but I'm too scared too....I feel so dumb should I just drop the class? I'm already 2 years delayed of graduating!!!


I feel your pain. I took Calculus last year and was failing every test and quiz and could barely get half credit on the homework. It also didn't help that my teacher expected everyone to already know the material and had no idea how to teach. I spent hours a day trying to teach myself the material but ended up dropping the class mid semester on the last day to withdraw from classes.

I am retaking Calculus this semester and thankfully have a good teacher who has a gift for teaching. A big problem for me was I was never good at math and lacked a lot of the precalculus knowledge needed. I found this website very good for learning all the necessary things you need to know before you take calculus http://www.coolmath.com/precalculus-review-calculus-intro/index.html I also bought the book Calculus for Dummies which I find extremely helpful for understanding the concepts, it makes it so much easier to understand and see the big picture. I find youtube helpful too most of the videos have very good teachers. Finally I found a solution manual for my Calculus book so I no longer have to worry about getting stuck on homework problems or getting bad homework grades. Sorry for such a long post, best of luck to you.


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## Event Horizon

Is this because of the teacher? Usually that's the case. I would say hire a tutor and try to do ALL of the problems in the section which you have the most trouble on, because as far as I know math is about practice. Try to make a list of the things you have trouble with or stumble on while you are in the process of doing that, and bring it up with your tutor or teacher. From what I've heard ,it is absolutely imperative to ask questions and learn from other people when it comes to calculus.


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## obsidianavenger

i agree- don't be afraid to get a tutor. calculus can be difficult until the material finally "clicks" in your head. i failed several quizzes in my class in high school but eventually ended up getting it and passing the AP test with a 5. once the material is assimilated its really easy, but you have to be able to get yourself to that point. someone to help you work problems and explain things to you clearly would really help you out. if you don't feel ready, i suppose you could drop and try again next semester- but just make sure if you do to get a tutor from the beginning so you don't fall behind again.


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## Xande

I just don't get calculus or science haha. I passed biology with a good amount of effort, but calculus is like a foreign language. 

Get a tutor if it's absolutely required to pass calc. I personally changed my major lol.


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## destroyX

Yea I'm going to drop the course and try again next semester. It just takes too much time and I already have bio and chemistry classes- the latter which takes up alot of my time. I jsut can't balance the 3 of them. Thanks for all of the advice I really appreciate it.


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## lissa530

I'm horrible at math it was my worst subject in high school. Your not stupid were all good at different things!


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## Faded Lines

No, you are not too stupid. I am completely math-inept. I literally cannot do basic subtraction in my head without "writing it down" in my head. I got a B in College Algebra, a B in Precalc, an A- in Calc 1, and an A- in Calc 2. You know why? Because I worked my *** off and didn't give up. You literally must do every single practice problem, and talk to your professor. Most math professors love teaching you math any time of day. Oh, and a MUST for any math course is to have a good professor. I know for a fact, besides my work ethic in the course, my excellent professor in Calc 2 saved me...he actually made me enjoy it!

Good luck!


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## destroyX

^^Yea you're right. I got a B in college math because my teacher was really nice and patient but I was totally lost in this Clac 1 class (I never took precalc maybe that's why.) My teacher is a grad student who asks us things like "do I have to explain this because I'm sure most of you already took physics right so you get what I'm saying" and then just keeps going she's horrible. Maybe this isn't a big deal, but she swears a lot. She'll say "just forget X because we don't give a **** about x in this problem" but she won't explain why. I'm so happy I dropped it!!


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## Faded Lines

What the hell? What school do you go to? That sounds absolutely absurd. That is no environment to learn math in. My Calculus 2 professor walked us through everything like we were babies AFTER we didn't know something. For instance, he'd put a question on the board with a new topic or a tough problem from what we've learned, and ask if we had any idea how to solve it. Students would offer suggestions as to what to do, and he'd shoot them down in a funny way or tell them they were getting close. It was a great way of learning, because after the fact he'd go through it and make everything so clear.

Not only that, he assigned homework every single night and for the next time we met, we'd have to go up to the board and put homework problems up so that the whole class could see how to do everything.


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## Xande

Faded Lines said:


> What the hell? What school do you go to? That sounds absolutely absurd. That is no environment to learn math in. My Calculus 2 professor walked us through everything like we were babies AFTER we didn't know something. For instance, he'd put a question on the board with a new topic or a tough problem from what we've learned, and ask if we had any idea how to solve it. Students would offer suggestions as to what to do, and he'd shoot them down in a funny way or tell them they were getting close. It was a great way of learning, because after the fact he'd go through it and make everything so clear.


Oh haha some college professors teach in weird/different ways.

One of my math professors wouldn't teach us any material. We would pretty much learn from the book, but then he somewhat taught us being going over homework problems and more and more problems. He was usually open to helping students out during his office hours though.

I had one math professors who would hand out exams during the end of class starting with the lowest grade to the highest. Haha we all would pray he wouldn't come to us next.


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## Faded Lines

Xande said:


> Oh haha some college professors teach in weird/different ways.
> 
> One of my math professors wouldn't teach us any material. We would pretty much learn from the book, but then he somewhat taught us being going over homework problems and more and more problems. He was usually open to helping students out during his office hours though.
> 
> *I had one math professors who would hand out exams during the end of class starting with the lowest grade to the highest. *Haha we all would pray he wouldn't come to us next.


That's actually kind of funny :clap


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## Jess2

My calculus professor's way of getting us to attend tutorials was not showing how to answer the types of questions that would be on exams or tests. In class we'd go over simple examples and proofs.


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## Bloat

I found this forum topic when I googled 'worried that I'm too stupid'. Since I'm a member of this site already figured I could somehow give some input.

I was/ am crap at Calculus. I failed at my university, even though I did pretty well in school for calculus. The gap between the university and school was too vast and I had forgotten most that I knew. The teachers expected us to know the foundation, and I did not. Did not help that they were crappy professors.

I read somewhere that maths is all about practise. While I have little doubt that some are more gifted(genes, development environment etc) than others constant practise helps. Getting good tutors and always asking questions help you remember. Bad teachers are those who cannot make you understand. Drop them, though you can't just drop university professors.


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## burningpile

I have some sites that can help,
1. ratemyprof - helps so much. 
2. coursera - get a head start on topics, or just review for an exam. There's an ongoing calc1 course where you can go at your own pace.


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## twitchy666

*I had exactly that*

My A-level with additional maths result was E

D for chemistry

C for physics

calculus was tough and important for engineering. We got special lessons from some girly but I couldn't succeed

I wish: someone told me not to go to uni. If I stayed in hometown to be a bus driver, retail assistant or refuse collector or builder, I'd be rich by now with house, loadsa kids to go on exotic holidays with and get them to go to my exotic school which made me feel like superman. Friends stayed in town selling cars & some insurance company with nice houses but ugly girlfriends

friend ran his Dad & partners' men's clothing shop that supplied all school clothes. The Dad died. The shop closed years ago but got big windfall money and haven't seen his home or possessions yet but I bet he's posh

I managed to get cleared for my uni course from luck and fell flat

does calculus use timescale? MatLab? sigma symbol? Real experience in work for years made me good with integration by date period. charting. pay attention. I smoked too much when supposed to do maths & chemistry & couldn't concentrate


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