So I just finished up intermediate and college algebra this semester with 2 A’s, and was scheduled to take pre-calculus algebra + trigonometry as a combined course next semester but my teacher just emailed me saying that I cant since I never took trig in high school and I have to drop it.
So anyway, should I take pre-calculus algebra or trigonometry first, I’ll have to take them both then move on the calc, but I’m not sure if it matters.
I think your adviser knows more about the teaching styles of each prof. We can suggest a course but it really boils down to teaching style. I’ve passed classes (preqs) with A’s with a very different teacher than the next step, which I struggled for C’s in.
I’n my opinion though, I’d do the split before the bigger class.
but seriously go to go adviser
[quote]Tyrant wrote:
So I just finished up intermediate and college algebra this semester with 2 A’s, and was scheduled to take pre-calculus algebra + trigonometry as a combined course next semester but my teacher just emailed me saying that I cant since I never took trig in high school and I have to drop it.
So anyway, should I take pre-calculus algebra or trigonometry first, I’ll have to take them both then move on the calc, but I’m not sure if it matters.[/quote]
I took Trig and Pre-Calc in the same semester. And, like you, I never had trig (or Calc, for that matter) in high school. It wasn’t a problem for me. Just finished Calculus I this past semester, and didn’t encounter anything that made me regret taking the two prereqs in the same semester, either. I’m not sure why it would be an issue.
Maybe you can’t take a combined course (one class, Pre-Calc and Trig), but can take seperate courses in the same semester?
Well if your classes are structured like they are where I go I’d say to take the trig/algerbra 2 class instead of pre-calc. Because pre-calc is essentially the class you just took and part trig/algerbra 2 course. Trig is something that’s gonna pop back up during calc allot and having a solid foundation in trig will be a good thing. Assuming you would take calc 1 following trig and are not required to take pre-calc after trig in order to take calc.
[quote]stumpy wrote:
Well if your classes are structured like they are where I go I’d say to take the trig/algerbra 2 class instead of pre-calc. Because pre-calc is essentially the class you just took and part trig/algerbra 2 course. Trig is something that’s gonna pop back up during calc allot and having a solid foundation in trig will be a good thing. Assuming you would take calc 1 following trig and are not required to take pre-calc after trig in order to take calc.[/quote]
Well I have to take them both unfortunately, and I just didn’t want to take precalc and have anything based on trig on there, or vice versa.
[quote]Tyrant wrote:
[quote]stumpy wrote:
Well if your classes are structured like they are where I go I’d say to take the trig/algerbra 2 class instead of pre-calc. Because pre-calc is essentially the class you just took and part trig/algerbra 2 course. Trig is something that’s gonna pop back up during calc allot and having a solid foundation in trig will be a good thing. Assuming you would take calc 1 following trig and are not required to take pre-calc after trig in order to take calc.[/quote]
Well I have to take them both unfortunately, and I just didn’t want to take precalc and have anything based on trig on there, or vice versa. [/quote]
I’m not sure about where you go to school, but trig is a pretty significant part of calc anytime I’ve taken it. Case in point, trigonometric identities, trigonometric differentiation, trig substitution for solving integrals.
I don’t think the order matters at all when it comes to trig or pre-calc. Pre-calc is just learning certain skills and concepts that make your life easier in calc. Trig, by my guess, would be learning how to solve trig equations, proving identities, using the unit circle, etc. You could easily do both at the same time. Taking one semester for pre-calc, then another for trig would seem just like a waste of time. So, take both separately if you can’t get into the combined course.
quick tip:
Get really comfortable using trig and skills learned in pre-calc, applying them quickly and correctly. The problem is that the teacher won’t stop in Calc to “review” things like using trig identities, factoring, multiplying by the conjugate, changing base for logarithims, etc. They just do it without thinking.
I would say take Pre-Calc and then test out of algebra-trig so you can take Calculus the next semester. Algebra-trig from what I remember basically is contained in College Algebra and Pre-Calc.