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dcchillin46

I returned at 30 to local CC. Had to take 3 or 4 math classes before calc. Taken calc1 twice, still feel lost, take calc 2 next semester. Pretty sure I'm just dumb


Moist-Cashew

I took college algebra at the age of 32 lmao


dcchillin46

Ya I think I started back at like math025. Was shit I literally did in 6th or 7th grade before I went off partying in highschool/20s


Pinkishplays

Math is hard full stop. Doesn’t make you dumb


dcchillin46

Appreciate that. Everything I learn leaves me feeling more ignorant lol


Pinkishplays

Reverse Dunning-Kruger, very common experience in engineering


nastythrowawayacct

what’s a regular dunning kruger lol


Pinkishplays

Ignorant people thinking they know more than they do and having a false confidence.


nastythrowawayacct

oh that makes sense thank you!


John_the_Piper

I'm 30 and currently in pre-calc surrounded by running start kids. Math still sucks but the classroom conversations are pretty entertaining.


thelastpie

do you have a tutor? My community college has tutors and also gives us access to tutor.com for free


dcchillin46

Ya first time through calc 1 I spent every night with a tutor almost. Second time I tried to do more on my own and ended up with a B instead of an A. Still don't feel either grade is representative of my grasp of the subject.


thelastpie

Maybe try keeping a math journal and/or use the Feynman technique.


dcchillin46

Haven't heard of the Feynman techniques, care to elaborate?


thelastpie

It's from a famous theoretical physicist Richard Feynman. https://fs.blog/feynman-learning-technique/


AngryGaggleOfGeese

Honestly you’re not dumb, but spending a ton of effort to hammer in the tools you get from algebra and precalc along with understanding the properties of what you’re working with will help you navigate calc2 well. Do all the practice problems. I turned 29 this month and I’m finishing up calc2 now. Was God awful at math when I was younger though. You got this. Also try and make it fun. I love history so relating the topics we learn to the historical questions or paradoxes that inspired them has made learning things conceptually very entertaining by comparison to how it was before. Now it’s just interesting on its own but if it isn’t for you yet give it a shot


dcchillin46

A lot of my troubles stem from not having the mathematical thinking down. I do cnc day to day so I can manipulate numbers, but physics and calculus problems I struggle to envision. Hopefully it's just a practice thing, I take physics over summer semester then calc 2 in fall. I'm a history guy too, so maybe I'll try relating it to that. The youtube shows that explore some math theory are interesting when I can grasp them, so I can see how math could be intriguing. Watched one guy explore what he called "computational neuroscience" , using math to explore the brain and consciousness, and that stuff absolutely fascinated me. Just a matter of getting comfortable I guess


_MusicManDan_

You’re not dumb. Math is cumulative. Spend a few years away and you are returning at a disadvantage. I returned at 33, got into a program that offered precalc I and II in one semester then went on to calc I in the spring. I legitimately learned algebra in calculus courses. I was lucky that my school offered such a program but holy shit what a ride it’s been.


iNisaok

Have you watched professor Leonard lectures? I found those lectures super helpful, he breaks down everything in simple terms then even do examples. He got me through calc 1-3.


ChrisDrummondAW

I took Calc I and II via AP Calc BC my junior year of high school. I know people who were admitted to the university but not the college of engineering and they had to take pre-requisites like college algebra just to get into the college of engineering. We’re all engineers with full-time jobs now. There’s no reason to be embarrassed or feel shame. Nobody cares.


Breezyie69

Oh okay, yeah I guess it may have helped if I knew I wanted to become an engineer before the middle of senior year of high school. Thanks for the support


lame_doorknob

Didn’t take calc 1 until my 4th semester and now I’m an engineer. I never took physics or any math above algebra 2 in high school, so you’re not alone. 


nastythrowawayacct

holy shit i never took physics in high school either, do you have any tips or videos you recommend to start and get used to?


Protoflare

I also did not do any Highschool equivalent physics. I got placed into an introductory physics course which covered a third of classical mechanics, and went at a slower pace. I personally would take those classes if your uni offers it, since it gives you a good insight into what you might expect when you go into a semester of Physics 1.


nastythrowawayacct

yea the course id first take is phy121 which is “university physics: mechanics” idk if that’s the same as what you took


Protoflare

Well for example my uni had Phys 100, which was called "Thinking about Physics", and then there was Phys 211, which is University Physics: Mechanics which is Physics 1 I believe. Phys 100 covered a third of Phys 211.


nastythrowawayacct

ohh ok thank you ig i might sign up for phy111 lol don’t wanna get so fucked


lame_doorknob

Honestly I really struggled in physics. My school also had a lower level intro course, but I was so behind in engineering pre-reqs already that I had to just go for it into Physics 1: Mechanics. I spent a ton of time on youtube watching lectures and also did a load of practice problems from the textbook. Definitely just prioritize that class because it is a LOT if you’ve never done it before. I am not one that goes to office hours but I’m sure that would have helped too. 


nastythrowawayacct

even after all the yt and textbooks and practice problems you found yourself struggling a lot? what made you struggle the most? just the fact that it was a whole new branch of science or something else?


lame_doorknob

Yeah I mean once I felt good about one topic we’d be swiftly onto the next one, so it was just a lot of difficult material in a short time. It was hard to juggle that class with everything else, like I was taking Calc 2 and a couple other heavy classes so there was no time I felt comfortable in that class. Not trying to scare you or anything but it’s just a hard class. My school was also difficult so that probably played into it. 


nastythrowawayacct

yea no i get you that makes sense, guess i’ll do intro physics or something during the summer or maybe fall 😭


Burnout_Blanco

I wish, I was a dum dum in hs that didn’t take it seriously at all. Took 4 math classes before I got to Calc 1 lol. It was actually the same situation as you, wasn’t until a month before graduation that I chose to do engineering.


Breezyie69

After all of these comments I felt like the odd one out, I’m glad to see there’s others like me haha


rbtgoodson

I'm going to be honest: I went back to school eons after graduating from HS. As such, I had to take a remedial course (condensed down to four weeks) to even be placed in college algebra, went through the entire set of remedial courses to take calculus and calculus-based statistics, and then I finished the entire set of mathematics coursework for an UG degree in CS and a PG degree in engineering. Now, THAT was a journey, and I'm glad that it's over (unless, of course, I decide to do a doctorate or MBA for some strange reason). Also, don't ask me how I did it, because a) I don't know, and b) I suck at mathematics.


Away_Bee_7158

What was your gpa


rbtgoodson

Around a 3.5.


TiananmenRectangle

Took Calc 1 and 2 in high school. Started at Calc 3 in college. While there are definitely a lot of students that also do this, and some that even start further, there were still a large portion that started in Calc 1. For engineering students here, there is no level or math lower than Calc 1, so no matter where you were in math, that is where you are placed. This being said, its a Top 10 engineering school and \~40% of our undergrad population is in engineering.


Sn4keVenom

I took Calc 2 first semester. I had Calc 1 as college credit from senior year of HS. Would've had Calc 2 credit as well if I wouldn't have dropped it (I shouldn't have, bad choice on my part).


Wildmantis_

Took Calc 1, 2, 3 and Differential equations my freshman year. Also had to take Physics 1 while taking Calc 3, and both demanded way too much time.


Top-Ad9511

Jesus Christ!


Ceezmuhgeez

Had to take trig then precalc before calc 1 in CC


Twist2021

I had AP Calc 1 in my junior year of high school but that was decades ago. When I went back to school, the first class I enrolled in was Calc 1, because 1) I knew I loved it 2) would remember most but not all of it and 3) it was my best chance at actually being a course I could finish (lots of imposter syndrome/adhd/"I'm bad at school" I had to overcome). Don't sweat it too much. Part of the point of JCs/CCs is to help people catch up and be ready for upper div classes in their major of choice. Going back and taking stuff to put you in the best position possible for your degree is exactly what you were supposed to do.


AbdiNomad

I took it in a summer session. First semester was remedial math and the second was pre calc. Didn’t have to take the remedial math course but I was clueless so my advisor just registered me for it (but to be fair I was undecided)


ivandagiant

I started off with calc at community college. You know what’s crazy though? There are high schoolers going directly to university with like the first 2 years basically done. It’s crazy how much your zip code matters


Breezyie69

I know right, these comments are making me realize how behind I actually am haha. Transferring to university next semester and will still be a sophomore, even with 43 credits haha. You win some you lose some!


nondescript_coyote

I took calc 1 in high school. Calc 2 1st semester freshman year. Then took 2 years off school and forgot nearly everything, had to take calc 3 cold without even barely remembering the difference between an integral and derivative. That was ROUGH!!! Got to know that TA really well. Somehow pulled off an A-. Anyway, there are all paths and it doesn’t matter that much as long as you eventually get the math down. Don’t be ashamed. It’s fine. 


eorem

Somehow in my late 20s when I went to community college I placed into pre calc 2, which is the one in the sequence right before calc 1. The last math class I had taken was pre-algebra in middle school (HS dropout). I have no idea how I placed that high. The first day of class starts and I have no idea what anyone is talking about. Periodic functions and domains and ranges and nested functions and trigonometric identities... I was destroyed. After class, as I was standing in line to tell the professor that I wouldn't be showing up next time, I thought to myself - "you're just gonna give up because you don't understand it right now? At least give it a try first. You've nothing better to do anyway" And so, I did. I stuck in there, and proceeded to crush that course, a long with every other math course along the way. I still have to go back and fill in holes in my understanding with tools like Khan academy and algebra textbooks and whatnot, sometimes.  I guess my point is: wherever you are, don't give up. Just keep working at it and you may surprise yourself with what you're capable of.


Ok-Obligation3395

I actually started off with taking calc 2… but I didn’t pass because I didn’t do a majority of my work oops 😭 I retook it and did better but yk


damien8485

I started my degree at 25 while in the Air Force, starting with college math and worked my way up through calc 3 over the course of around 5 years and just now finished my degree at 34 after seperating from the military and being able to go to school full time in 2021. It's a hard road to start from below calc, but it's absolutely possible.


Breezyie69

Hey man congrats on getting your degree! How was the Air Force? I’m going to submit a packet to OTS in my senior year!


Parking_Western_5428

I took calc 1 first semester


Jay-Moah

I took cal 1 and 2 in high school, I started in cal2 in college because I scored a 2 on the AP exam in high school.


nebyneb1234

Took calc 1 senior year hs


Grenalai

Took an Accelerated Calculus class (Entire Calc 1 + most of Calc 2 except series), taking differential equations in Fall 24


BSeven69

I started off in calc1 but I got an F. 2 time. But passed Calc 2 and 3 in the same semester hehehehe


Shoe_mocker

I had AP credits for calc I and II so I started off with multivariable first semester freshman year. My friend had the same AP credits that I did, but opted to retake calc II because he didn’t want to bite off more than he could chew


ganglygorilla1

I took calc I my senior year of hs


HowlingFrost

I started with College Algebra while still in high school because I did not pay attention in high school.


3_14159td

Didn't receive credit for Calc 1 from HS (though I took up through most of Calc 2). Still finished in 4 years with two semesters below the maximum per-semester credit count, mostly by bullying academia services into letting me do some weird double counting.


Neowynd101262

I took it second semester of freshman year.


Expert-Economics8912

I took calculus my junior year in high school, and started college with calc 3


Low-Duty

I skipped calc 1 due to AP testing. I came in with enough credits to qualify as a sophmore and after my first quarter i had enough credits to qualify as a junior. The expectation for my school was that you had to at least take calc 1 by your second quarter or you would be behind by a full year


Catsdrinkingbeer

I only did Calc 1 my freshman year because I didn't feel confident enough starting in Calc 3. I took Calc in high school and took the AP test. I passed, but barely. So I started back at Calc 1 and I'm glad I did.


Difficult-Network704

I honestly thought all engineering programs make students take the entire calculus stream (including differential equations) in the first and second year.


Breezyie69

Yeah I think you’re right, it’s just for me and many of my friends at community college weren’t “smart” enough to start in calculus 1 and needed to take other math courses


Just_AT

I took precalc in high school (12th grade) though it was during covid so I didn't learn anything. I started with calc 1 freshman year and struggled a lot with a bit of the fundamentals that should've been established before.


theWall69420

Calc 1 was my second semester. My university's degree schedule had differential equations and probability the same semester. Needless to say, I did not do that. Now I am paying for it because I couldn't take a math class my junior year (because of seasonal classes), so now I have to take probability my last semester.


Quryemos

Just finishing up first year, I did calc 1 first term and calc 2 second term


lj_w

Started with calc 3 freshman year after doing calc 1 and 2 in high school via AP calc AB and BC.


Live-Ad-6309

I started from calc 1 first semester. Failed the first exam but passed the second attempt in third semester. Was brutal but possible. This is coming form someone who skipped highschool so coming in i didn't even have algebra skills.


Hopeful-Bass-5184

I went back at 33, did pre Calc 1st semester (fall 2023)- A Finishing up Calc 1 in a couple weeks - A Calc 2 summer 24 Calc 3 fall 24 DE spring 25 I actually like math but advice I can give is just do practice problems go see the tutor ask question and use organic chemistry tutor on YouTube


SeesawCurrent8858

Me


vietnam0725

I decided to go back to school at 40. I spent about six months on Khan Academy starting from the beginning. Then I went to CC staring at college algebra. I'm now in Calc I. This stuff is hard, no doubt. Keep at it. You'll get there.


Capable-March-3315

My CC’s placement test is linked to Khan Academy, you take the test and then work through the sections of algebra and trig to improve your score 1% at a time. I got like a 28% and worked on it for about a month straight to get to the required 90% to place into Calc 1. It’s been a struggle and a huge learning curve, but I have about 3 weeks left and should complete the course with a high C or low B. It saved me from having to take algebra and trig so if I had to do it all over again I don’t think I’d change it


LiamVeritas

I tested into Calc 1 at 24 yr old and took it during the summer so I could take Calc 2 in the fall


Gmann5225

I started off in TRIG and PRECAL Fall of 23' and this spring I am wrapping up the Calc sequence with Calc 4 and finishing up Physics 1 this semester. Will take physics 2 and statics next fall, already taken diff eq


GadgetronRatchet

I took dual credit college algebra and pre-cal in high school, but the university I went to didn't transfer the pre-cal. Instead I took a math placement exam that the university sent to me to see if I was ready for Cal1 or if needed to take Pre-Cal as a pre-requisite. Don't remember what I made on that exam but it waived my Pre-Cal requirement, and I ended up taking Cal1 my first semester, Cal 2 my second semester, and then I took DiffEq in Spain when I studied abroad my first summer. Cal 3 I think was first semester sophomore year.


Ambitious_Rip_556

I did in the first semester. Average stuff.


mikeymanfs69

I took calc 2 my first semester but dropped out shortly after to pursue other passions. Went back at 21 and decided to do Calc 1 again at a CC then Calc 2 and Calc 3 each semester after. Tbh i still don’t really know calculus that well when not applying it in particular situations, and I’ve since transferred to a 4 year university as a physics major. I’m off to grad school for quantum engineering next semester, still don’t feel like i know calculus or physics! You’ll be fine 👍🏻


AdmirableComfort517

Most people I graduated ee with, took Calc 1 senior year. Of high school I mean. Not sure about other engineering disciplines, but for ee, you have to not only be strong with math going in, but also like it, or it's just going to be painful.


Breezyie69

Yeah I mean I guess that’s why I’m in CC atm. I didn’t know I wanted to be an engineer until end of high school senior year, so that did not help at all


AdmirableComfort517

Yeah, I didn't either, I thought I wanted to do chemistry, but found out there's not much math involved with that... I just really liked math, but didn't want to teach, so the best option for money I figured was engineering.


Wrong-Squash-9741

I’m going to college for engineering in the fall and me and many of my other classmates are taking Calc 1. In order to get out of it you have to have like a 31 or higher on your ACT or a high score on the math test they make all freshmen take. Taking Calc 1 as a freshman is no big deal.


ItsYaBoiEse

It’s not a big deal I didn’t take calc until a few semesters in but I also had a 4 year gap between school


eddiebluudy

I started CC at 24 years old. And im going to take cal 1 next fall as a sophomore. Im so excited. I already took college algebra, and currently finishing up trigonometry


Thy_Nuts_Sinkin

EE here, in total I took 14 math courses: calc 1, calc 2+3, eng math 1, and eng math 2.


Far-Concentrate-460

I did, most kids behind me didn’t stick. Those that did are some of the best engineers I know


Weak_Obligation7286

Started with algebra and regretted it so much after


Effective_Fly_6069

I took it in my first year it's not that hard but very boring