What math course should I take?

[Rylynn18]

My college requires all incoming freshmen to take a math placement course. It lists which of the two tests (Algebra or PreCalculus) should be taken according to major. I plan on majoring in Biology and that is where the problem comes in. They say:

> Biology students need to be aware that they may have the option of taking with MATH 122 [Algebraic Math] or MATH 141 [Calculus's]. If you think there is a chance you will take MATH 141, you should take the PreCalculus MPT.

I'm unsure if I am able to take Math 141 based on my previous math courses, however I don't want to take the Math 122 course placement test if I have a chance of doing well on the precalc test. I have made Bs on almost every single course I've taken in high school. My math career went PreAlgebra-Algebra I-Geometry-Algebra II-AP Statistics (though the Stats class was a nightmare and I only passed due to a curve). Based on your collective knowledge, what do you all suggest I do?

[Doriol]

All of them. Get really smart.

[zoke]

You're asking Newgrounds for academic advice? You must really be desperate...

[masterchef56]

I would suggest the hidden 6th grade math. It's real tough, but you can do it.

[Rylynn18]

At 5/26/09 11:20 PM, zoke wrote: You're asking Newgrounds for academic advice? You must really be desperate...

Meh, got nothing better to do. I highly doubt I'll follow the advice given here, but I'm bored. Humor me.

[thisisL]

At 5/26/09 11:23 PM, Rylynn18 wrote:

At 5/26/09 11:20 PM, zoke wrote: You're asking Newgrounds for academic advice? You must really be desperate...

Meh, got nothing better to do. I highly doubt I'll follow the advice given here, but I'm bored. Humor me.

OMHAGAW TAKEZ DEM AWL CUZ ITZ NEWG HUM0R OMGARZ LAWL

[zoke]

At 5/27/09 12:01 AM, thisisL wrote:

At 5/26/09 11:23 PM, Rylynn18 wrote:

At 5/26/09 11:20 PM, zoke wrote: You're asking Newgrounds for academic advice? You must really be desperate...

Meh, got nothing better to do. I highly doubt I'll follow the advice given here, but I'm bored. Humor me.

OMHAGAW TAKEZ DEM AWL CUZ ITZ NEWG HUM0R OMGARZ LAWL

And so dies the thread.

[Vociferousmime]

Your majoring in a science, and calculus is pretty scientific, therefore....

[absent]

Is there a way to find out what topics are covered on the precalculus placement test? Because only getting up to algebra II may not be enough to do well on the placement test if more advanced or specific trigonometry topics are covered on the test.

But since Google is the answer to everything, here's a list of precalculus topics. If you're looking over that and saying "huh??" then you may want to go with the algebra placement test -- plus it'll be good review, in any case -- but otherwise you could try the precalculus.

[HippityGopher]

Preclac in college??? Wowza. I took Calc BC in high school. If you take algebra, you suck at life, unless of course it is linear algebra or vectors.

I remember the summer before freshman year, with those placement exams. You will NOT want to take them. You should take the Precalc course, AND investigate your schools policy on AP credit. You might be able to bypass the whole math thing all together with that AP Stat (depending on your score).

[BHBK]

take precal because that would have been a similar option to stat.....

[MissingNYC]

i'd take the hardest one, but i actually LIKED math and science...

[The-Prince-Of-Idiots]

Algebra. If you're a freshmen you won't be able to concentrate on biology an precalculus at once.

[HippityGopher]

At 5/27/09 12:52 AM, The-Prince-Of-Idiots wrote: If you're a freshmen you won't be able to concentrate on biology an precalculus at once.

Precalc is easy, and the typical 2 semester Bio 101/102 (or whatever the course # is) is very straight forward, even with lab.

[swtaplepie]

I'd go with the algerbra, i got up to algebra 3 in high school, and i didn't think it was hard..