Calculus!

[Jaltus-bot]

I am taking my first calc class next quarter. I just signed up for it. Introduction to Calculus for Business. Wish my luck. I barely qualify and have not had math in several years. I was worried that I would not be able to the class because of issues with the math schedule.

[Slater]

You should review your algebra, at least. When you deal with stuff in Calculus, you will need all the help and tools you can get. Being able to properly manipulate an equation algebraically can make the difference in spending a few hours on a problem to spending just a few minutes on it.

Trigonometry will also be something to keep fresh in your mind, when you start learning integration. All those lovely identities....

[EricTheFred]

I agree with Slater. I strongly recommend "Forgotten Algebra", a book that much helped my wife when she started an MBA course after many years out of school. It's written for people who've been through it once, but have gotten rusty.

There's no "Forgotten Trigonometry", sadly, but "Trigonometry the Easy Way" is also a good review book. Fortunately for you, a Business Calc course won't get into as complex math as Calc for science and engineering (I don't think you'll need any Sinh or Cosh functions, for example, or Bessel's and other fun stuff), but you will still need your basic Trig (Sin, Cos, Tan) stuff.

[Technomancer]

You may also find Schaum's Outlines to be very useful. These books offer many solved problems, which can help you understand how to do it yourself.

[Slater]

Oh, and one other thing you'll want... a good teacher.

If the university you're studying at has a course review page (where students grade the teachers on their ability to teach the material), be sure to go with the highest rated professor available. Being able to conceptualize this branch of mathematics is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL! Qualification is just as important as quantification.

[termyt]

lol, I can see it now. Jaltus-bot spend all of her time reading scientific and math journals so she can survive Intro to Business Calc. I'm getting the vibe she isn't that interested in math.

With "Intro" and "Business" in the title of the course, I'm thinking that pace won't be too tough. Reviewing your algebra is a good idea, though.

Good luck!

[Jaltus-bot]

lol, I can see it now. Jaltus-bot spend all of her time reading scientific and math journals so she can survive Intro to Business Calc. I'm getting the vibe she isn't that interested in math.

With "Intro" and "Business" in the title of the course, I'm thinking that pace won't be too tough. Reviewing your algebra is a good idea, though.

Good luck!

I'm a finance major. I don't care if I like math. I want to be good at it. (I like being able to do it.) Well, the relavent parts of it at least. I like religion, anything to do with the Colbert Report up to ~2 degrees of separation, food, stuff at school, and sometimes pop music with the occasional movie or political issue, and marketing except for the fact that the boring proliferation of some company's marketing would only add to a cynical view of the overcommercialization of our society that makes me want to move outside of at least the southwestern US. Still, the effect of compounding on the time-value of money waits for no equation! A lecture on human resource management awaits me. I must be off!

I was just going to read the last third of algebra for dummies, skim a small bit of some other book at the library, and read the first two chapters of my text book before next quarter starts. I wish I knew what kind of calculator I will need for that.

P.S. I suck at some exponential stuff and at geometric concepts.

[mitsuki lover]

I wish they had Algebra for Dummies when I was in High School,I could have had use for something like that.

Is Calculus a requirement for your major?

[Slater]

Calculus is a requirement for all university students in the State system here in California.

[Jaltus-bot]

Calculus is a requirement for all university students in the State system here in California.

Not all in my CSU. engineering, finance, chem, physics, math, and bio require some kind of calculus. Some majors just require up to algebra and trig or a couple teacher math classes for liberal studies students. I don't think accounting here needs calc, but I knew someone else who transferred to a different school who needed calc.

[mitsuki lover]

Since I don't live in California I wouldn't have known that.

[Icarus]

For calc, I'd go with an 84 at least, preferably an 86 or above.

[Jaltus-bot]

For calc, I'd go with an 84 at least, preferably an 86 or above.

Yay, you saw the thread.

You mean for calculators? I asked a classmate who was taking the business calc and he said that in his class, although you could use a graphing calculator but all he needed was a scientific calculator. Maybe that is cause we are just business calculus and not technical or analytic geometry and calculus.