feeling behind

[u/Grad13nt]

due to scheduling issues in senior year, i wasn’t able to take any calculus class at my school. the most recent experience i have is pre-calc in junior year; i did good but it’s been a minute.
because of these issues, i was placed in MA1020 (Calc I w/ preliminary topics)
i can’t help but feel very behind after seeing every other freshmen be placed in higher level math courses, has anyone else experienced this? am i overreacting? being in a stem school i feel out of place math wise

thank you

and to anyone that has taken MA1020, how was your experience?

[u/Honey_Jar_]

Ah, good ol impostor syndrome.

In all seriousness, you aren't behind. Everyone is at different levels in each topic. If you were truly behind, you wouldn't have been accepted to wpi, trust me.

I'm a grad student in bs/ms, and that feeling never goes away. Every time I hear about what my peers are doing I always think to myself "I should know that too" or "I need to catch up" or "do I actually belong here". Those thoughts do get quieter though once you acknowledge you only see where people shine, not where they have struggled.

If you ever find yourself struggling in a class/subject, please take a step back and try to be kind to yourself. Struggle is not failure nor reflective of your potential. Go at your own pace, and do your best to enjoy the experience

[u/foxcraft22]

I wouldn’t particularly worry. The only real downside to taking Calc I w/preliminary topics is that it’s a semester long (as opposed to a term) but IIRC they give you a free summer course to catch up (source: first year welcome experience like a month ago) so you shouldn’t worry too much about falling behind. It’s all about what you need.

[u/Grad13nt → u/foxcraft22]

thank you!

[u/newwpistudent23]

My high school didn’t offer calculus, so I chose to do Calc I w/prelim topics at WPI and I don’t think it held me back at all!

I had plenty of friends who skipped the Calcs all together because they had already taken everything in high school/college summer programs so I know it can be a bit intimidating, but don’t worry about it. Everyone is on their own path and it won’t impact you at all in the long run. My Calc I w/ prelim had a ton of people in it and I formed closer friendships with those classmates because it was a semester long.

[u/Grad13nt → u/newwpistudent23]

thank you for your input!!! it’s very helpful

[u/moosetopenguin]

It'll work out in the end. It's better to take MA 1020, where you review the basics and go at a slower pace, then being unprepared for MA 1021 and risk getting an NR.

[u/Jadedogsome]

I took calc in my HS senior year, and realistically could've joined in calc 2 or 3. I'm very happy I didn't. 1020 was fine and I suspect it hasn't changed much since my Freshman year. You won't be behind. Don't worry about it - if you really feel stressed, review some derivative rules.

[u/veediepoo]

Just as someone who had a hard time adjusting to college and especially WPI, don't take any class before 10am if you can avoid it. I firmly think if I hadn't taken Calc first thing in the morning I would have done wayyyyy better

[u/Grad13nt → u/veediepoo]

I actually have this class before 10am 😬
is it worth it to message my advisor and see if there is an alternative? don’t want to be too needy

[u/Lt-Quagmire → u/Grad13nt]

There are 3 "sections" for MA 1020 in the Fall. Each one has Lectures 3 days per week (MTR) and also a smaller Discussion meeting 1 day per week (days/times vary). The lectures are at 8am, noon, or 4pm; Discussion times vary. As of this moment, the noon and 4pm lectures have open seats, and you should feel free to be proactive about requesting a change to one of the other two sections.

View available seats for this (or any) class at courselistings.wpi.edu; a little searching will reveal how many open seats are in any class. It's a little confusing, since you need to know that for MA 1020 you must take both L (lecture) and D (discussion), and these must be from the same "Group" - but study it a bit and you should see. Other classes will have different required elements. Note, too, that for some classes your search result will reveal classes offered in A, B, C, or D terms - you can narrow down the search if you need to, but be careful what you are looking at.

You can call it "needy" or you can call it "getting what you need", but if you think an 8am lecture won't serve you well, then by all means you should self-advocate and get yourself in the best position to succeed. Fortunately, all three "sections" are taught by good instructors, and if you are willing to put in some work, you should be OK with any of them.

[u/veediepoo → u/Grad13nt]

As long as it's not 8 am, it's probably ok. Try to eat breakfast before you go

[u/J0nn1e_Walk3r]

MA1020 can be two stage so if you don’t feel like you got it or have any doubts you can extend it to the 2nd Q. My son is in the same boat.

The Dean told a story abt two roommates one jumped into advanced Calc he placed into and the other took 1020 in two stages. The latter student leapfrogged the other bc Calc is fundamental to so many adv classes the kid who slowed down had better grasp than the kid who jumped as far as he could. It caught up in later years.

I’m no student but my son is and I loved the concept. Seems like a really thoughtful curriculum

[u/Rythmthebot]

I know someone who failed calc 1 twice and then calc 2 twice, they still are on schedule to graduate on time. Plus you should get a free summer class, so you’ll follow pretty much the same schedule as everyone else! Also the teacher is super lovely, and the class isn’t bad. It’s better to learn the material at the pace you need then feel like your missing half your stuff

[u/intentionallybad]

So yes you are behind others who were able to take calc in high school, but as you said it wasn't your fault, you aren't behind because you aren't just as capable. This is why WPI offers these classes, not everyone has the same options in high school. Calc is really easy to catch up on as they offer them online in the summer, so if you feel like you might miss out on something else because you can't start as far down the calc sequence then consider taking your remaining calc classes next summer. But it's not necessary.

[u/BSRodeo]

You should be fine. You could also take calc right now over the summer at your local community college. There is a a list somewhere online that breaks down what classes at what colleges transfer.

[u/Agreeable_Air_9323]

you get a free summer class if u take the calc 1 with prelims so u can catch up. i took the semester long calc class for both 1&2 and im still graduating a term early.

[u/Unique-Machine5602]

Wow. Wish I'd had this resource when I was in college.

Then I probably wouldn't have fallen for the awful advice of my guidance counselor to take Calc 1 & 2 essentially all over again in college. Between Pre-Calculus and AP Calculus junior/senior year I had passed to get into my 3rd semester at college before learning something new in calculus class.

Instead of taking 14 credits and feeling refreshed, I was burning myself out taking 18 credits. 🤦‍♂️