TESC Calculus Sequence

[UptonSinclair]

Has anyone taken the TESC Calculus sequence? If so, what did you think of the course? How much emphasis is put on formal proofs?

Thanks

[Kaz]

I have NOT taken the TESC calc sequence but no one has answered you and I'm almost done with my BA in maths from Excelsior, so I thought I'd chime in. I did not encounter extensive proof writing in Calcs one, two, three, or four. This was at a New Jersey county college and later Rutgers University. I would be surprised if TESC is significantly different in this respect. You should be presented with proofs, and should be expected to understand the ones explained, but having to do them for homework and on tests/exams? Not so much.

[jdsdog10]

I am currently taking calc 3 at TESC. I was expecting it to have some kind of a lecture format, which I found out none of TESC courses do. For calc three, there are five units covered. Each unit will have a hw assignment of about 20 or questions. This is 30% of the grade. Each unit also will have two problems that you have to solve and post in a forum as a kind of "group assignment". It really is just everyman for himself for the questions, the only thing that makes it a group assignment is that you post it to the forum and can use the forum for helping one another out(which there isn't much need and isn't used). this is 20% of the grade. The last 50% of the grade comes from 2 proctored tests(midterm and final exam), which are multiple choice, 2 hrs with 30 questions. I am pretty sure the other calc courses are the same. The hw you should be able to easily get 90% even if you answer some incorrectly, the group portion is practically free points, so really if you can get in the low 80's for a test, you should get an a in the course (TESC does use "a-" for 90-92%).
For calc 1&2 I used straighterline. They have very good video lectures. Those courses are just 6 exams and nothing else (4 1 hour long exams, midterm and final both 1.5 hours long with the final being proctored).
I would reccomend SL for the first two courses. It is far cheaper and you can get far more out of it since TESC is practically teach yourself with the book anyway (SL gives you a little bit of guidance with video's)

[jdsdog10]

PS. Clepping calc 1 is easiest and cheapest. IF you are fine with learning it by yourself/internet lectures, it is the way to go. I originally tried to clep this subject, but I actually failed the test haha. But only because I hadn't learned all of the calc 1 material, and half the test was over one of the skills I had not yet learned (integration), so because of that I ended up just using SL to finish it up... But yeah, no need to pay TESC $750 to learn a subject on your own, when you can do it for near $100 and still get credits (it just won't count towards your gpa)

[UptonSinclair]

With Calc I & II at Straighterline do you feel like you were well prepared for Calc III at TESC. I am familiar with the Thinkwell videos and love Professor Berger's style of teaching but I was hesitant to take Calc II through Straighterline without being sure I would be able to complete Calc III through a more traditional source. I took Calc I through Excelsior, so I am not worried about the Calculus CLEP.

[jdsdog10]

Yes, but I feel like as long as you understand the basics of derivatives and integration that you can definately succeed in calc 3.
As far as SL preparing you, their last sections of the calc 2 course is exactly the same material as the beginning of calc 3 at tesc. TESC breaks calc 3 into 5 units, and the first unit is entirely covered at the end of SL's calc 2, and half of unit 2.
If you complete SL calc 2 you will be adequately prepared for Calc 3 through any school.

[UptonSinclair]

Wow. Thanks for the great input.

[Kaz]

With regards to being prepared for Calc_3 in general, most people who have been through it say that Calc_2 is harder than Calc_3. I'm about to take my final class before graduating which "counts" as Calc_6 and I'd say Calc_3 was the easiest out of the 5 I've finished. Unlike Calc_1 which introduces you to this whole new thing called calculus, and Calc_2 which hammers you with even more varied content than Calc_1 did while expecting you to remember everything from Calc_1, in Calc_3 you spend a good amount of time simply repeating the concepts you learned from 1 and 2 only in three dimensions. Half the course really does just feel like the exact same ideas you just learned only there's a z-axis now. Not that scary.

[UptonSinclair]

Not that scary.

Easy for you to say.

Seriously, thanks for the comments. At the completion of each math course, I swear I will never take another. Several months later I find myself tempted to pick up where I left off. This is where I am at now. I have completed Excelsior's equivalent to Calculus I and I am planning to take Calculus II through Straighterline before attempting Calculus III at TESC.

I am shooting for the 200 credit Bachelor's degree.

[janedoe]

Are a majority of the SL and other ACE credits Cal 1 and 2 proctored required?