Distance Learning
Every semester, some students sign up for College Algebra because someone told them that was the next course to take, even if it really isn't a good choice for them. There are two questions you need to answer to decide which math course to take next:
Before anything else, you need to find out which math course you are prepared for. Every semester, I get lots of students who say things like "I have to take this course this semester, or I will get behind and won't graduate on time." I certainly sympathize with their situation, but I'm afraid it's time to face up to some reality here: If you aren't prepared for this course (that means you need current knowledge of the previous material), it doesn't matter how badly you need to take the course now, you are wasting your time (and money) if you sign up anyway. If you aren't ready for the course, you will just get frustrated and won't be able to keep up and will very likely either have to drop the course or fail it. Even worse, at the end of the semester, you will be at exactly the same place you are now; signing up and dropping/failing a course does not prepare you to take it again next semester, it just wastes your time, so you actually wind up even further behind. If you aren't ready, you need to go back and take the prerequisite course(s) that you need now. Sure, you still won't have finished College Algebra at the end of the semester, but you will have actually made some progress, so you can take it next semester (if you're ready). Don't make the mistake of saying "Well, I'll just try it and see what happens". This course has one of the highest drop rates for a math course; this is because it's a hard course and lots of people take it who aren't ready.
If you are one of the many people who only need one college-credit math course for your degree plan, then you need to do some serious thinking about whether you should really be taking College Algebra after all. There are really only two reasons anyone should take College Algebra: 1) you need to take Calculus or Business Calculus later, or 2) your degree plan specifically says you must take College Algebra, without any other option. Pretty much everyone else would be better off taking one of our other courses. If you only need a single college-credit math course and you have a choice, College Algebra is probably the worst possible choice for you (and also the hardest). Better choices would be Math 1332 - College Mathematics, Math 1342 - Elementary Statistics, or Math 1324 - Math for Business and Economics. The first two of these can even be taken without taking Intermediate Algebra first, as long as you did well in Elementary Algebra and have satisfied your TSI math requiremetns. See Alternatives to College Algebra for more information on these courses. If you do need to take Calculus or Businesss Calculus, you should read about the courses you need to take to prepare for those.
Austin Community College Department of Mathematics**
Alternatives to College Algebra
or
Hints to Help the Beginning Student Distinguish between
First-Level College-Credit Mathematics Courses
College Mathematics (ACC's MATH 1332) (UT’s M302) **
Goal: To broaden the students' repertoire of mathematical problem-solving techniques past algebraic techniques.
This course covers a variety of mathematical topics such as set theory, logic, and probability. Students learn basic college-level techniques in a variety of mathematical areas and learn what types of problems can be solved with each technique. The algebra prerequisite for the course reflects the need for the students to have an understanding of the conceptual aspects of mathematics rather than a need for them to remember the details of how to solve all the types of algebra problems encountered in high school algebra. Students with weaker algebraic manipulative skills should still be able to complete this course successfully.
Elementary Statistics (ACC's MATH 1342) (UT's M316 or UT's STA309) **
Goal: To teach the student to do basic statistical analyses and to enable the student to be an "intelligent user" of standard statistical arguments.
The focus of this course is on using conceptual mathematical skills to solve a particular type of applications problems. Algebraic manipulation is not a major part of this course; however, students will be required to use formulas extensively. (A "pretest" indicating the level of skill expected is available from the mathematics department.) Enough explanation will be given that students who once learned algebra, but have forgotten many of the details, will be able to handle the algebraic aspects of the course easily.
Math for Business & Economics (ACC's MATH 1324) (UT's M303D,Texas State’s M 1319) **
Goal: To teach the student some applications of algebra to business and economics problems and to provide a minimal level of algebraic foundation for the first semester of business calculus.
The focus of this course is on the applications problems, with algebra skills from the first two years of high school algebra used as necessary. Students who are not able to demonstrate all the skills from high school Algebra II just before beginning the course will probably find this course very difficult.
College Algebra (ACC's MATH 1314) (UT's M301, Texas State's M 1315) **
Goal: To provide the student with the algebraic foundation for calculus.
The student is expected to be currently confident and skilled in all topics from the first two years of high school algebra or from MATD 0390, Intermediate Algebra, and the new material will build on that foundation with little or no review. Students who are not able to demonstrate all the skills from high school Algebra II just before the beginning of the course will probably find this course very difficult.
UT = University of Texas at Austin
*Additional information about ACC's mathematics curriculum and faculty is available on the Internet at http://www.austincc.edu/math/
** It is the student's responsibility to determine if these courses are applicable to a specific degree plan at ACC or at another institution.
There are two calculus sequences at ACC (and at most colleges) -- Business Calculus and Calculus. The prerequisite sequence is different for these. Depending on background, students may start the prerequisite sequence at different places
Intermediate Algebra (MATD 0390) |
Intermediate Algebra (MATD 0390) |
|||
↓ |
|
↓ |
↓ |
|
College Algebra**(MATH 1314) |
|
Math for Bus & Eco |
College Algebra |
|
*Trigonometry (MATH 1316) |
|
↓ ↓ |
||
↓ |
Business Calculus I (MATH 1425) |
|
||
Precalculus (MATH 2412) |
↓ |
|
||
↓ |
Business Calculus II (MATH 1426) |
|||
Calculus I (MATH 2413) |
|
|||
↓ |
|
|||
Calculus II (MATH 2414) |
|
|||
↓ |
|
|||
Calculus III (MATH 2415) |
|
|||
Where to start: The only way that students may skip courses in a sequence is to begin higher in the sequence, based on current knowledge of material from high school courses.
* The material in the Trigonometry course requires that students are quite adept with the skills from high school Algebra II (Intermediate Algebra). Some students will achieve that level of skill in the College Algebra course if their placement score is high enough, while others need an additional semester of work on algebra that is done in two courses, Intermediate Algebra and College Algebra.
** Some students who are very successful in College Algebra are tempted to skip either Trigonometry or Precalculus and enroll in Calculus I. That is not acceptable. Trigonometry topics are essential to success in Calculus, and while it is true that the topic list for Precalculus has only a few additions from the topic list for College Algebra, the level of sophistication of the presentation and the problems on all topics is greater in Precalculus. That increased sophistication is necessary for an adequate background for the Calculus sequence. ***
Notes about the Business sequence: Texas State University requires Math for Business and Economics and Business Calculus I. Students who will attend the UT College of Business must complete the entire Business Calculus sequence before transferring. For more information, including requirements for UT economics students, see http://www.austincc.edu/mthdept2/notes/1425.html
*** For additional information, including prerequisite review sheets for most courses, see http://www.austincc.edu/math/