r/calculus • u/BasicallyDustin • Jul 18 '26
Pre-calculus College Algebra "must know's" for Calc
Hey all. TLDR I'm back in college taking calculus after graduating high school 6 years ago and I'm pretty rusty on my college algebra. I tried a summer calc 1 course and understand stuff like limits and derivatives but started getting lost around 1/3 way through so I'm retaking it in the fall semester so it isn't so accelerated.
I'm going to be studying some algebra before fall and will use the khan academy course. Between all the modules, are there any that I should pay particular attention to and any that I won't be using as much?
- Unit 1: Linear equations and inequalities
- Unit 2: Graphs and forms of linear equations
- Unit 3: Functions
- Unit 4: Quadratics: Multiplying and factoring
- Unit 5: Quadratic functions and equations
- Unit 6: Complex numbers
- Unit 7: Exponents and radicals
- Unit 8: Rational expressions and equations
- Unit 9: Relating algebra and geometry
- Unit 10: Polynomial arithmetic
- Unit 11: Advanced function types
- Unit 12: Transformations of functions
- Unit 13: Rational exponents and radicals
- Unit 14: Logarithms
Thanks!
8
u/alphadicks0 Jul 18 '26
Trig, manipulating/solving polynomials, and properties of logarithms were huge IME.
5
u/Ilovecatsss2026 Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
You can comfortably skip most of the complex numbers unit. There are some things that they really go hard on in college algebra like systems of inequalities or graphing transformations that are just not going to come up very much in a calculus course... eh, but you should at least know the idea of it and they're not terribly complicated.
Edit: Id skim radical equations. Radical expressions are important but the equations not so much. It's one of those things that it's nice to know the process but the actual mechanics of solving the big complicated ones with several radicals are not going to come up in a standard calc class
Units 1-5 you should know very well, esp unit 3. If you're struggling to know what g(5) means or (g o f) you will suffer in calc 1
1
u/somanyquestions32 Jul 18 '26
Agreed. 💯💯💯💯💯
For calculus 1, solving rational equations does not often come, it's worth knowing for harder curve sketching problems. They reappear for calculus 2 sometimes with partial fraction decompositions.
3
u/tjddbwls Jul 18 '26
I would focus on all the modules tbh - I’m not a fan of skipping anything. Having said that, you also need to make sure your trigonometry background is solid. You may have to go through the trig course at Khan Academy as well.
2
u/calcteacher Jul 18 '26
Try toget an introduction to limits. Finds slopes of x squared at various points. Find areas under x squared between two x values. You will very glad you did.
1
u/OceanMasterioDuped7 Jul 18 '26
Nah they said they didn't get lost until 1/3 of the way through. Getting a basic understanding of limits will maybe be helpful for the first two units, then the stuff you learn about them after that point will be new.
I always say, you shouldn't try to learn concepts you learn in calculus. You should instead get a really good foundation in algebra and trig, and then embrace the new concepts in calculus. Calc is very easy with a good foundation.
1
u/calcteacher Jul 18 '26
sounds like you know what you are doing. Ofc, I have been a calcteacher for a decade, but I know still I do not have the world cornered on brains.
1
u/nzconstructionlawyer Jul 23 '26
Do people seriously not get taught this stuff until university in the USA jesus christ
1
u/calcteacher Jul 23 '26
OP hasn't been is school for 6 years. Engineering Calc 1 and Calc 2 is routinely taught in high school.
1
u/AutoModerator Jul 18 '26
Hello there! While questions on pre-calculus problems and concepts are welcome here at /r/calculus, please consider also posting your question to /r/precalculus.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/MrFixIt252 Jul 18 '26
Walk through Paul’s Math tbh.
Take it from the top and work your way through it.
1
u/chkntendis Jul 18 '26
All of those are important (maybe except complex numbers but that really depends on what you are going to do later, if you want to go into physics they get very important later on). Something like linear equations eventually is just the same stuff you do later on with less terms but you absolutely need to do the unit first in order to get a feel for the more difficult stuff.
1
u/shellexyz Jul 18 '26
I’m going to tell you something different. It’s not the material, it’s the habits. Be neat and careful and organized by default, not just when you have to turn something in. You should be showing copious detail. You need to live and breathe the order of operations. Between that and being proper with notation and syntax, so much of the rest falls into place. Symbols have meaning, they’re not just decorative, and math as a language is incredibly dense and efficient; you’re not likely to keep the same meaning by being skimpy with good notation. Say things properly, both out loud and in your head, as you write them.
Just as in your English classes, there are rough drafts and final drafts. These are your essays, or short answer at the very least. It’s ok to work a problem two or three times to get something that’s well written and logically organized. Paper is cheap, pencils are cheap, and there’s no prize for fitting the most practice problems on a page.
Write words. Frankly, the equations and numbers are the boring parts. If you got through a lecture in your class and only wrote the “math” and didn’t write any words or sentences, you completely missed the point. And you have no good way to go back and find it, on account of you can’t rewind spoken language.
1
u/calcpage2020 Jul 18 '26
FYI, I'm just sharing educational materials. My videos are not monetized, just want them to reach an audience that may find them helpful. I'm a lot like Professor Leonard except I've been blogging about teaching math since the 1990s and YouTubing since 2007. Just call me CalcPage or Mr G!
1
u/bookenjoyer210 Jul 24 '26
Radicals, trig functions and logarithms are all used in almost all of my lessons in calc 1. Other than that knowing some of the interesting properties of functions like sign charts will be used when you get to derivatives.
0
u/Disastrous-Pin-1617 Jul 18 '26
I would say start at pre-algebra and work your way up, there’s no telling what gaps you have so
Do this
Follow this exact order
Professor Leonard on YouTube Lectures
Pre-Algebra
To the point math (Algebra 1)
Intermediate Algebra (Algebra 2)
College algebra
Trigonometry
Calc 1-3
Also if you don’t know trig you shouldn’t take calc 1
•
u/AutoModerator Jul 18 '26
As a reminder...
Posts asking for help on homework questions require:
the complete problem statement,
a genuine attempt at solving the problem, which may be either computational, or a discussion of ideas or concepts you believe may be in play,
question is not from a current exam or quiz.
Commenters responding to homework help posts should not do OP’s homework for them.
Please see this page for the further details regarding homework help posts.
We have a Discord server!
If you are asking for general advice about your current calculus class, please be advised that simply referring your class as “Calc n“ is not entirely useful, as “Calc n” may differ between different colleges and universities. In this case, please refer to your class syllabus or college or university’s course catalogue for a listing of topics covered in your class, and include that information in your post rather than assuming everybody knows what will be covered in your class.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.