I am an entering student interested in Chemistry without AP credit for Math 151 and 152; what is best for me?
If you did not get Advanced Placement Credit for Math 151/152, then your most reasonable choice is to take one of the two calculus sequences, Math 150’s or Math 160’s. The texts used for these two sections are both fantastic. If you plan to concentrate in Math, then take the 160’s sequence. If you plan to major in the sciences but not in Math, I strongly advise prospective chemistry concentrators to take Math 150’s rather than 160’s even if your placement score was strong for 160’s. We have found in the past that the preparation in Math 150’s is better than that in the 160’s sequence for preparing students to use calculus for approaching science problems. The Math 160’s sequence is better only for students intending to pursue a Math major, as it focuses on formal proofs rather than computation and geometrical understanding.
