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Calculus III sucks ass

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CHC

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Christ almighty this class blows. I'm a math major and I love abstract stuff, I love thinking about problems and coming up with solutions, but FUCK.... this class is just everything that I hate about math.

It's "cookbook" math to the fucking millionth degree. Maybe it's just my instructor, but I feel like there is no focus on really thinking about things, it's just a fucking endless recipe of steps that seem to come out of nowhere. Take the integral of this, derivative of that, cross product of the next fucking thing....

Just got to double improper integrals and I'm really getting fed up with this fucking garbage. I'm doing fine (93 on first exam) and I actually loved the "dreaded" Calc II and did well in that, but this just fucking blows ass.

Sorry, rant over, but seriously, this shit is meant to be done by computers not humans. There is no beauty in this shit, it's just tedious fucking waste of paper.
 
hawk2025 said:
Wait, what's Calculus 3 for you? ODEs?
Click to expand...

Multivariable everything. We started with vectors, planes, simple volumes of straight sided shapes, spheres, etc.

Then moved onto gradients and partial derivatives, now it's onto double integrals and volumes of shapes bounded by functions.
 
Calc III is bullshit. So many definitions to remember and I thought Calc II was far easier.

Since you're a math major, this will be nothing for what lies ahead.

You will move from doing computations and into proving theorems. I hope you like proofs but I assume you do since you're a math major.
 
hawk2025 said:
Wait, what's Calculus 3 for you? ODEs?
Click to expand...

Calculus 3 is multivariable calculus, the next semester is a full ODE course

OP, I'm a physics major so I use a lot of stuff from calculus, diff eq, linear algebra, etc. Theoretically, calculus may not seem that great but if you start applying it to physical situations it makes a lot more sense.
 
That's why you get a degree where they only put you through the math meat grinder for the first two years. The worst I had to deal with is CS was this mind blowing discrete logic math with lambdas and shit. It was manageable. I kind of actually maybe liked the reams of logic I had to write.
 
CHC said:
Multivariable everything. We started with vectors, planes, simple volumes of straight sided shapes, spheres, etc.

Then moved onto gradients and partial derivatives, now it's onto double integrals and volumes of shapes bounded by functions.
Click to expand...


I loved Calc 3 except the bolded parts. It was cookbook as you say, but I think is because the teacher rushed through it to cover the material instead of taking her time to explain the usefulness of these operations

Calc 4 for me was more boring. It got more into the realm of matrices, complex equations, and transforms (fourier, laplace, z). It was more related to my career but they are too much dirty work.
 
Only had to go up to calculus II (computer science). I've been in the industry a few years now and honestly have rarely had to use what I learned there.
 
I had to re-take Calc 3 over the summer, quite a rough class when you barely pass Calc 2 :\

Still love the shit out of Calculus but I don't have the work ethic for it.

93 on the first exam? Keep at it OP, you enjoyed calc 2, you can basically do anything (fuck ODE's tho :P)
 
Calc 3 was my favorite Calc. It helped that my professor was a great teacher who didn't require homework.

It was assigned, and discussed every class, but only if students had questions about the problems.
 
Well, then, OP, stay positive, because ODEs are next and <3

Be warned, though, that it MAY seem formulaic as well at first, but it's really not. Also, pick up Measure Theory as soon as possible if you really want some beauty in mathematics. Love that stuff.
 
CHC said:
Multivariable everything. We started with vectors, planes, simple volumes of straight sided shapes, spheres, etc.

Then moved onto gradients and partial derivatives, now it's onto double integrals and volumes of shapes bounded by functions.
Click to expand...

I remember that stuff. It was really easy until around the end of Calc 3 where there was a massive difficulty spike. Great job on your first exam.
 
Calc III was my favorite one, and the one I got the best grade in. I found Calc II to be much more difficult, and almost insane. I did this all at University of Michigan. Conceptually, I just had a much easier time in Calc III, but I also think they start to ease up on you. Calc I was actually pretty tough due to the curve.

Jesus Christ, those were some rough days. Coding non stop. Non stop syntax error nightmares.
 
XiaNaphryz said:
OP, try watching through this Youtube series and see if it clicks better for you, assuming you're talking about primarily vector stuff, partial derivatives, etc:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDesaqWTN6ESk16YRmzuJ8f6-rnuy0Ry7

He has playlists covering Calc 1 and 2 as well.
Click to expand...

I'll check that out, thanks. Haven't seen those videos. My school has some decent lectures on YouTube but I'm starting to get to the point where a lot of channels aren't that useful because they only touch lightly on the topics that we are expected to go really in depth on.

Epsilon-delta said:
Calc III is bullshit. So many definitions to remember and I thought Calc II was far easier.

Since you're a math major, this will be nothing for what lies ahead.

You will move from doing computations and into proving theorems. I hope you like proofs but I assume you do since you're a math major.
Click to expand...

Yeah it really does feel like a bunch of bullshit. But I like proofs! I'm taking a proof-writing class (it's basic now, set theory, proving obvious statements), but I LOVE writing them because it really stretches your brain and ensures that you know your stuff.

I actually hate Calc III because it's so NON proof based. It just feels like we're given tons of instructions to memorize at a blisteringly fast pace, without really having the time to go in depth on WHY things are the way they are. We did a little proof stuff with vectors, and I enjoyed that, but as the pace picks up, the strategy seems to be shifting to "memorize how to do it, don't worry about why."
 
What completely destroyed be was the second level of discrete mathematics, Introduction to the Theory of Computation. A requirement for comp sci, and I just could not wrap my head around that shit. That was just the roughest class I have ever taken.
 
Calc 1 was the hardest for me because it forced me to quickly catch up on my algebra/trig/logrithms in a single semester. Calc 2 was easy. Glad I don't have to take Calc 3 though. I need to hurry up and take Linear Algebra though.
 
If you enjoy the abstract and beauty of mathematics, then hang in there OP. It's likely you will eventually cover some important vector calculus theorems like Green's Theorem, Divergence Theorem, and Stokes's Theorem which have some amazing applications to the physical world (which, remarkably, are really just higher dimensional analogues of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus). I'm sorry to say you will likely have to take an ODE course that will involve even more cookbook mathematics afterwards.

Things get a lot better in regards to abstract math once you start moving into analysis courses, where you will begin to prove and more deeply examine the theorems you largely take for granted in the intro calc series. One thing I might recommend though: it's probably worthwhile to explore the possibility of a Physics minor. You'll definitely have all the background you need from your math major to do any physics course offered, and these classes can help to "fill in holes" in the application side of math programs.
 
Optimusdouche said:
What completely destroyed be was the second level of discrete mathematics, Introduction to the Theory of Computation. A requirement for comp sci, and I just could not wrap my head around that shit. That was just the roughest class I have ever taken.
Click to expand...

Was it the proofs and induction? A lot of the students I tutor have problems with that.
 
Every math course that is also taken by engineers was painfully dreadful and boring.

It wasn't until you started taking courses where your course work and exams were proof-based that math gets interesting.
 
Calc 3 was easy just plug and chug. Calc 2 was pure hate fuck intergration. Still can't intergrate without a intergration table and matlab
 
I didn't even know there was a Calculus 3 haha.

I took up to precalculus and then was offered honors calculus 1 for my senior year in high school. I laughed and took a free period instead. Then in college I intentionally took the lowest math course that still counted as proper credit for that requirement.

I don't have trouble with math, in fact I was always pretty good at it. I just don't enjoy it at all in a school context.
 
Series and integration are bae

I love them

Shame I never finished multivariable after how fond I was of Calc II. Just did differential equations and then called it quits and now I'm in finance where none of this matters and all this pseudo bullshit math makes me feel bad man.
 
CHC said:
Yeah it really does feel like a bunch of bullshit. But I like proofs! I'm taking a proof-writing class (it's basic now, set theory, proving obvious statements), but I LOVE writing them because it really stretches your brain and ensures that you know your stuff.

I actually hate Calc III because it's so NON proof based. It just feels like we're given tons of instructions to memorize at a blisteringly fast pace, without really having the time to go in depth on WHY things are the way they are. We did a little proof stuff with vectors, and I enjoyed that, but as the pace picks up, the strategy seems to be shifting to "memorize how to do it, don't worry about why."
Click to expand...

Yup, that sounds like my Calc III class but I admit I found it more interesting than Calc II.

Stuff towards the end like Green's Theorem, Stokes's Theorem, etc. prove useful in the physical world.

It's good to read you like proofs. I love them myself and found it much more satisfying than a tedious cookbook calculation problem.

Edit: Biggest-Geek-Ever beat me to the punch
 
0ALu3PX.jpg


tfw only artist in the class

im taking calculus 3 right now and i love to draw and think in terms of 3D so im enjoying this class
 
At Kings college and taking Mathematics. I loved maths at A level got A* and A in Maths and further maths. Doing Calculus II is annoying, I think it partially got to do with the lecturer who isn't that good, if I had the same lecturer as I did in Calculus I I would be having a much more enjoyable time.
 
Biggest-Geek-Ever said:
If you enjoy the abstract and beauty of mathematics, then hang in there OP. It's likely you will eventually cover some important vector calculus theorems like Green's Theorem, Divergence Theorem, and Stokes's Theorem which have some amazing applications to the physical world (which, remarkably, are really just higher dimensional analogues of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus). I'm sorry to say you will likely have to take an ODE course that will involve even more cookbook mathematics afterwards.

Things get a lot better in regards to abstract math once you start moving into analysis courses, where you will begin to prove and more deeply examine the theorems you largely take for granted in the intro calc series. One thing I might recommend though: it's probably worthwhile to explore the possibility of a Physics minor. You'll definitely have all the background you need from your math major to do any physics course offered, and these classes can help to "fill in holes" in the application side of math programs.
Click to expand...

Epsilon-delta said:
Yup, that sounds like my Calc III class but I admit I found it more interesting than Calc II.

Stuff towards the end like Green's Theorem, Stokes's Theorem, etc. prove useful in the physical world.

It's good to read you like proofs. I love them myself and found it much more satisfying than a tedious cookbook calculation problem.

Edit: Biggest-Geek-Ever beat me to the punch
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks for the motivation, hopefully it will become more interesting. Just did a whole bunch of annoying-ass double improper integrals and it's so tedious and discouraging.

Also, all this talk about how bad Calc II was! I loved it. I feel like it made me really, truly understand Calc I and what differentiation and integration really are. There were a few times it was tedious, but I feel like SO much stuff (including older algebra that I had taken for granted) totally came together in a beautiful way in that class.
 
Two Words said:
Was it the proofs and induction? A lot of the students I tutor have problems with that.
Click to expand...

I actually did have tons of trouble with that. Not sure why I would get so confused. But I got it down well enough in Discreet Maths, to get the grade I needed to go on. But things just got too confusing in Intro to Theory of Computation. I actually had to drop Discreet Math the first time around, it was in the spring, and when I took it again, it was just with a professor who was a million times easier. So not the best foundation when you only make it through by getting the easier professor.

This was a big issue I had with a lot of universities. Your experience can be so different depending on the who is the lecturer. One programming class, a weeder course, mysteriously was not a weeder course, eventually. After, I took it of course. I had long known I wasn't a natural when it came to this stuff. But family pressure to do something technical, something impressive. I actually didn't have a choice.
 
I remember one of my calc professors being this super angry Canadian (from Quebec I think) who enjoyed going off on tangents about how the states were squandering our potential by not allocating enough funds for education. Just lots of vitriol for the US in general. I just remember him fuming before a lecture about it. All the time. I thought Canadians were supposed to be cheery folk.

triplestation said:
0ALu3PX.jpg


tfw only artist in the class

im taking calculus 3 right now and i love to draw and think in terms of 3D so im enjoying this class
Click to expand...

Shit dude nice.
 
I was told calc 3 was way easier but I hated it, the worst math class I've taken. At least everything since (linear algebra, theory of computation, and currently algorithms) have all been awesome.
 
I took business calc 1 (Calculus for dum-dums) at UW-Madison, got a 42% on the final, which was a low 'A' on the curve, letting me pass with a 'B' for the semester. I just can't even imagine going further.
 
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