College Registration Advice...?

Question

I'm currently enrolled as a Mathematics Major in USF. This semester I was not able to take any math classes (just physics II which counts toward pre-reqs) because of late registration (transfer student). Anyway, next semester I need to catch up so I was planning to take 5 classes: Calc III, Linear Algebra, Bridge to Abstract Math, Differential Equations, and Latin II (foreign language requirement). I was just wondering if this would be "do-able."

I get A's in math pretty easily. I'll stay up late at night doing homework that isn't to be due for months because it's so fascinating to me. I know what to expect with Calc III and DE and even taking them at the same times should be fairly breezy. I'm not sure of what Linear Algebra and Bridge to Abstract consist of or how easy they are. I plan to talk to my counselor in the next week or two, but I thought I'd also get the opinion of those here on Yahoo! Answers. 

Thank you.

ejwaxx · Accepted Answer

I would think it shouldn't be TOO bad.  I took linear algebra and an equivalent course to "Bridge to Abstract" over the summer after my junior year of high school and breezed through both.  Linear algebra can be a crap shoot: some profs will focus on the computations, which can be lengthy but aren't tough, and others will concentrate on the theory.  Bridge to Abstract is just going to be basic logic, sets, proof methods, relations and functions, with maybe a touch of basic abstract algebra or analysis to finish off.

Calc III can be a bit tough -- I didn't have any trouble with it, but I also took linear algebra first, and let me tell you, taking that class helps immensely when you do vector analysis in Calc III (linear algebra is the study of vector spaces).  Taking both at the same time might help you to reinforce the concepts from each.  Keep in mind that Calc III doesn't introduce a whole lot of really new material until the end, but it can be a lot harder to intuit the solutions to problems in many variables.

Differential equations, a lot of people report is easier than Calc III.  The first course will concentrate almost entirely on ODEs (ordinary differential equations), which are differential equations in one variable, so they won't require much of any calculus that you'd not pick up in Calc I and II.

Summary: If you feel strong in math, this schedule is entirely doable.  If you got through Calc I and II easily, except for the multivariable aspect of Calc III, none of the other courses will pose too much more of a challenge.

What you absolutely should not do, once you get further in, is take real analysis II, symbolic logic and the graduate prelim courses in algebraic topology and complex analysis.  Part of me died that semester :(.

E · Answer

Linear Algebra is easier than Calc III and DE.  It sounds like this would be doable for you since you seem to excel at math.

TomV · Answer

Talk to your faculty advisor. It's been awhile since I was a student, but that seems like a heavy load to me.

BLHylton · Answer

I just wanted to second that you should talk to your faculty advisor.  They would know better than anyone on here what those subjects specifically entail.

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College Registration Advice...?

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