Statistics vs. Calculus

[Mesthead!]

I have to pick one for my senior year of math.
The Calculus is supposedly business calculus?

What the heck is even calculus?

Tell me the pros and cons of each and which one will be the most useful for college.

[concernedparent]

What do you want to major in? Both are pretty easy subjects, statistics more so. I'd say take calculus.

[TotalCollapse]

I'm taking both my senior year (AP Stat and AP Calc BC). For me, I'm pretty sure Calc will be easier because statistics involved more memorization.

[xxemo_kittyxx]

Statistics is a lot more interesting because the problems can be applied to real life more directly than calculus. I hated everything that had to do with math, but to me Statistics was one of the more tolerable ones. It all depends on the major though. If you want to major in something like engineering, calculus is a better option.

[subwaycollision]

It depends on what you want to major in, like others have said. Take statistics if you want to take the easiest course of your life.

[RyanLowry]

Are you deciding between Calc and AP Stat or Calc and regular Stat? I ask because the former is considerably more challenging than the latter. I'm taking AP Stat right now and I'm having a pretty hard time with it, but that's because A.) I am not good at math to begin with and B.) my teacher is absolutely horrible. A lot of people say it's not that bad, though.

[perceptrons]

If you aren't much of a math person, stats will be much easier.

[OnLettingGo]

both are very easy, but stat is definitely the way to go if you just want a math credit. I only had AP stat so idk what the difference is between that and reg stat.

[shimmyshakes]

I'm in AP Stats now and Honors Pre Calc.
Stats is more conceptual, less actual math. I like it a lot better and I find it easier than Pre Calc. However, I have also been told pre calc is harder than calculus.

I'd recommend statistics.

[showmethefever]

I took Stats sophomore year and holy balls it was easy.

[tonyC4L]

It does depend on what you want to do in college. For any engineering and most sciences (e.g. chemistry, physics and the like) calculus will be very useful, even if it's only getting you college credit. It's also a very interesting class if you're into math at all. It's challenging but the stuff you learn isn't really anything you've seen before. You kinda get this realization when you're in the class that this is the beginning of what "real math" is like.

Statistics is alright too, especially if you like seeing real-world applications of math. They're much easier to see in that class. But the math isn't very intense, it's more the statistical concepts/terminology and interpreting data that's the challenging part of that class. So if you like math, take calculus. If you're not really into it, statistics would be a good alternative.

EDIT: I just noticed you said it might be business calc. If that's the case but you like math, take stats for sure. Business calc will just be disappointing.

I have also been told pre calc is harder than calculus.

I don't think that's true. Precalc is like factoring, trig, conic sections, parametric/polar coords, etc. Calculus is using all of that but in the context of the class, like using partial fractions to make integration easier or switching to polar coordinates to find a volume of a solid. Precalc is still a very important class, but it's kind of hard to realize why you're doing what you're doing in that class until you get to calculus, where it all comes together. (maybe that's why people say it's harder...)

[shimmyshakes]

I don't think that's true. Precalc is like factoring, trig, conic sections, parametric/polar coords, etc. Calculus is using all of that but in the context of the class, like using partial fractions to make integration easier or switching to polar coordinates to find a volume of a solid. Precalc is still a very important class, but it's kind of hard to realize why you're doing what you're doing in that class until you get to calculus, where it all comes together. (maybe that's why people say it's harder...)

Yeah, that's what my main problem with Precalc is. I have no idea why/how I'm doing anything. I can do the problems, but I don't know what any of it means. Doesn't help that whenever someone asks "why?", my teacher just says "because that's how it's done."
Statistics is the opposite for me. I actually know why I'm calculating what I'm calculating and relate it to the real world.

[Mesthead!]

Okay, if you suck balls at trig/geometry, but are good at graphing/algebra/percentages type stuff what should you do?

[Mesthead!]

Okay, I do not want to go into science at all. I'm not a science person. I don't like math either. I'm not exactly sure what I want to do, but it will probably be along the lines of something that falls into these categories-law/business/government/communications/the arts. I know you do use a lot of math in some aspects of business though, but I'd probably go more into marketing/advertising if I did something in it. Honestly, I cannot decide, but no enginnering (I can't even spell it, haha.)/science/health type stuff. I find some aspects of it quite interesting, but when it gets in depth I fucking hate it.

They are both honors classes.
I honestly wouldn't take it if I had to, but I have to or I will not be able to graduate.

From what was said above, statistics sounds better for the way I think and what it is used for.

[xxemo_kittyxx]

Okay, I do not want to go into science at all. I'm not a science person. I don't like math either. I'm not exactly sure what I want to do, but it will probably be along the lines of something that falls into these categories-law/business/government/communications/the arts. I know you do use a lot of math in some aspects of business though, but I'd probably go more into marketing/advertising if I did something in it. Honestly, I cannot decide, but no enginnering (I can't even spell it, haha.)/science/health type stuff. I find some aspects of it quite interesting, but when it gets in depth I fucking hate it.

They are both honors classes.
I honestly wouldn't take it if I had to, but I have to or I will not be able to graduate.

From what was said above, statistics sounds better for the way I think and what it is used for.

Yes, I'd pick statistics if I were you. You will definitely be coming across some calculus if you decide to take business, but I heard that it wont be as difficult as the problems you would find in science subjects. Marketing deals a lot more with statistics than calculus though.

[cwya]

Calculus is hard until you figure out what you're doing, but once you learn it, every single problem is the same.

[disco.tetris]

^ that.

[Big_Guy]

Business calc is not calc. at least at my school


my buddy took business calc. it was a fucking joke with no trig functions