Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site persci.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!mtuxo!mtunh!mtung!mtunf!ariel!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tikal!cholula!persci!bill From: bill@persci.UUCP Newsgroups: net.singles Subject: Re: Why take CALC (Blech!) Message-ID: <214@persci.UUCP> Date: Wed, 3-Jul-85 13:26:33 EDT Article-I.D.: persci.214 Posted: Wed Jul 3 13:26:33 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 4-Jul-85 06:05:50 EDT References: <199@rruxo.UUCP> <511@ttidcc.UUCP> <734@ihlpg.UUCP> Reply-To: bills@persci.UUCP (Bill Swan) Organization: Personal Scientific, Woodinville WA Lines: 27 Summary: >>>What kills me is, after keeping up a very respectable average (even with the >>>c's in calc [3 times in a row]), I was turned down by more than one school >>>whenI decided to continue my education! My GPA was well above the 3.5 needed, >>>but alas, MY CALC GRADES WERE'NT HIGH ENOUGH!!!! >>>Any others out there plagued by such things??? >> ...discussion about not having to use calculus once on the job, even though >> it was required to get the degree/job ... >> Given the above, what is the justification for forcing _everyone_ to study >> calculus? >[...] I don't know of ANYONE in the areas inwhich I want to work that EVER use >anything more than algebra (if even that). The justification I have been >given by several people (including professors) is that even though I won't >ever need calc., simply being able to do it shows a certain sophistication of >mind that is hard to detect any other way. I'm not sure that I agree with >that, but I suppose that, for now, I must accept it. I guess I look on it as >paying my membership dues. I'm not sure about the first writer's problems (although I can sympathize, I had to take 1st quarter calc twice, 2nd Q thrice, 3rd Q once, to get passing grades), but have learned that you do achieve a certain 'sophistication' (a somwewhat larger viewpoint) by having been through the stuff. No, I don't use any calc now, and barely any algebra, but am glad for my (painful) exposure to it. It's like 95% of education: it looks useless when you're studying it, but you'd be surprised when and where it comes in handy (I sure wish I'd known *that* when I was in school!). -- Bill Swan {ihnp4,decvax,allegra,...}!uw-beaver!tikal!persci!bill