Hello everyone,
I started college in 1999 as a CS major, taking my core classes along with the required basic computer courses, Visual Basic and C++. I have a long history as a procrastinator, but it was never an issue for me until two years into the major. In short, I failed Calculus and C++ the first time I took them, and finished with a D the second time around. Calculus just never clicked with me, while I found C++ to be utterly boring, mostly due to the awful professor. I rarely attended class.
I ended up changing majors and finished with a Bachelors degree in TV/Cinema in 2005. Changing majors was the best thing for me because I kicked my poor attendance and procrastination habits, finding something that I loved doing and was very good at(video editing).
Now, I find myself at a crossroads - my passion for computers and film has fallen by the wayside, as I went into law enforcement out of college. I'm registering to return to college this summer in an effort to obtain that long-abandoned CS degree, but I have to wonder if I'm in over my head. I haven't taken a math course in nine years, and Calculus baffled me(although I admit I hardly tried). My old professor(currently head of the Math/CS dept) told us on the first day of class years ago that Calculus is something you either understand or don't. Will it help me to go back and take Precalc before attempting Calculus yet again, and is this something that I can ultimately learn after two failures already? My work ethic is vastly improved, but I don't know what kind of math to expect beyond Calculus, other than "a lot".
I have an interest in working on my own movies/shorts/animations, creating 3d models, game environments and programming. Starting anew in some kind of tech job would be great for me.
Maybe I'm trying to do too much, I don't know. If anyone could chime in with a realistic outlook on my chances against Calculus, as well as what I can expect out of future math and programming courses(level of math involved), that would be a great help. My confidence is currently cowering around the corner from Overwhelming Odds.
Thanks!
I started college in 1999 as a CS major, taking my core classes along with the required basic computer courses, Visual Basic and C++. I have a long history as a procrastinator, but it was never an issue for me until two years into the major. In short, I failed Calculus and C++ the first time I took them, and finished with a D the second time around. Calculus just never clicked with me, while I found C++ to be utterly boring, mostly due to the awful professor. I rarely attended class.
I ended up changing majors and finished with a Bachelors degree in TV/Cinema in 2005. Changing majors was the best thing for me because I kicked my poor attendance and procrastination habits, finding something that I loved doing and was very good at(video editing).
Now, I find myself at a crossroads - my passion for computers and film has fallen by the wayside, as I went into law enforcement out of college. I'm registering to return to college this summer in an effort to obtain that long-abandoned CS degree, but I have to wonder if I'm in over my head. I haven't taken a math course in nine years, and Calculus baffled me(although I admit I hardly tried). My old professor(currently head of the Math/CS dept) told us on the first day of class years ago that Calculus is something you either understand or don't. Will it help me to go back and take Precalc before attempting Calculus yet again, and is this something that I can ultimately learn after two failures already? My work ethic is vastly improved, but I don't know what kind of math to expect beyond Calculus, other than "a lot".
I have an interest in working on my own movies/shorts/animations, creating 3d models, game environments and programming. Starting anew in some kind of tech job would be great for me.
Maybe I'm trying to do too much, I don't know. If anyone could chime in with a realistic outlook on my chances against Calculus, as well as what I can expect out of future math and programming courses(level of math involved), that would be a great help. My confidence is currently cowering around the corner from Overwhelming Odds.
Thanks!