Hi,
Im in the process of transferring from mata30f to mata30y. However i would like to get an opinion of the depth of mata30f. Can someone please advise
me whether 30f is similar to highschool calculus and vectors or if it goes in more depth than that (highschool).
Also is there a way that i could obtain past papers from previous 30f exams to get a knowledge of the difficulty.
Appreciate your advise on this at your earliest please
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Hey there,
Well, I think you can get a pretty good sense of how similar it is just from the course description. For example, take a look at this hunk of text: Elementary functions: rational, trigonometric, root, exponential and logarithmic functions and their graphs. Basic calculus: limits, continuity, derivatives, derivatives of higher order, analysis of graphs, use of derivatives; integrals and their applications.
Does any of that ring a bell somewhere in the dusty corners of your brain? Do you remember doing trig? Exponential functions? Derivatives? (Hopefully you remember derivatives from Grade 12 calculus).
In fact, all of that stuff is on the MCV4U1 curriculum, except integrals. I can’t speak for high schools in other provinces or countries, but if you did high school in Ontario, you should expect a pretty significant portion of the course to be review from high school.
That said, it won’t be the exact same as high school calculus. The material will definitely go into more depth, and concepts will be introduced here and there which you’re not familiar with. Integrals, which likely come at the end of the course, you probably haven’t encountered at all.
But the aim of the course is definitely not to fling you into the deep end.
As for past papers, the prof will usually let you know if they’ll be providing past papers as practice. You can also ask if he/she has them. Since most people don’t get to keep their exam papers, getting them directly from the prof is pretty much the only way to get your mits on them, so I wouldn’t go around any shadowy corners of the internet begging for them off strangers.
If the prof decides not to provide past papers, though, I wouldn’t worry. Study questions, assigned textbook work, and weekly problem sets are all regularly employed (and SUPER FUN!!) ways of providing students with plenty of practise for the exam.
Cheers,
Aska