Q: how fast do you forget calculus?

[kenshorin]

Forget what???

 

[EmperorIQ]

it all depends on how much you studied for them and how you studied. If you studied just to past, dont't expect to remember anything beyond derivatives and integrals. All of that washer method, taylor series, directional derivatives, pfffffffffffft. In some classes i will forget about 70% of the stuff.

 

[Triumph]

if you gave me a calc book i could do it within 5 minutes. i haven't done heavy calc in about 5 years.

 

[fyleow]

I can remember basic stuff like integration and derivates easily...

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: SpazzyChicken
I think that too much emphasis is placed on memorization. We are forced to memorize an equation so that we can spit it out on a test two weeks later. I think that as long as you truly understand the concepts and know where to go to find the information when you need it then you have learned the subject. This is why as a math major, I always kept ALL of my books.

Now this doesn't apply for the simple stuff....ie differentiation, integration...etc....

see, this is the problem. people don't understand that memorization is good for your brain. if you memorize something, you can recall it a lot faster than if you had to go looking through a book. it stretches your brain muscle and allows you to learn other things quicker. now i'm not saying that i memorized everything in calculus, but i did tutor engineering courses in college. and the kids that had the most problems were the ones that relied on their equation sheets and calculators to get them through. other kids already had all of the knowledge in their heads, so they were much faster at making the connections needed to solve a math or engineering problem. you all know the people that say, "I'm not a good test taker." well i'm willing to bet that 50% of the reason for that is because you don't have the information memorized well enough! those people waste all their time looking over their equation sheets for a glimmer of an idea of what to do next. if it was just in their brain, they would've been onto the next problem already.

this may seem at odds with my post above, but only as a matter of degree. yes, i use my books for reference, but since i memorized it so well back when i was taking the course, i'm sure i can find the information and re-digest it easier than someone who didn't memorize it 5 years ago. i mean, i can even see in my head the pictures and chapters in my books that i would need to go to in order to find something.