High School Trig

Jon the Great · Post by **Jon the Great** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 8:11 pm

Just how necessary is a High School Trig/pre-calc class for majoring in subjects like computer sciences, graphic design or game production?

Is it a problem to have to take this class in college?

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 8:19 pm

get it done now.

or pay alot extra later.

Its not optional if you want to get into anything remotely game-related.

Avder · Post by **Avder** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 8:24 pm

Try to get it so youd be ready to take Calculus 1 in college if youd be required to for your major. I know its required here to take calc for most programming stuff. Other computer realted majors vary. Check the program requirements for your school.

Vindicator · Post by **Vindicator** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 8:25 pm

Theres a ****load of math required for anything related to computers. So yeah, the sooner you get started the better off you'll be.

Plus, chicks dig it.

ccb056 · Post by **ccb056** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 8:37 pm

on the plus side, Trig is fairly easy

Kyouryuu · Post by **Kyouryuu** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 8:40 pm

Aside from having good algebra schools, trignometry is essential for college math courses and computer science courses. In particular, it is the underlying foundation of almost anything related to computer graphics (that and linear algebra).

Repo Man · Post by **Repo Man** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 8:45 pm

Jon, you can *never* get too much mathematics for computer science--especially for computer graphics:

Trigonometry and analytical geometry is the foundation for understanding computer graphics.

Calculus, differential equations and linear algebra give you the tricks to implement fast graphic algorithms.

Algebra gives you the tools to manipulate equations to perform higher mathematics.

Mathematics, of course, is the language of physics. No physics, no virtual reality. No virtual reality, no games.

Iâ??ve been a software engineer for 18 years. I still go back to my old text books to refresh the old brain.

Study, study, study, dang it! Enough saidâ?¦

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 9:03 pm

Math is important in most aspects of life. Doubly so in the fields you want to go into. Take as much as you can stomach as early as you can.

catch22 · Post by **catch22** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 9:49 pm

Hahahahaha

Game design, wow man, just wait.

When I really started programing, math became almost essential. Even if you don't think it's important, hell even if you refuse to study the stuff, remember everything that calc/trip prof/teacher is telling you.

I started proving god only knows how many theorms when I started writing simulations. Didn't know what they were until I started looking them up in my math books

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 9:59 pm

As an engineer with 20 years experience building realtime visualizations/simulations for the military (game like apps) lemme just say this ... I have used it every single work day of my career.

Know it backwards, forwards, sideways, upwards, downwards .... or you will SUCK at building any application of any significance.

Birdseye · Post by **Birdseye** » Tue Jan 27, 2004 11:00 pm

Heh, I know this is off topic, but I got a D+ in trig in high school (Hey, I'm proud of that, I slept all class and never opened the book), then I passed the exam in college to enter straight into calc. Don't know how that works

Then I finally took calc, and I found it to be way easier than trig for some reason.

Tetrad · Post by **Tetrad** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 12:33 am

You NEED a good foundation in Trig to be able to do things like Calculus and linear algebra.

El Ka Bong · Post by **El Ka Bong** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 1:03 am

SOH CAH TOA !

Asrale · Post by **Asrale** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 1:13 am

You didn't say what year you are, but it helps to get all your courses done quickly, so if possible you can graduate from HS early. Unless you take AP classes, nothing gets you college credit so you may have to re-take certain subjects... (so if your HS doesn't offer an "AP calculus" don't waste your time taking a "non-AP calculus" class, your college will require you to take it on their campus)

Here in the Front Range of Colorado there's a unique system in place between the state university and something called "Front Range Community College," where one can take courses at FRCC and fulfill state university credit at the same time. Needless to say, before I went to the state university, I had well over half of required humanities/soc sci, math, AND science done before my first freshman semester. It was awesome, and I wasn't even late to the party cuz I graduated from high school 1.5 years early.

(I have to add here, one of the first perks I had at the state univ was taking Astronomy instead of Physics, more interesting!) So my point is if there's a similar system in your area, definitely take that route! Community colleges are cool.

And yes, trig is essential. So is every other high school math class, I hope you don't sleep in class, or something...

Vindicator · Post by **Vindicator** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 1:29 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by El Ka Bong:
SOH CAH TOA !<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Some Old Horse Caught A Horse Taking Oats Away

DCrazy · Post by **DCrazy** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 11:32 am

Trig is easy. Take it ASAP. Worry more about Calculus, which you will also need to take if you want a solid footing in your selected class.

Topher · Post by **Topher** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 12:19 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Asrale:
 (so if your HS doesn't offer an "AP calculus" don't waste your time taking a "non-AP calculus" class, your college will require you to take it on their campus)

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Do not EVER just sit back and not take something that you have the intellect to take. If you can take calc in highschool, do it. When college comes, either you breeze through the class because you know it or you go to the math department and say "I know this already!" and they can substitute other classes for calc (I skipped right into Differential Equations my freshmen year in college).

Also, don't be under the illution that "graduating early a semester early is a good thing!!" Yes, if you can graduate a year early, go for it and get into college. But being done one semester does nothing for you if all you're going to do is take the time off or work. Either keep taking classes and build up credit/knowledge in high school (which is free) or take classes at a community college and get credit for college.

And no, "taking a year off and working to get money" doesn't work. Tuition goes up every year, get into college the earliest you can.

I got me an edumacation, so git yer ass into skool!!1

Lothar · Post by **Lothar** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 1:01 pm

to add to what Topher said...

most colleges let you test out of their trig and calc 1 courses, even if you didn't take an AP course in high school. A number of my wife's calc 2 students skipped right over calc 1, having never taken an AP course.

Also, to add to what Asrale said, in Colorado it's state law that the schools *have* to keep teaching you until you graduate, or have reached your requisite number of years in public school. This means that the school district is required to pay for you to take a college math course if they can't offer you a high school math course you haven't already taken. So, if you can take all of the trig / calc courses they have to offer, and still have a year or even a semester left, they'll pay for you to take some night classes at a nearby college (I took linear algebra and vector calculus at CU-Denver, and my high school paid for it.) I think the same is true in most other states, and it's worth checking out.

And math -- especially trig, early calculus, and linear algebra -- is absolutely essential for graphics. You can't do graphics if you can't handle matrix manipulations and trig functions.

Scorch · Post by **Scorch** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 1:46 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Vindicator:

Some Old Horse Caught A Horse Taking Oats Away

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Tom's Old Aunt Sat On Her Cat And Hollared

Jon the Great · Post by **Jon the Great** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 6:23 pm

Sine= Opposite/ Hypotenuse Cosine= Adjacent/ Hypotenuse= Tangent Opposite/ Adjacent.
One of the few things I remember from Geometry.

I'm a junior in HS right now. I'm in Alg 2 acc (aka Intermediate Algebra). Although, since I'm struggling on the tests I was debating dropping out of Alg 2 acc and taking Algebra 2 instead. However, the guidance counselor explained to me that I wouldn't be able to Trig Senior year. So I figured I'd ask you guys how important that was.

After reading the responses I've decided to look into tutoring for this year and take Trig next year.

Thanks guys!

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 6:28 pm

Anyone going to try and display Newton's Forward Difference Interpolation formulae?

Asrale · Post by **Asrale** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 6:58 pm

What Topher said is true too, of course you can take something like non-AP calculus anyway and have an easier time in college since you'd already know it. But IMO, kind of a waste of time doing that.

As for most colleges letting you pass Calc 1, I wasn't aware of that. I went an unusual route myself throughout grade school. I was 2 grades ahead in math which enabled me to graduate HS 1.5 years early, at which point I immediately started at community college full-time (and as Lothar said, yes my HS paid for those 1.5 years), and went to the state univ when the rest of my graduating class did, but unlike them I had tons of college credit and some required courses already completed.

Is trig the highest-level math your HS offers? It's an easy class, you might consider taking another math class provided you have time.

Of course, always remember everything is harder in college and you won't have nearly as much time to study. It does help if you take something before you go, to get some knowledge of the subject.

Jon the Great · Post by **Jon the Great** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 12:41 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Asrale:
Is trig the highest-level math your HS offers? It's an easy class, you might consider taking another math class provided you have time.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It's not. My high school goes up to Advanced Calc (aka Calculus BC)
Each math class is year long. So if I pass Alg 2 acc I'll only have time for Trig before I graduate.

kurupt · Post by **kurupt** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 6:03 am

"And no, "taking a year off and working to get money" doesn't work. Tuition goes up every year, get into college the earliest you can."

i can vouch for this. i'm 21, and have been out of high school for what will be 4 years this spring. still no degree, and 18,000 in debt to show for my time.

if i hadn't taken time off i would be done by now, and probably would be studying to get my masters. instead, i'm unemployed, broke, and cant get any financial aid. take it from my experience, get as much done as you can as early as you can. and if you can take college courses in high school, do it. no matter how tough they are, do it. get a tutor, stop going out on weekends if you have to. as long as you don't need it, quit your job (if you have one). that tiny bit of money you'll have now will be worthless once you get out of high school. however, a nice scholarship can make all the difference in the world. i had alot of sex in high school instead of worrying about my future. see the above paragraph.

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 6:17 am

What Kurupt said. Go to college as soon as you can. Aside from the money issue, you get used to the working life. You find a job, start earning some cash, and start having some fun as an adult. It can be difficult to leave that life to go to school. I was twenty six and married when I started college. From my experience, the older you are the tougher it is to go back.

Asrale · Post by **Asrale** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 9:15 pm

Whoa, scholarships. I have to put in another post here (thanks kurupt!).

You should seriously apply for as many of those "lite" scholarships as you can. Of course I haven't been keeping up, but in the days when I was in HS, few people got 1600 on the SAT and thus a full academic scholarship. You could make it a goal to get a 1600 if you haven't taken the SAT yet, but for most people that's simply unrealistic.

If you do something extracurricular, certain organizations may offer such "lite" scholarships, and they do add up. I was into music (played violin) so that really helped, got like around $4,000 maybe?

As for the idea of taking time off to work, I'm familiar with that too. Don't do it! I started an internship with IBM before starting college full-time, then slowly went part-time at school, and then at one point in time I was taking off entire semesters (2 to be exact). Pretty soon I was thinking "screw school, I prefer working!" but let's just say things changed for the better. Not that I'm in a hurry to graduate anyway (what's the hurry?) and I got laid off there in 2001, but it's better to stick with it and just see things through rather than try and be distracted by $$$.