| Category | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| HW | 5 |
| Quizzes | 3 |
| Exams | 6 |
Calculus in Three Dimensions is an important course for students who are interested in ECE and CS. This course focuses on topics related to multi-variant calculus and topics from this course are used in several other courses related to Stat+ML, 3D mapping, Computer Vision, etc. This course is a continuation of Calc 1 (21-120) and Calc 2 (21-112). It counts towards half of the alternative to 18-202 (You can substitute 18-202 for two of the following: 21-254, 21-259, 21-260, 21-241). This course is the same as multivariable calculus, where you use the skills you learned in the previous calculus courses, but dealing with equations with multiple variables, vector functions, etc. You learn about these types of functions, how to graph them, and analyze their different properties using integration, differentiation, several theorems, etc. Dealing with multivariable functions is important, and topics involving this type of calculus appear in other relevant courses like Physics II.
You should expect lectures to cover theory, relevant theorems, and sometimes practice problems. Like other classes' recitations, in recitation you cover more practice problems to help you practice and solidify the material. Recitation also helps you prepare for the regularly assigned homework.
The homeworks are pretty straightforward. The problems are a mix of textbook problems and extra problems, which aren't too hard. The problems are doable with a little help from Office Hours and lecture notes. I took this class during the non-COVID semester, and collaboration was minimal. We had to turn in these homeworks by hand, and didn't have to use LaTeX or any other software. The homeworks also have extra credit problems, which are not very hard, and are an easy way to boost your grade in the class
The quizzes are pretty easy and straightforward and are based on the homework problems, with maybe little variation. They were about 15-minutes long and were at the beginning of recitation every week.
There are two midterms and a final exam. The two midterms are covers topics covered in the first third and the second third of the class, respectively. The final exam focuses on all the topics covered in the course, with special emphasis to the final third of the course. The exams are like the homeworks. The problems are pretty straightforward, however you may find it lengthy. The professor usually provides a study guide and extra problems, which usually help provide an accurate description of the exams.
- Take down notes and ask questions during class, as some concepts may go over your head. This class is pretty fast-paced, and requires a good amount of attention to grasp the concepts.
- Use Office Hours as much as possible, as most of the times, they tend to provide a good amount of extra tips which helps out during the exams.
- Make cheat sheets with all formulas and keep these cheat sheets for future use in different parts of the course.
- Extra help through Supplemental Instruction (SI), helps a lot as they provide more practice problems which help out during the exams.
- In general just practice, practice, and practice. The course should not be much different to previous calculus classes, the only main difference in my mind is that you are dealing with more complex functions. It is important to understand and know how to visualize these functions to have an easier time doing problems.
- When I took this course, the SASC offered EXCEL small groups with extra practice and review sessions on the material covered during that week. Now, they offer SI sessions instead. I would really recommend that you go to those if you are having trouble, or if you want to review for the regular quizzes and for exams.
Watch out for quizzes and exams since you need to be able to solve problems quickly. Try practicing textbook problems and timing yourself to ensure that you are prepared.
- APEX Calculus
- When I took the class the professor shared this amazing open source textbook that I strongly recommend. This class focuses on the 3rd part, but you can also download the others if you want to review. I would really recommend checking the explanations in this book which are really good and easy to comprehend. The book also has a version with 3D content which replaces regular flat graphs with 3D graphs that you can rotate which is really cool. The problems in this textbook are also a great source for practice.
- Calculus III (lamar.edu)
- The professor also shared this website with us, and it is also a great source for practice problems. There are also some alternative explanations if you would like to take a look at those.