Calculus OR Data Management - Which one is harder?

[Sniper001]

Hey guys, I have both calculus and data management in my course schedule next semester (I'm in grade 12 high school), and I'm debating to drop one of them (to drop whichever one is the hardest). The universities I am applying to do not require calculus, so I can take either or.

Just wondering from those who have heard or who have had personal experience with the courses.

Which one can I get a higher mark in? Note: I am barely mainting an 80 average in advanced functions, so math isn't a strongpoint for me. Lucky for me, my other courses are keeping my average high.

[DGTD]

I would think data but it really depends on what your strengths are.


If you're unsure... data management for sure

[BlueHurley]

Data is way easier! If data was harder engineering programs would have data as mandatory. Advanced Functions and Calculus are a lot harder than Data. Data is just all stats, very easy. Also an 80 in advanced functions is really good. I don't know anyone who says math isn't a strongpoint for them that has an 80 in advanced functions.

[Sniper001]

Data is way easier! If data was harder engineering programs would have data as mandatory. Advanced Functions and Calculus are a lot harder than Data. Data is just all stats, very easy. Also an 80 in advanced functions is really good. I don't know anyone who says math isn't a strongpoint for them that has an 80 in advanced functions.
Well, class average in my day school is 75, so I don't consider 5% above class average to be "good." Either way, this is my mark going into the exam, it could drop.
See, I've heard that Data Management is simple in the first few chapters, but probability and another unit absolutely kills your mark (and people say those chapters are even more difficult than advanced functions).

[windforcexx28]

i would think data but it really depends on what your strengths are.

+1

[flexwong]

i can guarantee you that data management is a lot easier. calc is a killer.

[BlueHurley]

Well, class average in my day school is 75, so I don't consider 5% above class average to be "good." Either way, this is my mark going into the exam, it could drop.
See, I've heard that Data Management is simple in the first few chapters, but probability and another unit absolutely kills your mark (and people say those chapters are even more difficult than advanced functions).

If I am above the class average by 5% or higher in all my classes I'd be happy. Where are you applying that you need such amazing averages?

[Sniper001]

If I am above the class average by 5% or higher in all my classes I'd be happy. Where are you applying that you need such amazing averages?
Schulich and Laurier - the only two BBA programs that are either 1st/2nd tier that don't require calculus. To get into Schulich, I'd need a top 6 of 90%, and for Laurier, I'd need a top 6 of 87%. Currently I'm pulling off an 88% average, but my next semester is much easier. The only course I am worrying about is data management or calculus (whichever one I don't drop.) That way I'd take 1 spare next semester.

[funnykid]

I found parts of Data Management tricky. The probability concepts can be challenging to grasp.

[BlueHurley]

Sniper what are you marks in your classes this semester? Do you need to take any sciences for those programs?

[tomotomo]

Well, I've heard my adv fn teacher say that calc is harder than adv fn, and I have a friend who's getting 60 in adv fn and 80 in data.

[Jon Lai]

I found parts of Data Management tricky. The probability concepts can be challenging to grasp.

+1

Probability is the most complicated topic in Data. Calculus.. is just calulus. Personally I found Data to be harder than Calculus. However, I took the Data before the curriculum change, and things should be easier now. They took out certain things such as matrices, graph theory, pascal's triangle, etc.

[fyremist]

Data management is typically the easiest but I guess it also depends on who's teaching it :P Kind of odd that my best math mark of the three available was that discrete math/alg geometry :S

[jwei]

Yeah, it really depends on your school.

@ my school I pulled off a 94 in calculus while getting a 73 in data:|

Meanwhile if I had just waited till uni to take stats, I could've easily gotten a higher mark.

So it all depends on whose teaching it.

[penquinbum]

Data is easier and will be useful in a business program. The only advice I would give you is take it seriously. Some students think that because it is the "easy" math they don't give it as much attention as they should. If you can get 80 in MHF, then make your goal a 95 in data.:D

[ji_hyun_jun]

Data is easier IMO, and if you're sure you don't need Calc, then that seems to be the way to go.

[Jay Hova]

Data was harder only when they introduced Combinatronics and Probability, the rest is quite straight-forward.

Having said that, I think at the University level...integral Calculus is involved for certain probability distributions...

[ricemonkey]

i found data easier. took both. i go to laurier and from what i remember first year was pretty much stuff i learned in calculus and in stats, the beginning was probability, so data. if youre going for whats easier, i would say data. but in terms of whats is more reviewed in university (for laurier at least), it would be calculus

[thechampion116]

Data Management is an absolute joke but can be difficult if your don't understand the basic concepts of it.

For example, I took Calculus in Gr11 so it was easy for me considering my class mainly consisted gr12's that had failed the first term or were trying to improve their marks. The majority of them slept through out class. Also, I think the teacher was a bit easy for that reason.

I took Geometry before Data Management so that slightly prepped for the stuff learned in Data. All in all, I still thought Data Management was the easiest. If you spend just a tad bit of time with it, it becomes easy really fast upon getting that 'moment'.

I remember during the exam, my friend and I were deadlocked for the highest mark out of all students taking data management. We basically were competing during the exam. We would past each other looks through out it racing to complete it first. We ended up staying tied.

I recommend that you take Data if you want a better shot at a higher mark. If your taking something that might involve some math in University, I recommend you take some prep courses for calc or borrow a calc textbook from the library and try to learn the basics. You'll be safer that day.

[manho]

calculus

[-VX-]

Keep both, they are both useful.

[I am XeNo]

Data management was much easier then calculus when I took them both three years ago. However, the curriculum may have changed since then.

[hi-everyone]

I had data and functions both this semester. For me functions was a lot easier. Also the class average for functions was 78% while for data was 74% so go figure.

The concepts of data are not that hard, but our tests were tricky!

But to compare data with calculus... I don't know bc i have calculus next sem.

[Sniper001]

Sniper what are you marks in your classes this semester? Do you need to take any sciences for those programs?
I'm applying to BBA programs, so I am not taking any sciences.
Btw, I should note that whatever course I do not take (which would be either data or calc), I will take in summer school.
Reason why I need to decide for now is because I need to know whichever one I am able to obtain a higher mark in.

It's just that I've heard so many mixed views so its hard to decide... and the thing is that theres no point me taking both next semester and deciding which one is easier, since data management only starts to get difficult halfway in on the course (or so I am told).

I could keep both in my schedule, but than that would make my course load even harder than what I had this semester, resulting in me risking my acceptence to Schulich, or possibly even Laurier!

[Jon Lai]

Warning to some here - some universities may not require Calclulus as a prerequisite but will require you to take Calculus courses in university. It is a lot easier to learn Calculus from a high school teacher than a university professor (ie., reading about it yourself from the book).

[Bskll]

if you don't need calculus, then don't take it. otherwise universities "penalizes" you by making you take the harder calculus course. same with physics. If you took gr12 physics, you have to take the harder physics course in university.

but as far as data management is concerned, its suppppper easy. All the work now a days are done on graphing calculator. you just have to memorize formulas, look for keywords that indicate when to use those formulas, and polish up your calculator skills. meanwhile, a graphing calculator is only mildly useful in calculus.

[Tijuana]

How can people find data harder than calc? I find it much harder to find a derivative of whatever then finding the probability of flipping a coin and getting a head 3 out of 4 times etc

[wikka]

Consider this guys:

All Undergraduate business programs require you to take statistics. If you don't do Data now, its going to be tougher in university. The best option is obviously take both and get good marks in both. This will impress the schools and make your first year quantitative courses (Econ, Calc, Stats) much easier.

But so many business students just manage to do fine without taking the appropriate maths in HS because its really sink or swim. The standard is much higher in university so you'll have to do well.

[ktan09]

Data Management is WAAAAY Easier, I am someone who was a math wiz in all of high school and in DM, I got a 92 while in Calc I got a 75.

[AFG34]

I took both courses last year and i can say that calc is consistently hard, but only the probability section of data management is hard. Also, the probability section is probably harder than anything in calc class. The rest of the stuff in data course is extremely easy though.

of course not all teachers are the same difficulty wise..same goes with high schools.

[Tha_Doggg]

I found calculus to be much easier. For whatever reason, I had trouble understanding stats.

[windforcexx28]

I found calculus to be much easier. For whatever reason, I had trouble understanding stats.

+1 for me

[aerolim]

data management was so much easier for me. I actually put less effort in data management (no homework, no studying) and did about 10% better than my calculus class XD