Trig and College Algebra in the same semester, good idea?
 

What do you guys think?

I think math blows in general, college math classes are a pain in the ass, especially if you don't already know the material. Since most often you learn a new concept every class period, missing just one day will completely throw off your comprehension. I'd say taking both will end up biting you in the ass, but if you already understand the concepts and you have enough self discipline to stay on top of your classes, you might be able to pull it off. Just keep in mind that you have to manage all your classes, and math classes tend to demand the largest workloads.

I've been having an easier time with my math classes than with any of the other classes I've taken so far (admittedly not that many, and not among the harder classes I need to take). Perhaps because I've got more motivation for them, since they tie directly in to my major/career goals.

I completely agree that it's a huge pain in the ass missing classes though. Missed a couple days of class because of a cold a few weeks back, right when we were starting on a new section, and apparently those two days are the ones he used to go over most of the important topics that were going to be on the second test.

I'm a little worried about the workload involved in taking both classes at the same time, but I think I can manage. I suppose I'm mostly just wondering how complementary they'll be, since I really don't know much about either (Trig is about triangles and I assume college algebra is a continuation of what I'm learning now). Will the concepts in one make things easier in the other, or will I be working in completely different directions?

College Algebra is, in my opinion, the easiest college math class... just learning basic algebra, not too much graphing which is sweet. Trig will work off of some Algebra but I think it is more work on the graphing calculator, which is annoying, unless your professor moves really fast it shouldn't take a lot of algebra know how to get through the class.

What major are you going for?

Computer Science, which means I need to take College Algebra, Trig, Stats, Linear Algebra, Calculus 1, 2, and 3. And two Physics classes that have a calculus prereq, for that matter.

Well, fuck it. I'm taking them both. With them, I'll only need 1 other class for full time status.

Grab some math tuts (torrents, open courseware) to help fill in gaps easily, is all I can tell you, really. If you need to know something essentially yesterday, finding a good source of tuts from algebra through advanced calculus can help you review, relearn, and fill in gaps that may arise from simultaneous classes.

Good luck! Where are you planning on going with CS?

I definitively intend to take advantage of whatever resources I can get a hold of. The community college I'm going to now has one of the best math departments in the region, which includes tutoring and whatnot.

My eventual goal is game development, though I'm not sure how realistic that is. I'd be happy with a programming job in the mean time.

One of my best friends just enrolled at the community college here for the same major, with the same intentions lol. Game Dev. is becoming a massive industry, video games are so complex now that development teams are huge with jobs ranging from voice acting to motion capture, its definitely got plenty of opportunity. Good luck with it man...

I'm also hearing that the job market's looking pretty good for recent CS grads, with huge demand for them and fewer of them for some reason. One figure I saw estimated an average starting salary of about $53,000.

I've, however, heard that those employers have a tendency to fire you after a while, right around pay-raise time, and fill your job with a new grad...