Is it okay to take Trigonometry without Pre-Calc?

Question

Or in other words, is Pre-Calc a prerequisite to Trigonometry?

I dunno if this was the right thing to do but I'm currently taking Trig for my freshman year of college - I needed to take the class according to my major (biology). I haven't taken pre-calc/calc but have taken college algebra in my senior high school year.

It's been the first week of college and it's getting somehwat difficult for me to understand the notes and even harder when trying to do the homework - and we're just on the first chapter and I feel left out and behind. Everyone eles in the class seems to know this stuff already in HS. I feel like I'm missig info I was never taught in the first place.

What I've taken in HS:

- Algebra I

- Geometry

- Algebra II

- College Algebra

Does taking pre-calc have anything to do with trig? Should I continue to take trig for the rest of the semester? What should I do?

Answer 1

Pre-Calculus Algebra is not a prerequisite for Trig, but you should at least take Pre-Calculus after taking Trig or take Pre-Calculus as a co-requisite for Trig. Stay in Trig. In trig, you will know the Unit Circle and be able to know in your head decently how to calculate, for example, sin(30 degrees), which is 1/sqrt(2), and tan(pi/4), which is tan(45 degrees) = 1. Taking Pre-calculus helps with trig equations, but don't let that stop you from taking Trig if you meet the prereqs for Trig. If you signed up online without problems, then you've met the prereqs for Trig. If it gave you problems registering for the class online, then you wouldn't have been in the class. If really necessary, drop the class and take Pre-calc if you meet the prereqs. Go to the Math Lab for help or get a study group together and study together. Hope this helps.