There are many routes to success in calculus at UCSC, but the most common ones are described below. Ask the Math Advising staff or your college adviser for more information.

WARNING: Enrollment eligibility for a particular course doesn't guarantee you a spot in the course. Get your placement ducks in a row as early as possible, so that you can enroll in your target course at the first opportunity.

Pro-tip: If you decide to take College Algebra or Precalculus  at UCSC, consider the Pass/Not Pass (P/NP) grade option. The P/NP won't effect your GPA, even if you don't pass the class. If you're confident that you'll get a good grade in the course, your math skills are probably strong enough that you'd be best off working in ALEKS and reassessing into the next course up.

If you have approved AP or IB calculus credit, approved transfer credit, or earn a sufficiently high score in ALEKS, you're eligible to enroll in calculus.

Students in STEM majors should complete the 11AB or 19AB calculus sequence as soon as possible. Which sequence is best for you will depend on your prospective major. Placing directly into calculus during the summer will give you the best opportunities for making rapid progress in your major.

Most students substantially improve their ALEKS assessment scores with as little as 5 hours work in their Learning Module - an improvement of nearly 20 points is typical - so if you don't place into your target course in your initial assessment, work in your Module and reassess. You can reassess up to four times!

If you didn't take precalculus in high school or at a community college, you still have the option of mastering the knowledge and skills you'll need for calculus through self-study (e.g. ALEKS + UCI videos + Kahn Academy), but you might prefer to take Precalculus at UCSC. Taking a preparatory math course will delay your start in Calculus by a quarter, but will give you a solid working knowledge of many of the mathematical tools used in calculus.

If you have reassessed multiple times in ALEKS and still place into precalculus, taking a traditional precalculus course at a local community college or at UCSC may help you to move past the obstacles you're encountering.

If your math background is shaky, you may need to build up the basics before moving on to precalculus and calculus. College algebra covers material that you should have seen in high school, but if it didn't make much sense at the time,  or has faded into the sunset, you might benefit from a structured course at UCSC or a community college. 

If you've reassessed multiple times in ALEKS and your scores only improve by a few points in spite of a lot of time invested in your Learning Module, taking a college algebra course may be a wise move, but remember that the clock is ticking. Work with your college adviser and plan your schedule carefully to make sure that you'll be able to declare your major on time.

We hate to mention it, but sometimes things don't go as planned. 

If you choked on the final, slacked off for a little too long early in the quarter, or otherwise just kinda blew it, moving on to the next course by putting in some time in ALEKS and reassessing is a terrific alternative to retaking the course. ALEKS can help you quickly repair the damage and move on. You may be able to stay on schedule in spite of your non-passing grade.

This is a situation in which taking Math 2 or 3 with the Pass/Not Pass (P/NP) grade option really pays off.  You can move forward in ALEKS without having to worry about a poor grade dragging down your GPA.

If things go south in a big way, retaking the course can be an effective approach, but don't let history repeat itself! Make changes, not excuses—be honest with yourself about decisions and (in)actions that may have contributed to that not-so-perfect storm.

Avoidance is the #1 killer of math success, so if you started skipping lectures or sections, or pulled too many all-nighters to get assignments in on time, be strict with yourself about staying on schedule the next time around.

If test anxiety was a factor in your poor performance, take steps to address that before your next exam. Your negative expectations will probably be reinforced by your experience the previous time around, so it's crucial that you boost your confidence and your test-taking skills.

There are many other pathways to calculus. If you're wondering "Why couldn't I....?", the answer may be "You can!"

Ask the Math Advising staff or your college adviser if you have questions. They can help you find the path that's best for you.