What makes Calc 2 so difficult? Any words of advice?

Everyone tells me it's one of (if not the) most challenging math courses- why is this? I start a week from now. It's one month long and with the hardest professor. Any tips?What makes Calc 2 so difficult? Any words of advice?
Here's one professor's words on why it is so difficult -





http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/C鈥?/a>





I would suggest reading his notes, and Googling for a couple of other professors comments.What makes Calc 2 so difficult? Any words of advice?
What makes Calc 2 more difficult than Calc 1 is twofold:





First, not everything is intuitive. For example, you'll learn that:


1 + 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + ... + 1/(2^n) + ... = 2





But, for some weird reason:


1 + 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/4 + 1/5 + ... = infinity





You'll learn those facts, but understanding WHY those facts are true is the key.





The second is that differentiation is relatively straight forward. Take for example this function:





f(x) = e^ (sin (3x)) / ln x





If you've studied Calc I and learned it well, you should at least know what kinds of tricks you can use to find f ' (x). The form of the question ';tells'; you the answer...you can see a quotient rule, a chain rule, a sine function, an exponential function, and a logarithm function. Putting all these together is the focus of Calc I, and as long as you've got good algebra skills, you'll avoid careless errors.





Calc II deals with doing the opposite of calc I. For example, let's say I have:





f ' (x) = tan x





What's f(x)? Well, you can look it up, and find that f(x) = -ln |cos x| + C. You can even use Calc I and verify it. But knowing how to get from tan x to -ln |cos x| is tough.





You'll learn tons of integration techniques: integration by substitution, integration by parts, integration using trig substitution, etc. Unlike calc I, where you just have to know HOW to apply a technique, in calc II you'll also have to figure out WHAT technique to use. It's not as clear-cut. Obviously, if you're working in the chapter on ';trig substitution';, you'll be integrating all your questions using that technique. But the final won't always tell you which technique to use.





So, as for advice: Make a list of all your techniques, and how to use them, so you can refer to them for the final. Get past final exams, and work through them. Ask for help when you need it - not too early, because if you just see a problem and ask ';How';, you're just getting extra practice in listening to lectures, not extra practice in problem solving. But not too late, otherwise you'll never learn.