Ohio State MATH 1148: College Algebra
MATH 1148 is Ohio State's college algebra course (functions, polynomials, rationals, exponentials, and logarithms) and the on-ramp to precalculus and the calculus sequence. Thousands of students take it every year, many placed there by the math placement test rather than by choice.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with The Ohio State University. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
Students underestimate it because the topics sound like high school, but the pace is fast and the common exams punish rusty fundamentals like factoring and fraction manipulation. The course also uses online homework systems where small entry mistakes cost points, which frustrates students who actually understand the material.
What you'll cover
- • Functions, domains, and transformations
- • Polynomial and rational functions
- • Exponential and logarithmic functions
- • Systems of equations
- • Inequalities and absolute value
The MATH 1148 study guide
How to study for Ohio State MATH 1148, step by step.
- 1
Take the rust seriously
MATH 1148 looks like high school algebra, which is exactly why people fail it. Spend week one honestly testing yourself on factoring, fractions, and exponents.
- 2
Do the online homework the day it opens
The homework system punishes rushed entry mistakes, and deadline-night sessions produce them. Early starts also leave time to get help on the problems that won't crack.
- 3
Keep a running error list
Most lost points repeat: the same sign slip, the same log rule. Write down every miss and reread the list before each Carmen quiz and midterm.
- 4
Redo missed problems from scratch
Exam questions are homework problems with the numbers changed, so reworking every miss until it's automatic is the highest-yield prep available.
Today
Today's MATH 1148 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for MATH 1148. Yours is built from your own syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is MATH 1148 hard at Ohio State?
Not conceptually, but the failure rate is real because students treat it as a repeat of high school and skip the practice. The common exams move fast and stack multi-step problems, so rusty algebra fundamentals get exposed quickly.
Does MATH 1148 count toward my degree at OSU?
For most majors it satisfies a math/quantitative requirement or serves as a prerequisite toward 1149/1150 and calculus. Check your specific program, since some STEM majors need you to continue past it, so 1148 is a stepping stone rather than the finish line.
How should I study for MATH 1148 exams?
Do problems daily rather than rereading notes. The exam questions look like the homework with the numbers changed, so working every assigned problem, plus redoing the ones you missed, is the most reliable preparation there is.
More Ohio State courses
MATH 1151: Calculus I
MATH 1151 is Ohio State's standard first-semester calculus course, covering limits, derivatives, and an introduction to integration. It is required for most STEM, pre-med, and business-adjacent majors, which makes it one of the highest-enrollment courses on campus, taught in large lectures with recitation sections.
MATH 1172: Engineering Mathematics A
MATH 1172 is the accelerated second calculus course for engineering majors, combining integration techniques, sequences and series, and an introduction to multivariable ideas into one five-credit semester. It follows MATH 1151 and is a prerequisite gate for most of the College of Engineering's sophomore curriculum.
MATH 1149: Trigonometry
MATH 1149 covers trigonometric functions, identities, equations, and applications: the trig half of the precalculus preparation for MATH 1151. It's the standard route for students whose placement score clears algebra but not trig, and it runs every term at high enrollment.
MATH 1150: Precalculus
MATH 1150 is Ohio State's combined precalculus course, covering college algebra and trigonometry in a single five-credit semester as the direct on-ramp to MATH 1151. It's the compressed alternative to taking MATH 1148 and 1149 separately, which makes the pace its defining feature.