Rutgers MATH 135: Calculus I

MATH 135 (01:640:135) is Rutgers' calculus course for life-science, pharmacy, business, and social-science majors — limits, derivatives, applications, and basic integration, with less theoretical depth than MATH 151. It's one of the highest-enrollment courses at the university.

Fennie is independent and not affiliated with Rutgers University. This is an unofficial study guide.

Build my MATH 135 study plan

What makes it hard

Though gentler than 151, MATH 135 still runs on curved common exams and trips up students who haven't done math in a year or two. Applied optimization and related-rates problems are the main difficulty spikes, and exam timing punishes students who can only solve problems slowly with notes open.

What you'll cover

• Limits and continuity
• Differentiation rules
• Exponential and logarithmic functions
• Related rates
• Optimization
• Intro to integration

The MATH 135 study guide

How to study for Rutgers MATH 135, step by step.

1
Shake the rust off before the course starts
Most MATH 135 strugglers are students returning to math after a year or two away. A focused algebra refresher in week zero — exponents, logs, factoring — pays off on every exam.
2
Study in short daily sessions, not weekend crams
Curved common exams punish the cram-and-crash cycle this course is known for. Five 30-minute sessions a week beat one three-hour Sunday block for retention and exam speed.
3
Give optimization and related rates double the reps
These two word-problem types are MATH 135's difficulty spikes. Practice translating the words into an equation and a derivative before worrying about the calculus itself.
4
Run past common exams on a timer
Department common exams from previous semesters are the truest difficulty gauge — homework runs easier. Timed practice also fixes the pacing problem that costs slow-but-accurate students points.
5
Let Fennie keep the daily rhythm
Upload your MATH 135 syllabus and Fennie's Daily Plan schedules short daily problem sessions paced to the common exam dates, with practice quizzes built from your actual course content. Free to start.
Start my MATH 135 plan free

How Fennie helps with MATH 135

Fennie's Daily Plans pace MATH 135 around the common exam dates with short daily problem sessions — the antidote to the cram-and-crash cycle this course is known for. Chat through word-problem setups, and quiz yourself under time pressure as exams approach.

FAQ

Is MATH 135 hard at Rutgers?

It's easier than MATH 151 but still curved and exam-heavy. Students returning to math after a gap struggle most — early review of algebra fundamentals pays off directly.

Does MATH 135 count for the CS or engineering major?

Generally no — those tracks require the MATH 151/152 sequence. MATH 135 serves life-science, business, and similar majors; verify against your program's requirements.

How should I study for MATH 135 exams?

Work past common exams under timed conditions and focus practice on optimization and related rates. The homework is necessary but easier than the exams.

Pass MATH 135 with a plan, not a cram

Upload your MATH 135 materials and Fennie generates a Daily Plan paced to your deadline — plus chat, flashcards, and quizzes built from the actual course content.

Get started free

More Rutgers courses

MATH 151 — Calculus I for the Mathematical and Physical Sciences

MATH 151 (01:640:151) is the calculus course for math, physics, CS, and engineering tracks at Rutgers, covering limits, derivatives, applications, and the beginnings of integration at a more rigorous level than MATH 135. It feeds directly into MATH 152.

MATH 152 — Calculus II for the Mathematical and Physical Sciences

MATH 152 (01:640:152) is the second-semester calculus course for math, physics, CS, and engineering tracks at Rutgers, covering techniques and applications of integration, sequences and series, and an introduction to differential equations. It follows MATH 151 and runs on the same common-exam structure.

MATH 250 — Introductory Linear Algebra

MATH 250 (01:640:250) is Rutgers' introductory linear algebra course: systems of linear equations, matrices, determinants, vector spaces, linear independence, bases, and eigenvalues. It's a required course for math, CS, engineering, and many science majors and a prerequisite for upper-level theory.

MATH 251 — Multivariable Calculus

MATH 251 (01:640:251) extends calculus to multiple variables: vectors and the geometry of space, partial derivatives, multiple integrals, and vector calculus including line and surface integrals with Green's, Stokes', and the divergence theorems. It's the third calculus course for math, physics, CS, and engineering tracks.