Berkeley MATH 1B: Calculus II
MATH 1B covers techniques of integration, applications, infinite sequences and series, and first- and second-order differential equations. It's required for engineering, CS, and physical science tracks, and it carries a reputation as one of the toughest lower-division math courses at Berkeley.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with UC Berkeley. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
1B's reputation comes from the series unit and the differential equations finale: abstract material arriving when students are most fatigued. Exam medians can be strikingly low depending on the instructor, and the course historically has one of the higher non-pass rates among Berkeley math classes.
What you'll cover
- • Integration techniques
- • Improper integrals
- • Sequences and infinite series
- • Convergence tests and Taylor series
- • First-order differential equations
- • Second-order linear differential equations
The MATH 1B study guide
How to study for Berkeley MATH 1B, step by step.
- 1
Make integration technique a daily habit immediately
MATH 1B assumes technique fluency fast, and you need it automatic before series arrives. A few integrals a day from week one builds the reflexes the back half depends on.
- 2
Treat series as its own course
The series unit is the most abstract material most students have seen, and it decides most 1B grades. From the day it starts, classify several series daily; fluency with convergence tests is built through volume, not insight.
- 3
Build and drill a convergence-test decision tree
Write an ordered checklist (divergence test first, then geometric/p-series patterns, then comparison, ratio, root, integral, alternating) and run it until test selection takes seconds. Exams reward fast correct selection.
- 4
Don't fade during the differential equations finale
Second-order ODEs arrive when energy is lowest, and they're on the final at full weight. Schedule real practice time for the last unit instead of triaging it away.
- 5
Work your instructor's past exams
1B exam medians swing with the instructor, so past exams from your professor (via the TBP/HKN archives) are the calibration that matters. Work them timed in the week before each midterm.
Today
Today's MATH 1B plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for MATH 1B. 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
Why is MATH 1B considered so hard?
The series unit is the most abstract math many students have seen, and it's followed immediately by differential equations, two hard units back-to-back. Combined with instructor-dependent exams and a real curve, 1B punishes anyone coasting on 1A momentum.
How do I pass MATH 1B at Berkeley?
Treat series as a daily practice habit from the moment the unit starts; fluency with convergence tests is built through volume. Use your instructor's past exams, and don't skip the differential equations material at the end when energy is lowest.
Is MATH 1B harder than MATH 1A?
Most Berkeley students say yes, clearly. 1A is mostly a sharper version of high school calculus; 1B introduces genuinely new and more abstract material. Plan for it to take meaningfully more weekly time.
More Berkeley courses
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MATH 54: Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
MATH 54 packs linear algebra (matrices, vector spaces, eigenvalues) and differential equations into one semester, serving engineering, CS, and science majors. The linear algebra it teaches underpins machine learning coursework, which makes it one of Berkeley's most consequential lower-division courses.
MATH 53: Multivariable Calculus
MATH 53 is Berkeley's multivariable calculus course: parametric curves, partial derivatives, multiple integrals, and the vector calculus arc through Green's, Stokes', and the divergence theorem. It's required across engineering and the physical sciences and is the calculus that physics and upper-division applied courses assume.
MATH 55: Discrete Mathematics
MATH 55 is Berkeley's discrete mathematics course: logic and proofs, induction, set theory, combinatorics, recurrences, number theory, graph theory, and discrete probability. It serves math majors and students outside EECS who need discrete math. CS 70 covers overlapping ground for the CS-major path, and most programs accept one or the other.