> Trig is a bunch of arbitrary formulas if you don't have the calculus behind them.
Why do you claim this? You don't have to have seen calculus to appreciate how trig functions are defined, how to manipulate them, or how to use them in applications.
As a math professor, I personally like the fact that we teach trig and exponential/logarithmic functions before calculus. They are (as you well know) exceedingly rich examples which illustrate why calculus is interesting and useful, and knowing them already enables the student to study calculus without excessive digressions.
Why do you claim this? You don't have to have seen calculus to appreciate how trig functions are defined, how to manipulate them, or how to use them in applications.
As a math professor, I personally like the fact that we teach trig and exponential/logarithmic functions before calculus. They are (as you well know) exceedingly rich examples which illustrate why calculus is interesting and useful, and knowing them already enables the student to study calculus without excessive digressions.