<p>I'm starting course selection for my senior year and I can't decide if I should take AP AB or BC calculus. I'm in precalculus now and I'm probably the only one in the class with an A, and its safe to say that I'm not struggling at all.
Most students at my school take AB calculus before taking BC calculus, but I've heard of people going straight to BC calc from precalc.
Maybe I can get a background in calculus over the summer somehow- if anyone knows of a summer program where I can do that, please let me know!
So, what do you think I should take - AB or BC?
also if it helps I'm taking 7 AP classes next year so I will have a pretty heavy course load.
also the guidance counselors at my school don't make you push yourself so 99% chance she'll tell me to take AB.
Thank you all! <3</p>
<p>Take Calculus BC if you’re good at math – it’s the same textbook, just another 4 or 5 chapters. The first semester of BC Calc is AB Calc just taught at a slightly faster pace, but you won’t work any harder (unless you have trouble with math) because there will be less homework problems of each type as you go along.</p>
<p>If you’re taking 7 AP classes, be more wary of the ones that require large amounts of reading and writing – AP European History, AP English Lit and AP English Language. THOSE classes, if combined into the same school year, will really drain your time. My son took 10 classes this past semester, 7 of them AP or college classes, and those three reading/writing intense classes combined took two-thirds of his time. He was very worn out by the end of the semester, even though he managed 10 classes last year successfully (all As) with enough time left over to teach himself 3 additional AP subjects.</p>
<p>(It’s unusual to take both AP English classes the same year, but my son is graduating within 3 years, which is also why he’s been taking an excessive workload.)</p>
<p>I really recommend that you take Calc BC if you’re good at math–which it would seem that you are. It’s basically AB only accelerated, and then you learn some additional stuff… but it’s not like you’re going deeper into the material or anything.</p>
<p>I Went straight from Precalc to BC. It isn’t that bad. I go to a very competitive and rigorous school and my no means am in the top 1%. It is worth it. I feel like BC goes too slow sometimes and the main difference between AB and BC is speed, and math isn’t my strong suit.</p>
<p>Think you’ll be fine going straight to BC. S did that. When you take the AP exam in May next year, you’ll have two scores --one for BC Calc and a subscore for AB. Nice to add two scores in one shot to your apps. You’ll be fine!</p>
<p>BC is just AB on steroids. The workload depends on the teacher. Mine gives no graded homework, though she does give us problems to try. We have three test per quarter, and as such it is a very hard class, though not a time consuming one. Ask seniors who are in it this year what its like. If they tell you there’s a lot of hw, and you’re not great at math, and you have 6 other APs, then don’t take it. If those things are not all true, I say go for it.</p>
<p>thank you everyone! I hopefully will take BC, i have to make sure my math teacher will approve me for it.
LoremIpsum based on what you said I may have to rethink taking AP Euro!- I’m also going to be in AP Lit</p>
<p>You can definitely go straight from precalc to AP Calc BC. My school does that, and we have very high AP exam scores (around 4.8, 4.9) for AP Calc, and we’re a public school.</p>