<p>I'm currently a sophomore enrolled in H Algebra 2 but my teacher thinks it's way too easy for me and told me if i wanted to move up to pre-calc for the remaining semester. I was planning on taking AP Calc my junior year anyway, but would taking pre-calc for a semester as opposed to a summer (at the local college) prove to be more beneficial to me? I've heard pre-calc is just like algebra 2, so is it advised to move up? thanks!</p>
<p>Would taking pre-calc now drop you right into the middle of the current class? Or is pre-calc a one semester course at your school?</p>
<p>Because if you're joining right in the middle of the class, I would say take the summer course instead. There isn't that much stuff from pre-calc you really need to know in order to take AP calc (mostly just being familiar with Trigonometric functions and knowing some identities), and chances are you'd be learning some things in your pre-calc class that don't show up in AP calc at all.</p>
<p>I just flipped through my calculus textbook, and the first chapter is a six section "prerequisites to calculus" chapter. While the first five sections all have to do with algebra I and II stuff, only the last section has anything to do with pre-calc stuff. If you're golden with the algebra, then there isn't much more to know.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you just continue to cruise through Algebra II (calculus is mostly algebraic manipulations anyway) and then take the summer course to get you fresh for calc. If you want to challenge yourself now, then move up, but I don't feel it's necessary.</p>
<p>Pre-calc is pretty different than algebra II. Algebra is just...algebra with some other various stuff. The main premises of precalc are functions (how they behave and how to manipulate them), trigonometry, and a couple other less important things like polar coordinates, parametrics, probability, and such. The content covered really isn't similar at all (at least in my school). Algebra II is a prereq to precalc, not a course that parallels it.</p>
<p>Trig is basically a necessity to do well in calc. Knowledge of functions is also pretty important (precalc's 2 main topics).</p>
<p>^ i disagree.
OP excelled in alg2 course, so he's pretty much kickin' butt.
if u are confident in ur math abilities, u can skip precal if u want.
i took alg 2 sopho yr, and took both precal and cal the same yr(same teacher too), i didn't do any studying for precal cuz it's just like algebra,i think for the entire yr,i spent like a total of 1 hr on my precal book at home. the course is just so easy. and i still manage to ace my tests.
ap calc, is a bit tough, still,i managed a 5 on the AB~
hey, i think you're smart enough to do this too~
i really encourage you on taking calc AB! calculus AB doesn't use trig, well at least,it doesn't take u 1 sem to learn all those stuff. it's a small portion..it's very manageable on ur own.</p>
<p>GOOD LUCK! =]</p>