<p>So I'm in AB Calc right now. It's fine, I'm getting solid grades in it like I ought to, but I hate it. I would REALLY like to drop BC the second half of the year and take something else I would actually enjoy.</p>
<p>Would that look super shady? I know I should probably take it, but I can't reconcile myself to throwing away that much of my senior year on something I dislike so much.</p>
<p>Thoughts?</p>
<p>Waaait... You're taking AB & BC, right? People normally do AB one year, and BC the next year, or just skip AB and do BC (since BC covers AB anyways).</p>
<p>Anyways, I think depending on what grade you're in (junior year?) it might change, but I'd recommend you that if you REALLY want to drop it, do so ASAP. If you think it's too late, don't.</p>
<p>Wait, how do you drop from AB to BC? Shouldn't it be the other way around?</p>
<p>he didnt drop AB to BC. He/she is taking both, but wants to drop BC</p>
<p>yeah, i'm a senior. i took ap stat last year, and this year (like most at my school) decided to take both ab and bc calc, back to back to make a full year of calculus.</p>
<p>i have up until the second half of the year to choose to drop bc, and am seriously considering it. i just know that i won't be able to pick up anything nearly as rigorous in it's place.</p>
<p>You're on block scheduling?</p>
<p>we have four blocks a day, on a quarter schedule. ab is one block a day for two quarters, same as bc.</p>
<p>so, yeah.</p>
<p>
[quote]
You're taking AB & BC, right? People normally do AB one year, and BC the next year.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Actually, no, they do not. Most high schools offer AB-BC in one year, not separate.</p>
<p>Doesn't BC cover everything in AB and then some? Offering them as separate classes sounds like a way to stack schedules.</p>
<p>^^^I think there are about a dozen different ways this is done. At my son's school, AB is a one-year course, and BC is a one-year course. Some kids take AB first, then BC the next year. Some stop with AB. Many skip AB altogether, and take BC senior year, while others skip AB and take BC as juniors, then go to the public flagship down the street for post-BC math their senior year.</p>
<p>from what i hear, our school's BC class doesn't sufficiently cover the AB material which is why i originally opted to take both.</p>
<p>Ah. At my school, only a dozen students take BC, usually hand-selected their junior year to take it senior year. The rest of the good math students take AB their senior year. In BC, we just blaze through the AB material. Whereas AB is about 35% through the AB material, the BC class is about 60% of the way through it now. We'll probably be on to the BC exclusive stuff by February.</p>
<p>Anyways, I would suggest taking it. I personally find Calculus to be my favorite and most interesting subject not only this year, but also of my entire high school career. If you're doing well in it and it's not taking up too much of your time, then I would suggest sticking with it. That's the reason I'm taking a second year of AP Latin (took Lit. last year, Vergil this year, separate exams).</p>
<p>Wouldn't it be impossible to "insufficiently cover" AB material before moving on to more advanced topics?</p>
<p>AB is limits, derivatives and integrals. If you don't cover that pretty thoroughly, you're... kinda screwed?</p>
<p>AP Calculus isn't all it's cracked up to be. Ask any university math professor. They all hate the poor preparation AP Calculus gives students. I wouldn't worry at all about dropping BC.</p>
<p>^^^Actually, I happen to know several math professors pretty well. Their children have taken AP Calc. right along with mine. Their kids, and my son, have moved into university post-calc classes straight from AP Calc with no problem whatsoever. Of course, these are students with high grades and 5 on the exam; if a student is performing only marginally, then repeating calc in college is a good idea.</p>
<p>newest newb: that's my point. BC calc doesn't cover AB well enough on it's own, thus I'm taking AB first.</p>
<p>midmo, I agree that the top math students in good high schools earning a 5 on the AP exams are probably going to be in good shape. Here's what the Berkeley math department says on its website on the subject:</p>
<p>"While the Math Department has found that a score of 3 or 4 shows that a student is ready to take college calculus, it is not an accurate indicator of how a student will do in a college math course. High school calculus is not necessarily the same as college calculus. The professor’s expectations of what the students should know and have internalized (and not just memorized) can differ greatly from what high school students might expect."</p>
<p>related thread:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/146284-senior-year-choice-ap-calc-ab-bc.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/146284-senior-year-choice-ap-calc-ab-bc.html</a></p>
<p>although this is more on the choice of taking AB OR BC...</p>
<p>I don't understand why anyone would take AB and BC concurrently... You do double the work for 1.5 of the knowledge. </p>
<p>As long as you are doing well in AB, I don't see a problem with dropping BC. If you truly don't like it, isn't it better to pursue something you have an interest in?</p>