AP Calc BC - Deciding which approach to take

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<p>Hi,</p>

<p>For things like integrating, there are problems that can be solved using any various methods like u-substitution and integration by parts. Other times, there are those that have only one method that works for them. How do you decide immediately which to use? On the MC section, when I don't figure out at a first glance what to use while solving for problems having only one method that works, I waste a lot of time by trying almost everything that might work.</p>

<p>The same goes for problems asking you to determine convergence of series. If you don't know which test to use (Ratio Test, Limit Comparison Test, etc.), then so much time can be wasted.</p>

<p>What can be done to prevent wasting time on these sorts of things and be able to recognize right away what would work at first or second try? Just memorize when every method should be used? (eg. Integral Comparion Test only applies when series is positive, decreasing, etc.) But are there any shortcuts to this?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

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<p>thats probably a problem that a lot of people have... i think its really only practice that could help that.... seeing a lot of the problems in different ways can make you think, "Oh I saw something like this before so let me try it that way." I think its really just a matter of practice... Good luck</p>

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<p>For the multiple choice, you can tell what method to use by looking at the answer choices sometimes. If you need to use integration by parts, you will usually see the answer in 2 terms, like this (x*sin(x) + cos(x) + C). For u sub, it is usually 1 term. For improper integrals you will almost always have one as your answer choices as 'divergent'</p>