AP Calculus BC: Does It Line Up With MIT's Lectures?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Now, how much does it line up with the single variable calculus lectures on the MIT open courseware? I think I can convince my counselor to allow me to skip AB since BC is just a "beefed up" version of AB. Plus, the BC teacher is better than all the AB teachers combined. What do I need to know to succeed in BC?</p>

<p>"Before studying calculus, all students should complete four years of secondary mathematics designed for college-bound students: courses in which they study algebra, geometry, trigonometry, analytic geometry, and elementary functions. These functions include those that are linear, polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, and piecewise defined. In particular, before studying calculus, students must be familiar with the properties of functions, the algebra of functions, and the graphs of functions. Students must also understand the language of functions (domain and range, odd and even, periodic, symmetry, zeros, intercepts, and so on) and know the values of the trigonometric functions of the numbers 0, pi/6, pi/4, pi/3, pi/2, and their multiples."</p>

2

<p>I’d discuss it with her first.
Suggest taking an online course in AP Calculus AB or take it at community college over the summer.
Then see where it goes from there.</p>

3

<p>She said the CC’s calculus’s curriculum does not line up with the school’s so I would not get credit for it. She said I can take it either way, but it turns out the CC limits to only 3 units for summer for high school students. The Calculus class is 5 credits, so I can’t take it. Honestly, I see no problem in teaching myself calculus over the summer. I think MIT Professors > highschool teachers.</p>

4

<p>You need 0 calculus knowledge to skip into BC. BC curriculum covers all of AB, just a bit faster since more topics need to be covered. Just tell your counselor about your great Algebra II/Precalculus grades (I assume you have good grades in those classes) and that you can do it. Get your parents to support you and I think you’ll be good.</p>

5

<p>Can’t you figure this out yourself? Just look up the syllabus for BC and compare it to the topics in the videos at OCW.</p>

<p>[AP:</a> Calculus BC](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>AP Calculus BC – AP Students | College Board)
[MIT</a> OpenCourseWare | Mathematics | 18.01 Single Variable Calculus, Fall 2006 | Video Lectures](<a href=“http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-01-single-variable-calculus-fall-2006/video-lectures/]MIT”>http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-01-single-variable-calculus-fall-2006/video-lectures/)</p>