AP Calculus BC Exam Thread. How are you preparing?

<p>So for those taking the BC exam, its in 3 days!! How are you guys studying?</p>

<p>I am studying from Amcoso study guide book</p>

<p>Going over all the free response on AP Central and doing all the old multiple choice. They only test so many topics, just doing something repeatedly helps you a lot.</p>

<p>Taking a BUNCH of practice tests every day...</p>

<p>I'm devoting Tuesday to studying for Calc haha. I love how everyone has been studying for so long. My teacher posted a powerpoint of what you should do if you see this... So I'm going to memorize that. I've been averaging about a 4 without studying on the practice tests but the Audit kicked me in the butt and I got a mid level 3. I only need a 4 for credit so I'm not worried about it too much.</p>

<p>doing some worksheets and looking at the free responses on CB</p>

<p>Ummm. I just got back from France, so I literally haven't done Calc in two weeks. Je suis dans la merde!</p>

<p>woot, I'm going to take my first practice test today :D</p>

<p>im going over past FRQs and MCQs as well
altho i heard this year the style of the exam's changing.....hopefully it won't be THAT different from past years'
CANT BELIEVE ITS TMR ARRHG</p>

<p>2 days left!!!</p>

<p>I am really nervous and freaking out.</p>

<p>Math has always been easy for me but now all I have been getting on practice tests are 4s. Is this normal? Do you think I can get a 5? Do you think actually being there taking the test will help me concentrate and think better to get a 5?</p>

<p>I am so nervous.</p>

<p>^^ I had lots of students who were earning 3's on the out-of-class practice tests that I gave that started earning 4's and 5's on the in-class practice tests. They said something about not being able to listen to IPods, play video games, text, instant message, etc. while doing the practice tests or something like that. Like that ever distracted anybody. :)</p>

<p>...
i just feel like swearing. :) at everything relating to calculus. also at collegeboard for being the root of my issues in life.</p>

<p>right now, i also regret skipping calc AB to take BC. so unprepared.</p>

<p>So I had an amazing teacher for AB, but a teacher for BC that didn't teach at all. I feel like I forgot everything I knew for AB, and I don't know all the BC stuff. Lots of reviewing and teaching myself tonight I guess, though it probably can't do anything at this point.</p>

<p>I still haven't taken a practice test. Oh boy this is going to be fun :/</p>

<p>
[quote]
right now, i also regret skipping calc AB to take BC. so unprepared.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>they're separate classes? At my school, there's a AB or BC option. A friend of mine switched out of BC to AB and he's loving it. I wish I did that do haha.</p>

<p>Aaargh... I have a choir rehearsal tonight so I can barely do ANY studying for this test now...</p>

<p>Oh well. I guess I'm as prepared as I ever will be.</p>

<p>I'm taking AB at school and independently studying the BC material.. fun stuff :|</p>

<p>The MC for BC seem to be harder than free response, at least for me. And there's tons of stupid FTC and 2ndFTC junk, and I don't like that. Not enough basic derivation and integration, lol. More find y' of y=e^x please.</p>

<p>On a serious note, our teacher had to rush through taylor/power series because we ran short of time, so... is that a really huge portion of the test? And can a basic understanding of the taylor series formula get you the majority of the taylor questions, or do you have to really understand their intricacies? Because I still don't understand them, and I don't know if its worth learning them at this point, since tecnically I should be able to get a four or five without being good at them.</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
The MC for BC seem to be harder than free response, at least for me. And there's tons of stupid FTC and 2ndFTC junk, and I don't like that. Not enough basic derivation and integration, lol. More find y' of y=e^x please.

[/QUOTE]
</p>

<p>FTC? FTC is the easiest thing in the entire course. The FTC problems they ask just require you to plug values into a simple formula.</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
On a serious note, our teacher had to rush through taylor/power series because we ran short of time, so... is that a really huge portion of the test? And can a basic understanding of the taylor series formula get you the majority of the taylor questions, or do you have to really understand their intricacies? Because I still don't understand them, and I don't know if its worth learning them at this point, since tecnically I should be able to get a four or five without being good at them.

[/QUOTE]
</p>

<p>Sequences and series are hard, imo. There is always a free response question on them and students do very poorly on it. There are always 1 or 2 MC questions on interval of convergence, 2-3 on a taylor of maclaurin series and another on the lagrange error bound.</p>