<p>I'll be a freshman next year in college (dunno where yet) and I'm pretty much set on engineering. I'll be entering with quite a few AP credits. I'll use my AP English and History credits to get out of some general core classes, but I'm not sure about my math/calc credits. I rec'd a 4 on BC Calc, which I can use at most of my schools. I'll also be taking the Physics B exam this year and will probably get a 4.</p>
<p>Calc and physics are definitely not my best subjects, so I am concerned that simply bypassing these classes with my AP credits would put me at a disadvantage. (Although I am taking Multivariable calc this year, so there's still some calc in my mind, heh!)</p>
<p>So do you think I should use my credits and not take the math/physics intro classes at college? Or retake them to refresh my mind and give me a more solid education?</p>
<p>I vote for retake. I took calc 1-2 in HS as a concurrent courses (with the local community college), but didn't pay for the tuition so they didn't count as college credit. So I took them again in college, and it definitely solidified a lot of the concepts. I live by the rule that my DSP professor once told me, "you learn something only after you've learned it 3 times".</p>
<p>I say start with calc 2 in college. Calc 1 will be a waste of time. Getting a 4 on the BC is pretty good, you obviously know your calc 1 material. I wouldn't recommend starting with multivariable (calc 3) in college though.</p>
<p>I would take the calc and physics class again. Not only does that guarantee that you will solidify all the concepts but also you'll get an easy A to add to your gpa.</p>
<p>"you learn something only after you've learned it 3 times".</p>
<p>lol, yes this is true and has been proven through experimentation.</p>
<p>HOWEVER, your suppose to use this technique when studying for a test! Go over the material three times when you are studying! By taking the course three times you are learning the material 9 times.</p>
<p>With that said, if you are taking multivariable calculus right now in HS, I would definitely tell you to start with multivariable calculus in college or take linear algebra. How rendundant do you want to be? Calc 1 and 2 are basically the same thing. You could probably benefit from taking multivariable calculus twice but why would you want to start college with material you learned 2 years ago!</p>
<p>Also, I would take physics again. The nature of science classes in college are different than in HS. Its best to get acclimated with this nature by taking a class you have already taken before.</p>
<p>just a warning, don't think that just because u did well on BC calculus that you will get an A in Calc 1 or 2 in college, especially if the college is a good one.</p>
<p>If you're taking Calc III now then maybe you'd be ok taking Calc III in college when you get there, I feel like even if you repeat Calc II by the time you come back to use the topics (in say sophmore year) you won't remember anymore than you do now, and you can always brush up what you forgot. On the other hand being advanced in math might let you have an easier schedule and allow you to take more classes.</p>
<p>jeff - Haha well I definitely wasn't 100% confident all of my BC calc material. Remember, the AP has a really good curve. I think you can get 70% and still get a 5? :p</p>
<p>Agree with feenotype and others. Take the AP credits for the gen.ed./distribution requirements, but actually take the classes needed for your major.</p>
<p>Look, in my engineering program I started with Calc I. I'm now a 2nd semester sophmore and I always see topics from material I haven't yet seen because I haven't had the math classes yet. (So far I've taken Calc I, II, DiffEq, and now taking LinAlg.)</p>
<p>My advice is to get credit for the course that you need for your major. A lot of the intro classes have B- curves, and very time consuming. For an engineering major, a lot of the general education requirements are GPA boosters, take 1 easy class every term. If you get the intro math/science out of the way, u can take your time with your engineering classes, and not cram hard classes together. I'm a college senior, graduating in April of this year.</p>
<p>You probably won't get credit for physics because most schools only take Physics C (calc-based physics) . But I would get credit for Calc I and just start with Calc II</p>
<p>is skipping Physics (hopefully assuming I get a 5) a bad idea? </p>
<p>I'm taking the AP Physics C (calc-based physics) class in my school. Though I feel pretty confident about mechanics, I'm not so comfortable with Electricity and Magnetism yet. I want to skip as many classes as possible because I'm doing a double major, but will skipping physics prevent me from being successful in later courses?</p>
<p>Here's the thing, while Calc classes at my school are run similar to the way they were run in high school, science classes are not.</p>
<p>For instance, my first Physics test was on 6 chapters and was graded extremely harsh. Now, in high school, we had a test per chapter and they were graded, comparatively, with leniency. If you get acclimated to this new atmosphere by taking a class that you have already taken before, imo, you will be better off.</p>
<p>Now, if you think you can adjust to this atmosphere with a class that you have never taken before then fine, but MAKE SURE that you go into your first class ready to put a ton of time into it.</p>
<p>If you skip an intro class and find out that you missed some of the info there, you won't be able to go back and take it; rather, you will have to pick it up on your own. </p>
<p>In a group of freshman engineering students I know, some took credit and replaced the intro class with an upper level class while others just took the intro class. While adjusting to college, an easy A in a math or science course is pretty comforting and possibly preferable to working extra hard in a class with sophomores where you may get only a B or C for your effort. Just a thought.</p>
<p>I agree with RedSox. College classes go much more into depth, especially physics. Calc is pretty much the same at every college, but not physics/chem/ect. There will eb way too much time in between high school AP physics and the next time you use that info, so you're likely to forget it.
Also, I agree with LKF- if you're doing so well now, it should be a piece of cake. Most physics classes are 4 credits at schools (lecture + lab), so it will be a nice GPA boost</p>
<p>I don't agree about the calculus being the same. My daughter opted to re-take calculus after her HS AP class and said the AB was way more conceptual than in HS. She is very glad she re-took.</p>