<p>I just have a quick question: should I take AP Calc AB or BC next year (I am currently a sophomore, so this will be in my junior year)?</p>
<p>Just a bit of information: the calc AB teacher teaches both AB and BC, and is generally considered a really good teacher. I've heard from a lot of people that BC includes everything AB has to offer, and that the point of taking AB first is mostly just to familiarize oneself with calculus before moving on the more advanced topics.</p>
<p>My understanding is that BC is all of AB, and slightly more. Thus, as I'm better than your average student at math (but by no means a genius), I'm wondering whether I should skip AB.</p>
<p>I am taking Honors Trigonometry/Pre-calculus right now, and have a solid A. I've actually heard from many very intelligent students (online) that "the way to go" is to skip AB, if one is "good at" math. While this seems to be the case, I know many, many extremely smart kids at my school who are taking AB as juniors and are...struggling.</p>
<p>My plan is to take BC in my junior year in order to be better prepared for AP Physics B next year (and potentially Phys C online). I also wish to take linear algebra and multivar in my senior year (just so you guys know I'm not doing this for the sake of looking smart or for its own sake).</p>
<p>You definitely sound like a perfect candidate to go straight to BC. I would have done the same if it weren’t for the fact that AB/BC kids are put into the same class at my school and the BC kids have to learn the BC material on their own. </p>
<p>It’s not “harder” than AB, it’s just a bit more info. In my class, the BC kids did exactly what us AB kids did in class and took the exact same tests until around January, when they were given out-of-class assignments to learn the BC material themselves.</p>
<p>I didn’t even read your full post. Take Calculus BC. Skip AB if you can and are qualified, because it makes a hell of a difference to colleges and your learning processes. Sure, BC will be hard at first, as you are expected to know some things, but if you have the work ethic that you should have already, then by January BC will be a cakewalk. Taking AB and BC is useless for those who are strong in math and grasp it well, because BC is a continuation of AB (A-B-C, A-B-C).</p>
<p>You should definitely take Calculus BC. There really isn’t much extra material, and taking AB and then BC will bore you. BC is more interesting and is definitely pretty easily doable.</p>
<p>Hmm, sounds great! Final verdict, I’m going to take BC, then. Thanks for the advice! It seems that skipping AB is completely manageable as long as I get the AB concepts down, which I definitely will over do this summer.</p>
<p>Well, I wouldn’t be so sure of that. I’ve heard that BC is really a cakewalk, etc., as long as one is reasonably adept at math.</p>
<p>However, I don’t know whether it’s our teacher or what, but I know extremely intelligent people who do have to take calc seriously and even have a bit of a struggle in the AB level… I don’t know whether it’s our school which is inferior, but people have struggled quite a lot with AB, even(!)</p>
<p>I took AB this year and my teacher was mediocre, I failed every test in the second and third nine weeks. Luckily she let us do test corrections so we could earn half credit back for every wrong answer, allowing me to bring my 50s up to 75’s and make it out with B’s.</p>
<p>I’m a fairly great math student, so I think it was a combination of the uniqueness of AP Calculus (it’s like nothing you’ve ever done before) and my teacher’s lack of ability to effectively teach that led to my demise. Also, I’ve never had to study/practice for math, but I did this year. I guess I was hesitant to stop and realize, “hey, I can’t just skate by anymore, I have to actually study just like everybody else now.”</p>
<p>Hmm, got it. I know exactly what you mean in terms of never having to study or practice, so thanks for the heads-up; I’ll definitely do the work and put in the effort in the class.</p>