<p>Well, the time has come for my school to begin registering for classes for next year, and I have come into a predicament with my math classes. As a freshman, I took Algebra II Honors and had a 100 average all year in there. That's dandy, so I decided to take AP Statistics and Precal Honors for sophomore year. Despite being told about how difficult doing this would be, I did so and I had a 103 first semester in Precal and a 99 in Statistics for the first semester. So now, the only classes remaining for me in math are Calculus AB and Calculus BC. At first I thought "I'm taking AB, no contest about it." My precal teacher overheard this and said that I was beyond ready to take BC my junior year, without exposure to AB. She said that every math teacher that knew who I was (about half the department) said that I would be ready for BC junior year.</p>
<p>I'm the type of student that sees Precal as a blowoff class; even when I'm half awake, I still absorb everything I'm learning in there. I very, very rarely make computational errors (I've gotten at least a 98 on every test this year in there, except the last one on inverse trig and the trig graphs, which I got an 82 on. Bah, I kept miswriting the questions, no big deal, I'll survive.) However, upon hearing what they recommended of me, I was a bit shaky. I expected Algebra II to be a cake walk. I expected Precal to be easier, and it is. I actually expected much more from Statistics, but that's very simple too. I wasn't expecting much difficulty in AB, but I shuttered at the thought of jumping right into BC without it. The BC teacher is a highly synthetic teacher and is the fasted paced math teacher in the school; I feel as I'd be able to handle his class if I had the A part down, but I wouldn't. On the plus side, I'd then take Calculus AB in 12th grade and get the easiest A of my life, assuming I understand BC. So this is what I'm asking of you; given what I have said so far, do you think I'd be able to handle Calculus BC without AB? Have any of you done this before? Would colleges wonder why I skipped AB in 11th grade for BC and then take AB in 12th?</p>
<p>Calculus BC INCLUDES Calc AB. In fact, Calc BC should more appropriately be termed "Calc ABC", but they just call it Calc BC. Calc BC teaches everything that Calc AB does in the first semester. They aren't courses that are taken consecutively...you will never see a person take Calc AB, say his junior year, then Calc BC his senior year.</p>
<p>definitely stupid to take AB after BC. if you want both, definitely AB first or just take BC only if your teachers reccomend it. but no way colleges would like to see you taking ab AFTER bc for an easy. if you want, take ab than bc or just take bc and then take another course if your schools offers one or no math or comm coll. math class senior year. i stress, no ab after bc</p>
<p>Calc BC includes Calc AB. When you take the AP BC test, you'll get an 'AB subscore' which is what you would have gotten had you taken the AB test instead of BC.</p>
<p>I took BC my junior year and Multivariate my senior - I'd reccomend it.</p>
<p>Wow aren't you special, no. I call it arrogant.</p>
<p>My school actually doesn't allow anyone to take BC without AB, so I'm in AB as a junior.</p>
<p>As for backing up calling you arrogant:</p>
<p>Algebra 1- 6th grade- 100 average, lowest test was a 99.
Geometry- 8th, don't remember what I made, wasn't as high as usual.
Algebra II- 9th, 100, lowest test was a 99.
Precal-10th, 94, ditched the midterm because I had a 109 and I felt sick that day.
Calc AB: 95 so far, homework average of 18%, quiz average 100, test average 97.</p>
<p>umm Godfather, that isn't backup for calling anyone arrogant. Arrogant might be you saying "wasn't as high as usual" or something. Different schools have different policies. At my old high school, they let you take BC without AB, and then you can take a Multivariable course.</p>
<p>AB doesn't exist at my school anymore. The people that aren't good at Pre-Calc take Adv. Functions and Modeling or Discrete Math. The others take Calc BC. You should take Calc BC your junior year (this is what I plan to do), take Linear Alg. or Multivariable Calc. your senior year, but definitely DO NOT take AB after BC. That's just retarded--you can't learn anything and it seems like you're slacking off. Believe me, you don't want to be in a class where you know everything. This is why I regret not skipping French II (I came from Canada, where French was mandatory since fourth grade).</p>
<p>
[quote]
...you will never see a person take Calc AB, say his junior year, then Calc BC his senior year.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That's an incorrect statement. Not many students at my school end up being able to take BC, but the ones that do take Calculus and Calc AB Junior year, then Calc BC senior year. But it's normal for them to do it.</p>
<p>Most students only make it to AB at my school.</p>
<p>Well going to calc BC without Calc AB seems almost impossible to me at MY school and I def wouldnt b able to do it. However, if all ur teachers, who obviously kno much more about ur school and u than any stranger here does, recommend u to take that step, dont be too worried. Teachers usually kno wat they are talking about and their advice is much better than mine or neone elses. Final word advice, you kno ur abilities the best and if u do decide to do it just approach the class with confidence and hard work and im sure with ur smarts you will be fine</p>
<p>first let me ask you, do you have plans for math senior year? if the answer is no then theres no point in u skipping to BC...if ur gonna take like Calculus 3 or like Linear Algebra at a college only then should u skip AB</p>
<p>assess where u are...based on ur other classes next year, do you feel u could handle the challenge of skipping a math class???</p>
<p>if u do decide to skip, at least put some summer preparation into learning some AB material just so ur not that behind everyone else
borrow/buy an AB textbook and do all the odd problems and review some of the new concepts...other than that not much i can say</p>
<p>"Calculus BC can be offered by schools that are able to complete all the prerequisites before the course. Calculus BC is a full-year course in the calculus of functions of a single variable. It includes all topics covered in Calculus AB plus additional topics. Both courses represent college-level mathematics for which most colleges grant advanced placement and credit. The content of Calculus BC is designed to qualify the student for placement and credit in a course that is one course beyond that granted for Calculus AB.</p>
<p>Prerequisites</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>
<p>NOTHING about having to take AB first. Maybe some schools make AB a prereq, but it DEFINITELY is not required.</p>
<p>It is not at all unusual to take BC without AB. </p>
<p>You will work hard in BC.</p>
<p>If you are up for that challenge, then take BC. You can do it.</p>
<p>Give some thought to what you would do senior year if you take BC as a junior. It would be an utter waste of your time to take AB after BC. Remember, you should be trying to get an education. Spending an entire year repeating a portion of a previous year's class is not the best way towards that objective. In fact, I would guess that colleges would think you were a slacker for doing that. I also would be surprised if your school would even permit that. </p>
<p>What would your math department be willing to teach you senior year? In our local public school, a small group of kids take BC as juniors and then are taught Calculus 3 and 4 senior year. </p>
<p>If your school is unable to help you, then my advice would be either to find a nearby college, study online, or (least attractive alternative IMO) just take some other AP class and not take math senior year.</p>