I am very advanced at math; I am in my last year at my current school, and I am currently taking Pre-Calculus online and currently have an A- (I am almost finished with the course). I have reached Level M in Kumon (Trigonometry) but I am scheduled to advance to N (Calculus) next week. Here is the thing; I want to take AP Calculus AB for freshman year. I am scheduled to take an online AP Calc AB class during the summer, as well as a (possible) Pre-Calculus course at a local junior college to reinforce the topics I have learned. While I perform well in Pre-Calc, I have had a fair amount of difficulty with Trig, but after the conclusion of the online course I am taking now, I am planning to study Trig books
I have to choose my 9th grade courses in three months. The high school that I will most likely attend accepts the type of online courses I have been taking, so there is a fairly good chance that my request to move up to Pre-Calc Honors or AP Calc AB would be accepted. I have passed a level in Kumon that covers basic differentiation and integration, as well as some applications of basic calc, and I have a good, but not completely solid, base in trig, but this issue might be resolved within the school year but my parents are skeptical.
Would you support my plan? Is Calculus AB easier or harder than Pre-Calc? What skills (especially Trig skills) are used the most in Calc AB and BC? What are the toughest topics in AB?
Please answer as many questions as you can!
Thank you!
Since its your freshman year, I suggest you take the class you feel most confident taking. This will make the transition a little easier and make it possible for you to focus on any other challenging class you might take. There is no reason that you should have to take Calc AB as a freshman unless you feel prepared and would be bored with a lower level math. Also, take parent and teacher advice into consideration.
Calculus is definitely harder than pre-calc, but it’s not too bad. Pay attention in class and do your homework, and you should be fine. Whichever you decide to take, remember that your teacher is there to help. Ask questions if you do not understand something.
And just so you know, I have not taken AP Calc, I am in regulars calculus this year but I’ll be taking the AB exam in May most likely. So you may want to get someones advice about the actual AP part of the class. Maybe find a current student to talk to.
Anyway, good luck!
" am scheduled to take an online AP Calc AB class during the summer, as well as a (possible) Pre-Calculus course at a local junior college to reinforce the topics I have learned. " If you have reached the point where you have to keep repeating in order to really learn the material, I think you have accelerated too fast.
What is the purpose of rushing so far ahead only to feel that you haven’t properly mastered the material and need to repeat classes? Why are you rushing into calculus when you are still having difficulty with trig? Why are you planning to take calculus this summer if you feel you still need to take a precalculus course? Why would you take precalculus and calculus over the summer only to repeat them in high school? What is the goal here–it sounds like your educational plan is a real mess.
You should think about getting through this math at a pace that is going to leave you with a solid understanding. I know a fair number of kids who accelerated in various ways and none of them were repeating classes, because they were ready for the material the first time and they weren’t racing on to topics they weren’t easily able to master. If I were your parents, I’d say calm down and stop racing ahead when you haven’t mastered things. Spend the rest of the year mastering the trig and precalc you don’t feeel confident about. Then go out and enjoy your summer instead of frantically repeating math classes. Then take AB calc in the fall, assuming you were able to master the trig and pre-calc you raced through so fast you didn’t get properly and feel you need to repeat.
Also, I’m surprised your parents are supporting this. How many times must they pay for you to learn each class? You need to take responsibility for getting it done the first time and not expecting them to just keep paying and paying.
@APSATScholar I’m interested in taking classes over the summer, but my high school doesn’t offer them - What online program are you using??
I’d suggest not treading water-keep moving on. It isn’t about being in a hurry but it is all about getting to as high a level in math as possible. That is a good goal (as long as you are building a strong foundation-broad and high!