Hello everyone! A little background: This year I began taking Algebra 2 (I’m currently a freshman), and had planned to stay in the “normal” honors track, until, for a reason I really can’t be sure of, my raw mathematical ability rose past where it had ever been. Since, I have become enthralled in calculus and will be taking Multivariable calculus next summer or later this school year. I would like to know what options there are and if anyone here has done the same and could provide some advice on where I could take differential equations and if there are any highschool quantum mechanics courses available. Thanks.
P.S. I have begun AP Calculus BC and will finish next year. (early 2017)
P.P.S. I will be attending highschool as a senior next year so don’t worry about me running out of classes.
So you’re taking Calc BC concurrently with Algebra 2? That makes no sense. I’d say slow down, get challenge books from Art of Problem Solving to supplement your regular classes, and stick to the schedule. You can take precalc or something online this summer, but by rushing things like calc bc and multivariable before you have all the necessary skills to really understand it you run the risk of just having to take it again anyway. (This is coming from someone who took precalc online freshman year, calc bc sophomore year, and am taking multivaraible and will take diffeq at a local college this year.) I’d say, if at all possible, find a local college that will let you take the higher level math there. It helps for understanding and accountability to learn math from a teacher.
Waiit wait wait. And you’re skipping two grades of high school too? That sounds like another bad idea.
Make sure that your school accepts what ever courses you take. If you take them on line but your school doesn’t accept them, then colleges won’t either.
I have already, unfortunately, learned all of the content in our algebra two curriculum. They were going to have me take Precalc this year but it didn’t work with my schedule so I was forced to retake the material which I tested out of. I began studying from their textbook for Precalc and finished that in four days. Next, I began working with infinite series do find tangent lines and integrals. I discovered the Archimedes method for finding pi independently, and then proved the major theorems of Calc. So I purchased a book. Hen another, and now finally a book on Calc BC through diff equations. I have a 98% in Calc and have no trouble whatsoever. I see where you are coming from though. I’m not sacrificing the foundations, I’m just accelerating them so that I can move on to more challenging material.
They they do accept the courses and were actually very supportive. I am also in honors bio, honors English 1 and 2, honors chemistry, and honors world history right now. So they had no problem with letting me grade advance.
Also, I do know that I can take some of the classes through northwestern. The diff equations and Multivariable Calc can just be through Stanford’s precollegiate program.
snowfairy is right. It may sound good to be “that kid” and skip grades to be better than everyone, but mentally and developmentally, it’s a bad idea. Seniors act, think, and basically exist differently than sophomores. There’s a lot of development and maturity that happens over those two years. You may not think that now, but trust me (I’m a senior). Assuming you’re the average age for a freshman, next year you’ll be 15-16-years old taking classes with 18-year-olds. I don’t know your high school
(obviously), but I don’t think that would end well. You might become an outsider and not enjoy high school like you should.
Also, congrats on your math ability. I wish calc is that easy for me.
Thanks for the detailed reply! I, though this probably sounds rash and a little bit crazy, have no social interest in school. I happen to have made friends who are just like I and wish to take the class with them.
I really think only 2 years in high school is a bad idea. Your math may be on par to do that, but what about your other subjects? How many sciences would you be able to take? What about english and stuff (its “friends who are just like me” not “friends who are just like I”). Will you be missing out on more advanced course and electives that might interest you? Are their options for taking college classes for free or at a reduced tuition rate as a high school student? There’s a lot of stuff to consider.
Well, thanks for asking! I would be taking essentially all of my favorite classes. I would double history and take AP Gov and AP Euro, along with the College Writing 1 class through dual enrollment. (Right now I am in honors English 3) For science I would take AP Physics C over the rest of this year and the summer. With that type of scheduling, I would have time for the extra courses next year and have a moderate level of coursework.
Sorry for typo’s