<p>I'm in the top 4% of my class in California, and I've taken 4 AP classes my junior year and gotten mostly As with a couple Bs in a few semesters. My senior year schedule includes 3 AP classes other than AP Calc BC and also physiology.</p>
<p>My school has a strange system: we take half our classes the first semester and the other half the second semester. So, as of now, I'm into my 2nd week of Calculus BC, and I'm not doing very well at all. I've failed quizzes and just got a 60% on my first test (and that's curved >_<). I'm thinking about withdrawing from the class, and my counselor agrees with me that, given my academic record, dropping Calc BC will not be the end of the world. It's been over a year since I've taken Calc AB, and I just do not feel I will do well at all in Calc BC. At best, I'd struggle to get a C.</p>
<p>Suggestions? I think I will withdraw from the class tomorrow.</p>
<p>Colleges I applied to: Several Ivy Leagues and most UCs.</p>
<p>I don't know...this is kind of a tough one. If you honestly think that you will struggle to even get a C, then I would say probably drop it. I think that you are probably right...dropping it won't be the end of the world. It also isn't the greatest decision in the world--I mean, you are going to have to tell those schools, I would assume. Plus...a lot of your competition will be taking/has taken BC, plus several other AP's, plus done really well and not dropped anything. So I think that it is probably the right decision, but that it will have some bearing on your admission, to be frank.</p>
<p>Let me make sure I understand where you are. You are a senior now and have already applied to the above named schools? If you have applied then BC was on your intended schedule at application time?</p>
<p>A personal anecdote: Son was in your position. Same semester set-up. He also was struggling with the beginning of CalcBC and wanted to drop it. He contacted the one college he had applied to and been accepted (did ED)--so that is different than you. They told him that they very possibly could rescind admission if he dropped a class that he had on schedule when accepted. At the least, before dropping I would check with the schools you are applying to and make sure that it won't be a problem--it may be fine with them if you replace it with another AP.</p>
<p>In addition, you may also wish to talk to your Cal BC teacher, and get their insight. My D struggled with AP Cal BC at first--got a D on her first exam-her first D ever-most of her friends dropped the class. She talked to her teacher who counseled her that she has the course set up to be very challenging at first, so that the number of the students becomes a more manageable number. The teacher encouraged her to challenge herself rather than take the easy way out. My D decided to stick with it, and ended up with an "A" and 5 on her AP exam. Whatever you decide, you will make the right decision for you, because YOU made it. Good Luck</p>
<p>I wouldn't drop it, it think that if you at least try it you would be better looked upon than dropping it. I had the same problem last year and I pulled through and ended up with a B in BC after the C I had in AB and I got into UNC so depending on where you applied I would keep it.</p>
<p>I'd drop physiology and keep Calc. Meet with your teacher and/or see about a tutor. </p>
<p>Cal, UCLA and the Ivies will definitely care about Calc BC, and if you drop it, they could rescind. If you are elc, Irvine's acceptance is near automatic, and they won't care.</p>
<p>btw: I saw on another post that you are premed.</p>
<p>And now I am considerably more unnerved than I was about an hour ago.</p>
<p>It seems struggling to maintain a C for the next three months is now a possible option. There is no way I'm dropping Calc BC if it means compromising any part of the admission process to the schools I stated previously in any way. I'll call UC berkeley tomorrow or so and figure it out from there.</p>
<p>Yeah, if you're pre-med, it won't be the first time (or that last) that you'll have to gut it out. Best of luck! A tough class can make for an easier time on the AP exam...</p>
<p>I started off Calculus bombing a test (69), and had a 78 halfway through the first marking period. I ended up with a 97 for the semester. I think calculus progressively gets easier as you learn how do deal with the material (even if the actual topics don't get easier, you get used to it).</p>
<p>Simple, if it was a year since you took AB could it just be that you're rusty? You say its only the 2nd week of the class, so if you've been having quizes and so forth doesn't a fair amount of what's tested rely on stuff from AB? If you're just rusty, the good news is it will come back (perhaps with the help of some extra review) and you'll be back on track soon.</p>
<p>Even though the semester is just starting, take look at how much time you are spending outside class working on this. A calculus class in college will meet 3x a week for an hour. The assumption is that for more difficult classes you'll be spending 3 hours outside class for every hour in the class. AP Calculus is a college-level class, so you should be spending 9 hours every week doing homework, reading the text, etc. Are you really spending this much time on it? </p>
<p>As for next steps in learning the material, get one of the "Problem-Solver" books for it. These are thick workbooks with hundreds of solved problems on each topic you'll cover in calculus. After reading your textbook you open to the right chapter and then try to solve problems with the solution covered. If you get one wrong the book has the complete steps to get to the answer; read it over until you understand it, then cover the solution and repeat it until you get it right. You do this for 9 hours each and every week. It may not be the most fun way to spend your time, but you will be rewarded by seeing your scores on the quizzes quickly improve.</p>