I’m currently a sophomore, and I was looking at my school’s course catalog. If I continue with my current math pathway, I’m eligible to take either Honors Precalc in my senior year or AP Calc. I know AP calc will look better on a transcript, but Honors Precalc seems like the most practical option because I don’t instantly get math concepts, but I’m fairly good at math. If I have a tutor while I’m in AP Calc, it could help substantially and the class may not be so bad. Also, Is it necessary to take precalc in order to actually do well in calc if you’re not a math genius?
Fellow sophomore here! I’m actually very surprised your school allows you to go straight to AP Calculus AB without Pre-Calculus. I have never seen this happen. Because Pre-Calculus is literally “pre-calc”, I strongly recommend you go with Honors Pre-Calc if have not done any Pre-Calc yet. What math course did you take this year and how’s it going in there? Are you finding it easy? Hard? Since you say you’re fairly good at math, you should be fine with Pre Calc Honors, and I agree that it’s more practical. I would only advise going to AP Calc AB if you took regular Pre-Calc this year. If you took Algebra 2 or Algebra 2 Honors, I’d really advise you stick with Pre Calc.
Also, a thing to keep in mind is that while colleges like AP Calc AB, it doesn’t matter if you take it junior year or senior year. The grade you get in it is more important and if taking Honors Pre Calc will help you do it that, it is much a better choice, especially because Honors Pre Calc is also a good class to take.
Best of luck and have a good day!
What math classes have you taken so far? What grade are you getting?
I’m currently in AIM 2 (Advanced Integrated Math 2, a class combining algebra [I think combining Algebra 1 and 2] and geometry) and got an 88% last semester, but probably would’ve gotten a low A if I’d completed my notebooks (classwork, homework, class notes and warm-up). Math isn’t my strongest subject, and many times I’ll find myself not getting anything up until the day before a quiz or test. But, with a lot of hard work and perseverance, I manage to get good grades on quizzes and tests.
The class I’ll be taking next year basically serves as a precalculus course, I guess according to my school, since they’ll let students go straight from that to AP Calc AB or BC (Advanced Integrated 3, a class where we learn about “rational, polynomial, exponential and logarithmic functions, as well as sequences and series,and statistical inferences” It also says we’ll “study trigonometric functions in great depth”). I have a friend who went straight from AP Calc AB from AIM 3, and she seems to be doing just fine, but that could be because she gets math naturally.
Then you need to take AIM3 first.
For my school, the course description for Honors Precalc is “It is designed to be a third year course in algebra and includes a strong treatment of trigonometry, limits, and algebraic functions and extensive usage of the graphing calculator”. We study trig, limits, and algebraic functions in AIM 3, which is why I think it’d be alright to go straight from AIM 3 to Calc AB. I could possibly take a precalc course over the summer or study precalc if I’m worried about my potential grade in the class. The good thing is, the earliest I’ll be able to take Calc AB is senior year, when colleges lay off a little. I don’t have to get an amazing grade, the lowest being a C.
I do need to pass the qualifying test to get into Calc AB, and I’ll get the details from my friend who’s currently in the class
Ok i thought you wanted to get into calc form AIM2! You’re right, you can got fr AIM3 to calc AB. You’d need to choose it if you are reasonably sure you can get a B in it. Otherwise, honors Calculus or analysis would be ok.
You don’t really use Precalc content much until Calc II (2nd half of Calc BC)
From my experience, pre-calc was basically algebra 2 all over again. AP Calc AB was tough at the beginning but got better as I became more comfortable with the curriculum. Take the class you feel most comfortable in. The last thing you need is a miserable grade in math during senior year.
I agree that you should take AIME 3. I think it’s better to stick with Pre-Calc content before AP Calc AB.
Have a good day!