<p>So this is my dilemma: I'm currently signed up for pre-calculus, forensics, and AP Biology for my senior year. However, I want to make sure that I tackle all the disciplines of science during high school because I'm just so interested in science/virtually every subject. So, in order to take physics I would have to take AP Calculus AB along with it because that would be the only math class that would fit into my schedule?
Should I do it? Physics and AP Biology are worth more towards my overall GPA than AP Calculus too and they're both easy As at my school. Then again, I'm not too worried about having a "good" GPA (3.841 currently) because I'd rather learn something that I'm passionate about than to have stellar grades. I'm just nervous that I'll do terrible in AP Calc. I'm fairly good at math; I got the highest grade in my algebra 2 class and I even won an award for my outstanding achievement. I'm also taking college algebra at one of my state's biggest colleges. I love math but I'm just worried that AP Calc will destroy me.
Should I sign up for physics and risk performing poorly in AP Calculus?</p>
<p>Is AP physics B available at your school??</p>
<p>If you love math, you shouldn’t be afraid of calculus. It’s a whole new way of thinking of functions, yes, and algebra is only going to be a tool in that class, but there are a lot of resources online and hopefully in your school that give you a helping hand. It’s such a shame that we use the internet a lot and don’t fully recognize its power.</p>
<p>I would suggest then you watch khan academy and any other videos beforehand, but take the class. You can’t love math if you can’t appreciate what truly matters in math. Not elementary algebra and arithmetic, but what mathematicians call analysis, of which calculus is only a small part of.</p>
<p>Calculus AB isn’t too difficult, but here’s the thing - do you have the required knowledge for calculus? If you just came off your Algebra II class, there may be a lot of things that you are missing. If you are going to jump into AP Calculus, make sure you are full aware of everything in Algebra (exponential functions, rational functions, logarithmic functions, polynomials), trigonometry (know your identities, be able to solve equations), vectors, parametric equations, and polar coordinates. Some of these things might not have been taught to you, although they will be very useful in your next calculus class and any calculus courses that may follow.</p>