I am currently taking Algebra II in summer school and passing with a high B (88) and the course will be finishing in August.
I was wondering if you guys can tell me the difference is between honors and regular pre-calculus at your school and make my decision from there. The Algebra II course I’m taking does not cover Variation and Polynomial Equations, and anything that has to do with trig so I purchased a used common core book so I can study trig from it. Any advice is appreciated!
My school tends to be harder than most schools but we have a large gap between difficulty in regular and honors courses. Regular courses tend to be super easy and you will probably finish everything in class so less homework whoo! Pre-calc is mostly review of algebra II so if you understand now pre-calc will be easy. Honors courses on the flip side are ridiculously hard, especially the math department. I dont know anyone who had an A in that class, even the brightest students passed with a B. Half the people taking pre calc drop by the first month and those who do stick it out need to get additional tutoring to maintain their grade. The same happens with algebra and i made the mistake of not dropping honors (ended with a c+ :/)
Some school’s honors classes aren’t so difficult so try asking people in the grade above you.
My advice is to take honors and if you start to struggle, most schools will let you switch into the regular class within the first month without it showing up on your transcript
Thanks for the Advice! Do both regular and honors review trig in the beginning or does honors just skim through?
In my school we have Trig/Precalc and Trigonometry/Anaytlical Geometry (Honors). Both cover Trigonometry (I took Trig/PreCalc- the first MP was Algebra 2 review and some new stuff, mainly asymptotes and composition functions) then the next two and a half marking periods we learned trig. The last half of the 4th marking period we were taught the beginning of calculus- limits and derivates and a small bit of integrals).
“The course emphasizes those topics that best prepare a student for a first course in calculus. The areas of study include algebraic and trigonometric functions and their graphs. Emphasis is placed on polynomials, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions. The course also includes an introduction to limits, the derivative, the antiderivative, solutions of multivariable linear systems, and conic sections. Vectors, polar coordinate systems, matrices and determinants will be covered if time permits.”
As for the Trig/Anayt kids they learned the same trig but a much more detailed/rigorous version of Precalc:
“Topics covered include trigonometric functions, conic sections, analytic proofs, polar coordinates, graphs of higher degree equations, and rotation of axes. This course provides a more detailed and rigorous treatment of the subject than Trigonometry and Precalculus.”
If you take Trig/PreCalc (depending on grade) you can take AP Calc AB, Honors Calc, AP Stat or a lower course. If you take Trig/Analyt, you can choose from AP Calc BC, AB, Honors Calc, AP Stat or a lower course.
Both definitely review it. Im not sure honors spends too much time reviewing though. Mostly the honors class is to prepare you for AP calc BC while regular is to prepare for AB, so once honors goes through the entire curriculum (about halfway through the year) they do more basic calculus whereas normal pre-calc ends up doing calc only the last mont or so.
At our school, Honors goes at a faster pace/is harder (well, depending on the CP teacher) than CP precalc. I don’t think CP covers 3D graphs/vectors and maybe limits, though (they were on the chapter before 3D while we were on limits, the last chapter).
Also, half of our book is trig, but you’re expected to know most of it. Hell, most of precalc (save polars, parametrics, vectors, and limits) is review (we take Alg 2/Trig before any precalculus).
At my school, wheather you take honors or not determines the speed of the class and the HW load.
Honors Precalc is covered in the second semester of one class and then is reviewed in the first of another.
Regular Pre-calc is covered in a year right after a year of Algebra II(which is the first semester of the class that teaches Precalc).
Thanks Everyone! Did you guys use the Pearson Common core book for Algebra II, If so is that enough trigonometry to know for Precalc? Right now the summer school I am in is using the Mcdougal Littell Algebra and Trigonometry Book 2.
My school uses the McDougall Literal book for regular Algebra 2. I don’t know if the same is true for honors.