(my old post got deleted since I edited it or smth i’m still new to CC so i’m rewriting this )
So i’m going to be a sophomore next year and as a freshman I took Algebra 2/Trig and it was easy for me and I got 99% in the overall class. I want to take precalc over the summer to do AP calc AB sophomore year and then BC junior year, but is it better to just do precalc next year and go directly into calc BC junior year? Since I never took any of these classes, it’s hard for me to decide. I’m leaning more towards taking precalc over the summer since I checked the Khan academy for precalc and more than a third of it is Algebra 2/Trig material. I don’t want to be bored in a class I already know how to do! I also feel like AB calc is helping me prepare so I won’t fail calc BC when I take it, since many people say it’s too fast
Others also say Precalc is very fundamental so I don’t know if I can do a year long course over the summer(at my school very few people take this route)
I also don’t want to overload next year. I’m planning on taking AP Euro(most sophomores take this), AP chem(i’m doing chem over the summer), and AP Comp Sci if i’m able to get in(since seniors and juniors get first picks). Is this too much? I didn’t take any APs this year since they don’t offer any for freshman at my HS…
If you’ve taken these courses please give me some tips!! Since it’s already summer, please leave ur thoughts since if I want to do precalc over the summer I would have to register soon
If your school is an “AB or BC” school, rather than an “AB then BC” school, taking AB first will result in you being “bored in a class I already know how to do.” AB is much more than one third of the typical BC coursework. If you’re the kind of person who could successfully learn a year of precalc over the summer, the pace of BC is not going to be too fast.
Would it be smart to still take both AB and BC or would it be redundant? I feel like the AP class would be much harder so sticking with AB will help be get comfortable with the pace of my sophomore schedule with 2 or 3 other APs. Will colleges look down on peopel who take both AB and BC since it’s spread between 2 years instead of just taking BC though? If so, would taking precalc sophomore year then self study parts of AB next summer and going into BC look better on apps? Or would 2 aps of AB and BC be better? Thanks for replying btw
Is your school is an “AB or BC” school, or an “AB then BC” school? It makes the most sense to follow the path your school lays out; you don’t get extra credit for doing things differently.
No, if that’s the normal sequence at your school. But if the curriculum choices are AB vs. BC, then I think you should take precalc at a normal pace next year,and then Calc BC the following year, with the assumption that you have some higher math option senior year.
But more to the point, I see no reason (at least you have not given one) for trying to rush the curriculum. Additionally, you are already taking chem over the summer. So you are already taking one 30-36 week class compressed down to 6-8 weeks. If you think you can do the same for precalc, then I think you are vastly underestimating the amount of work that will be involved. And I’d be very surprised if your school allowed it.
So bottom line, no, I don’t think you should try to jam in precalc over the summer.
Don’t take precalc if your taking another class. My son’s school did a 5 week precalc class over the summer and that was the right speed for him not they were like 9-5 days. But his school let’s then go right to BC then Multivariate Calc in Senior year. Follow your school’s program its designed that way for a purpose
Well algebra 2/Trig for me was very boring most of the time since it was basically algebra 1 except for trigs and logs and stuff… And based on the precalc curriculum it looks like a repeat Algebra 2/trig but with some other topics as well. I just don’t want to waste my year learning something I already know, do u guys think the same or is precalc way harder?
Does your school have an honors pre-calculus? In my kids schools, honors pre-calculus is basically 80% of the content of AP Calculus AB up to the point of introduction of definite integrals. If your school has an honors pre-calculus, then your progression could be:
Honors precalc (10th grade full year) → AP Calc BC (11th grade) → Post Calc BC math class (12th grade) if available
nope… just regular precalc
in that case what would be best? I keep on going back and forth between choosing an answer but honestly at this point i’m rlly conflicted.
The highest my HS goes up to is BC calc. Is dual-enrollment a good idea for after I take BC? or am I thinking waay to far ahead? I’m just worried that i’m not like “making the most out of my summer” to do productive stuff. My sister is also doing precalc over the summer rn so I feel pressured to do it as well…
I just like to know if
precalc easy/hard and if it’s managable in the summer
and if doing AB AND BC is dumb or will it help me understand the material more (our HS isn’t making it pre-req)
and if doing BC calc as a sophomore is too much and then junior and senior year doing dual-enrollemtn is too much
If it is just regular pre-calc and matches the topics covered in Khan Academy under “Precalculus”, I would consider taking it during the summer if you had the option, and did not have other activities. I would then consider taking AP Calc AB next year and AP Calc BC the following years. If students in your school find AP Calculus BC too fast after taking a full year of Calculus AB, then I’m confused because there is so much overlap between those two classes. After that, depending on what you decide to major in once you get to college, come back and check in with us.
Update: I went in to try out my precalc class at a community college near me and they began teaching algebra 1 topics like vertical line test, definitions of domain and range, and overall went really slow. I went to ask the teacher what material the class would cover, since at this rate of teaching, I didn’t think I would be prepared for ap calc next year. He said they briefly cover vectors and conic sections and they weren’t on the agenda in his syllabus… I’m probably just not going to take this class because at our high school precalc covers those topics. I’m thinking of doing precalc online but I can’t really learn with just videos and like back and forth interactive learning. Do any of u guys know where there are like Skype call online precalc courses? Or should I just stick it out in my community college and self study the precalc topics myself? I want to take the math 2 subject test next year so I want to really be prepared too, but also don’t want to drag out precalc over the next year since it’ll be boring. Did ur precalc start out with algebra 1 stuff too?? Thanks again
A good goal for college would be to get to Calc AB by the end of HS. That is what I would call the Honors track.
If you get to calc BC, that is extra. Any more than that, you really need to 1) plan how/when you would do that (at your Community college?) 2) Do well in it.
Colleges don’t care if you get a C in Multivariable calculus as a junior because you weren’t ready…it is very advanced for a HS junior.
Again, you have not explained WHY you want to do this especially when you are on track to take calculus in HS without doing a summer course. I would do pre-calc in HS – if it is a bit easy that is fine since it appears you have an otherwise demanding sophomore year schedule. I’d have concerns that jumping ahead in math without getting an appropriately strong background could put hurt your sophomore academic year in jeopardy.
@adsfjnkl My guess is that your goal was the SAT II Math 2 exam (see reply #10), but I’m with @happy1 on this. You really should tell us why you want to take this summer class. What, exactly, is your timeline?
First of all, don’t rush it. To even be thinking about calculus in sophomore year is a plus. With that said, it definitely wouldn’t hurt to take a pre calculus class this summer or get a book and do some self studying, that way you could get right into AP level. As for which one to choose, considering it’s your sophomore year, I would go with AB this year and BC the following, not only maximizing the number of AP classes but really spreading things out, taking your time, and understanding the material in full. Taking both AP classes will also help you better understand calculus as a while which you will certainly see and need to understand in college. And out of curiosity, what are your plans for senior year then? Any other math courses offered at your school for seniors?
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