<p>I know the calculus teacher, even though he is an extremely good teacher, is infamous for having very hard and agonizing tests and a crazy grade scale.
I'm taking Honors Precalc, and to be honest, its a breeze. But the precal teacher is very very easy and there is no regular or honors calculus course.</p>
<p>Thus, I want to prepare all I can for this AP Course. I'm just wondering what you did to prepare over the summer, the books you used, how long you should study the calculus material, tips and advice that I am to look out for during the class.</p>
<p>I guess the only thing you can really do is know algebra/trig/pre-calc very well.
It’s a beginning calculus class. There’s no point in studying calculus before you go into it unless you want to look at limits or something.</p>
<p>Use KhanAcademy or Youtube to get a general basis of Calculus and do practice problems on the internet by googling them. Seriously, the hardest part of Calculus is understanding it the first time, once you have that down it’s a lot easier swallow. I know a lot of people in Calc AB and BC, and this is what I’ve gleamed came from most of their difficulty. Also, I really recommend having a firm basis of trig, that’s what killing most of the students in my Calc H class. They’re too lazy to learn trig, again. Good Luck!</p>
<p>My tip: Stop relying on your calculator and decrease the time it takes you to finish tests. I also had a very easy time in PreCalc last year, but in AP Calc this year I’ve learned the hard way that you must quickly solve the problems, while also actually understand what you’re doing (especially for MC questions). Definitely look at KhanAcademy, as mentioned above, if you’re really worried or just want to see what Calculus is like.</p>
<p>What I would say is practice your Algebra. I consider Calculus as 50% Algebra and 50% Theory and Concepts. It’s easy to take the second derivative, but it’s hard simplifying that crap. Try to look for patterns. This is very helpful when you encounter similar problems. For applications, look for key words. Calculus is really fun!! When you have a test, I recommend doing the hardest problems in your book, review, etc. After doing that, tackle the easy problems. Talk to your teacher If you need help. If you get stuck in a certain topic, watch PatrickJMT’s videos. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.</p>