<p>Okay, so next year I'm planning to take Calculus BC but in order to do that I had to skip Precalculus. Now I'm slightly worried I won't be as prepared, so if there are any topics that I should pay attention more closely, what would they be? thanks.</p>
<p>in precalc, the only real thing you start is derivatives and integrals, the first things you learn in calc. don't worry. i took precalc this year and found it a waste of a year.
but that really depends on your school.</p>
<p>I am in the same position.</p>
<p>Make sure you know what functions are (and their graphs): composite functions, inverse functions, rational functions, exponential functions, logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions (sin, cos, tan, cot, sec, csc) inverse trigonometric functions( sin^-1. cos^-1, tan ^-1), graph transformation. </p>
<p>You also need to know how to find zeros/roots of functions, and know special circumstances when dealing with trig like cos(0)=1. You also need to know to know some trig identities. </p>
<p>My suggestion is to read over a Precalculus text book (if you know the section just skip it). If you don't have a solid understanding of functions and trig you will have a hard time understanding a good portion of Calculus.</p>
<p>Best you pick up a review book and study over the summer. It's definitely not the end of the world if you end up taking BC without precalc but you're definitely going to need to brush up on limits, functions, etc.</p>
<p>Precalc is, according to my math genius friend, a waste of time and complete review. I found it to be slightly helpful because, well, review is helpful. I forget things over the summer. You'll run into things this year with Calculus BC that you will recognize, but perhaps not remember. Keep an Algebra II or Precalc textbook handy so that you can flip to these chapters and spend a night or two reviewing what you're weak at.</p>
<p>Make sure you know what all your graphs look like. Study the limits of these functions (what they do at infinite, negative infinite, etc.). Precalc was all about functions and graphing, so just know values of these functions and how to manipulate their graphs.</p>
<p>And by skipping Calculus A, what you're skipping is the long way of finding derivatives, the average value of the function... most textbooks and review books spend about a page on what you're missing, so no worries.</p>
<p>thanks everyone. </p>
<p>The major thing I was worried about was that the course I am taking is online so they didn't really cover a lot of graphing and manipulations all the exceptions and stuff. </p>
<p>When I talked to the precalc teacher at my school she said they did a lot of that, so my question is how could I learn all that graphing? I know some but not sure of the specifics.</p>
<p>She said they did stuff like graph decomposition and I have no clue what that is?!?! Math geniuses help! </p>
<p>So could anyone give me some more specifics on what I should learn by myself and how? good review books? Thanks!</p>
<p>If you've taking Algebra II, Precalc is just that + a few other topics. I didn't take Alg II, so I found Precalc an interesting course. I didn't learn a whole lot until later in the year, but it was a good class. </p>
<p>Some things that come to mind that you should know</p>
<p>-Graph transformation (moving it to the left, etc.)
-Trig identities and the values of sin x, cos x, and tan x for all the unit circle values
-Trig graphs
-Trig graph transformation (changing the period, amplitude, etc.)
-Know how to recognize if a graph is continuous or not
-Recognize the difference between discontinuity at a hole and at an asymptote
-Piece-wise functions
-Inverse functions and how to find them
-Composite functions
-Relations, meaning something like f(x, y) = xy + y^2
-Polar coordinates and graphs
-Parametric coordinates and graphs
-The concept of a series
-Logs, exponential functions, rational functions, and their graphs
-The basic shapes of graphs (e.g. third degree equations look like an S, fourth degree ones look like a W)
-Solving equations involving trig functions, logs, and exponentials</p>
<p>i don't see how you can skip calc AB and go straight to BC without even taking an intro to calc class. personally, my pre-calc class did not involve anything related to calculus so that might be why.</p>
<p>^
At my school, as well as many others, we either choose to do AB or BC. I don't think anyone at my school has ever done both. Anyway, BC only covers a few more topics than AB.</p>
<p>What I don't understand is people who take BC after AB. I know this is the sequence for some schools, but BC covers practically the same material as AB plus a few more.</p>
<p>All I remembered learning from precalc is graphing and some trig stuff. Jamesford is right, precalc is just a review of algebra II, though you have to be familiar with trig identities to do well in calculus.</p>
<p>i'm in a accelerated math program in which its geometry H&A --> Precalculus h&a --> AP Calculus BC --> Multivariable Calculus </p>
<p>in the precalc course its three quaters of precalc and one quarter of calculus.</p>
<p>That's why I really need recommendations for good way to learn the derivatives and integrals and all the calculus A stuff. Good review books ppl!</p>
<p>oh i'm taking BC next year after taking AB. i guess it's going to be a lot easier then if it only covers a few more topics.</p>
<p>@BrightRed
Yeah, people probably want more AP's. The actual precalculus material was a breeze, that is why I am skipping it
I barely paid attention and am getting an A.. it is the calculus A material I'm really worried about...</p>
<p>oh, a bunch of people at my school took AB followed by BC. they really ended up not challenging themselves their senior year with BC.</p>
<p>i'm still convinced that the Calc A material is not that much. i self-taught that last summer a couple hours a day for a few weeks, completely unfamiliar with it. i used Calculus: Graphical, Numerical, Algebraic by Finney, Demana, Waits and Kennedy (3rd). Not sure I'd recommend it though; some of the examples were a bit difficult to grasp for a newcomer.</p>
<p>thanks! I have to take the final on all this stuff and my school can be pretty stringent. More replies are welcome! </p>
<p>Also anybody know what my teacher meant when she said I should know how to decompose graphs with multiple curves, because I really don't know what that even means!?</p>
<p>hm. almost everyone at my school skips precalc. </p>
<p>the ppl at my school who take precalc before calc are in the accelerated program & have extra periods to use up. </p>
<p>they all say that precalc is the very similar to calc - except for the honors class. it prepares them well for calc bc. the regular class doesnt help much.</p>
<p>Precal is no big deal. It doesn't really focus on any "fancy calculus," like derivatives and integrals, but is truly more of an Algebra 2.5 than anything. As stated, you need to be comfortable with graphing and working with trig. functions, but other than that, you should be just fine.</p>
<p>I am not sure but I think Calculus A refers to Derivatives. I think most teachers would go over that part anyways because those are defiantly on the BC exam</p>
<p>I'd say make sure you know your trig stuff...</p>
<p>yeah, skipping Calc A is the least of your worries... agreed that Precalc is Algebra II and a half</p>