<p>Hey. I'm in the 9th grade and I'm trying to teach myself precalc so I can get started on calculus sooner than 12th grade (I want to start learning and/or teaching myself calc by next year). I have a precalc textbook and a notebook, but when I take notes and summarize things, I'm not really able to retain/remember things very well. What can I do to teach myself precalc more easily? Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>-Stefan</p>
<p>I’d recommend actually taking the class…?</p>
<p>Take notes … from a math textbook?</p>
<p>How bout doing hw problems?</p>
<p>Is there a curriculum at your school for a precalc class? Btw, what math class are you in right now? I taught myself precalc 8th grade, but it’s different for others. All i can recommend is following a curriculum found somewhere, and see if you can find problem sets and tests online to challenge yourself.</p>
<p>I’m teaching myself calc too…but I have an instructor…</p>
<p>Is there a math team at your school?
My instructor is the teacher that runs our team…I’m not quite at calc yet…I’m learning a bit of trig first.</p>
<p>It’s possible but it requires an appropriate amount of knowledge of Algebra, Trigonometry, and basic Math. I would say go for it! Good luck!</p>
<p>I know Alg, Geom, and some Trig. There is a math club at my school, but I don’t know what they do there, and it’s kinda late in the year, so I was thinking of waiting until next year.</p>
<p>I’m currently in Geometry (about to finish it up for the year).</p>
<p>good luck!</p>
<p>Just do lots of practice problems, and find a friend who could help.</p>
<p>Eh, well again, find the school’s precalculus curriculum, and teach yourself to their curriculum
Randomly having a precalc textbook and taking notes does little.</p>
<p>I think you should ask them if they could help you out or you should wait next year to start teaching yourself.</p>
<p>Hm… It would be a good idea to ask them. I mean, why not? It’s not like anything bad could happen. Thanks.</p>
<p>EDIT: Also, MIThopeful, how did you teach yourself precalc?</p>
<p>I taught myself precalc by following my school’s precalc(IB HL 1) curriculum, and the curriculum of another school.</p>
<p>I also received a precalc textbook from my math teacher, and I used the examples in the book to teach myself.</p>
<p>Then again, I qualify to be in calculus, but you seem to exhibit a good passion and aptitude for it.</p>
<p>Do you have any friends in Pre-calc or Calc? Tutors always help with hard problems or go to the Pre-Calc teacher for extra help.</p>
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<p>It’s not about remembering and/or memorizing in math. It’s about understanding the fundamental concepts and applying them in a variety of ways.</p>
<p>PM me if you have specific questions.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, right now, I don’t know anyone with the free time to teach me precalc, and neither of my parents really know how to teach it. Also, thanks for the kind words, MIThopeful :D</p>
<p>Talking to math teacher wouldn’t be a bad idea. I guess I’ve always just felt very shy about asking my current teacher because I don’t want her to see me as pretentious or almost ostentatious. I think I’ll give talking to a math teacher a try, too. (Not necessarily my current teacher, perhaps a calc/precalc teacher).</p>
<p>EDIT: @ thrill3rnit3: I understand, but I’m not remembering these fundamental concepts and applying them frequently enough to make them stick.</p>
<p>Gee, I have so many resources around (teachers, students), and I hardly ever utilize them, haha. Well, better late than never…</p>
<p>Don’t try to rush things. If you don’t have a solid footing of algebra and trigonometry, throw that PreCalc book out the windows (of course not literally) and focus on mastering algebra and trig. Once you absolutely understand those two topics, then PreCalc will be a breeze because it is simply a reiteration of advanced algebra and trigonometry plus some few topics.</p>
<p>You shouldn’t be in a hurry to learn Calculus, you’ll get there eventually. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. Trust me on this one. I’ve been there before.</p>
<p>I do have a solid understanding of algebra and trig… I’ve done lots of stuff with physics before (I took a physics class when I was in 8th grade, and it had lots higher-level alg/trig concepts). I’m eager to learn calculus; however, I don’t want to rush through anything… I just want to learn it ahead of time because I have a lot of extra time on my hands.</p>
<p>Then what sorts of problems do you encounter when learning precalculus? It shouldn’t be that different from learning algebra and trig.</p>
<p>The difference is that I learned alg/trig in a classroom as opposed to trying to learn precalc myself. Maybe it’s the note-taking; do I need to take notes on everything (or anything)?</p>
<p>Try khanacademy.com. Nice videos , and great explanations. Really knowledgeable guy in general. Other than that try doing erm, problems?</p>
<p>Precalc is actually really easy. Alg 2 rehash + Trig and some easy limit stuff.</p>