<p>I have always been very passionate about math, but I feel like my school has been holding me back from reaching my true potential. There are many required (and may I add, foolish) courses that we must take, and our schedule has to follow these "Completer & Career Pathways", which further limit our schedules. One of these classes was literally a class of nothingness; we played monopoly. The other class had a man for the teacher who would award grades based on preference. And there was really nothing I could do about it. I am a junior in high school and I have taken one AP class (AP Euro), and I am in the process of taking 2 others (AP US and AP English). I know that this pales in comparison to nearly every user that I have seen posting here, but I think I still have a very intelligent and well developed mind. My grades aren't perfect, there's a B here and there in some of those pointless classes that I mentioned (and chorus), but I digress. </p>
<pre><code>At the school I attend, I was placed in the top maths possible (starting with Algebra 2 in 9th grade). The order goes Algebra 2, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, AP Calc AB, and AP Calc BC. My sophomore year, I had the option of taking Trig and Pre-Calc every day. This would mean that I would be able to take Ap Calc BC my senior year. Alas, there was a problem in scheduling; that class happened to be the same block as choir (choir is really big in our school; we consistently send many to states, and I made it my freshman year). So, I just took Trigonometry my sophomore year. I attempted to take pre-calc over the summer, but the whole thing was kind of sketchy and never materialized. So now, I am stuck in pre-calc my junior year, not even finding it that challenging (thus far). You may ask, "why do you even care?" How will I be able to prove to top colleges that I am really passionate about mathematics if I am not even able to take the classes that I want on the subject? I am desperate to take AP Calc BC; I'll even do a lot of work over the summer if I have to. What do I do? What are my options?
Another problem arises from this predicament that I am in; AP Physics C (not sure if I'll take both or just one of the Physics C courses). I am taking physics this year, and I have realized that this is something that I'd really like to pursue in life. My school does not offer any AP Physics courses, so I realize that this would be left to self study. After briefly viewing the course outlines on college board, I realize that a knowledge of calculus is necessary, especially if I'm going to self-study. How will I be able to handle this course if I've only taken pre-calculus? Like I said in the previous paragraph, I'm willing to do a lot of work over the summer if I have to.
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<p>I don’t know how your school works, so if you want to take Calc BC Senior year, you’d have to talk to your counselor. I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to go from precalc to BC, but it sounds like your school has a pretty messed up math track, so who knows. (Trig and precalc in 2 separate years? Why would they stretch 1 year of material over 2 years, especially for people smart enough to be taking Algebra 2 in 9th grade?)</p>
<p>Second, you don’t really need to know much calculus to do Physics C. You should be fine with just Calc AB. (Half of my Physics C class is in Calc AB, they’re doing fine). You will need to know some before Calc AB gets to it, so I would suggest self-studying a few things over the summer.</p>
<p>Michael:Yeah I know, our county is pretty messed up. Our school is relatively competitive, but it’s not amazing. The reason they do the math this way is because are school uses the University of Chicago Mathematics School Mathematics Project books, which go from Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus. These are challenging but effective books, especially the last 3. I’ve used them since 7th grade. I just find it amazing that it seems like almost every single person on here seems to have taken BC their junior year, and a few of them their senior year. Mind you, I haven’t been looking at this site for very long, but a lot of people here appear to have these really beefed up GPA’s that are, not almost, are impossible to achieve where I go to school. I remember looking at one of the “chance me’s” and the kid had taken 18 AP classes throughout his high school career. My school barely offers half of that amount of AP classes, and two of those classes are AP studio art and AP art history (I have absolutely no interest in art). Another question I have: is it recommended, or is it even possible, for me to self study for an AP course, not even devoting a period to it in school, and take the exam at the end of the year? People in my school would think I am ■■■■■■■■ for doing this…but I am an extremely independent person and can teach myself easily. Hell, I completely (this isn’t an exaggeration) taught myself Algebra 2 and Trigonometry because both of the teachers were duds. Nobody in my class really read the book but me.</p>
<p>I thank you for these sources Michael. Hopefully my physics teacher will be able to provide me much aid. I will admit that he is not the best teacher in the world, but I believe that he is passionate about the subject he teaches. Though I am a rather reserved individual, I believe that I am starting to become a standout student in physics (participation-wise), something that my teacher has just begun to realize. Though it is just Honors Physics, I realize that I must work hard from the very beginning if I wish to excel in the individual study of Physics C. If I do not understand a problem that my teacher assigns, I will consult the book, which usually ends in me drooling over a chapter for an hour or two (drooling has a positive connotation in this context). I hope that colleges will see that I am sincerely dedicated to this particular study, and realize --if I do well-- that I am a unique and exceptional student.</p>
<p>Well if you want colleges to care, you’d have to do something this year. You could write that you’re self-studying Physics C senior year on your apps, but they won’t really care, since they have no idea whether or not you’re telling the truth. You could study Physics B this year, then C next year, if you want something that colleges can see.</p>
<p>I don’t exactly know how my school does individual study for AP classes. It might show up as the actually weighted class, it might not. Very few do it, and the classes they do it for are usually not as rigorous as Physics B or C. How exactly would I go about self studying Physics B this year? Like I stated previously, I am dedicated to this particular study, and I would like to learn more about it, but I’m afraid that there are many restraints that would affect this self study, time being just one of them. I am an ardent runner, and spend a great deal of time training (I run cross country, indoor & outdoor track, and by the end of this year I hope to be top 10 in a relatively competitive conference for xc). I am also in two choirs, and in one of the choirs I have a performance outside of school almost every week. Also, like I stated in my very first point, my school is relatively strict when it comes to schedules. You can’t make schedule changes after the first 3 days of school, and you have these dumb “career pathways” and “completers” that further limit your schedule. I am guessing that to self-study physics B, I would have to do it in the confines of my own home. Besides the time restraints that I mentioned earlier, this would not be a problem. I just need to know if I need to talk to my school about this or not. I would obviously need to talk to them when it comes to taking the exam at the end of the year, but I am not sure if the self study of the course would require much communication with them. I am not sure if my physics teacher would be willing to help me. Though I excel in his class, and he notices, I probably know him the least out of all of my teachers.</p>
<p>Calculus: I really think you should be able to go right to BC your senior year. My school also has us taking Pre-Calc our junior year, but we are able to go right to Calc BC. So I say to see what you can do and if you have to take AB, then you can always self-study what is needed for BC and take that exam.</p>
<p>Physics: I am currently in a Physics B class, but that is the only AP physics offered at my school. I also plan to self-study Physics C (since I want to go into engineering). I say it’s possible. If you have taken some sort of Physics class you just have to add on Calculus to it. I’d recommend waiting to take the Physics exam until you are at least in Calculus though. I mean, you could always self-study what Calculus is required (actually I self-studied basically all Calc AB stuff before even being in Pre-calc for the fun of it. Yes, nerdy I know). Pre-calc is basically a waste of time. Anyway, I am digressing. You can do it, I’m sure you are a very intelligent individual and it’s more than possible. </p>
<p>And yes, I find pre-calculus to be a waste of time as well lol!
Self-studying Calc AB during pre-calc actually sounds like a good idea to me, and it also sounds like something I would do. That’s not saying I’m going to do it, but the idea has crossed my mind numerous times. </p>
<p>I am not sure if I would be allowed to take Calculus BC instead of AB. I am pretty sure that there is a loophole, but I don’t want the teacher to think that I’m getting in way over my head. I also figured out that I could have technically skipped pre-calc and gone right into Calculus AB, but there’s no guarantee that that would have worked with my schedule, and it’s too late now. I wouldn’t be surprised if the calc teacher advised against both loopholes;no one at my school has skipped either class.</p>
<p>By the way, on a completely random note, I realize that I have horrible grammar. I am taking the PSAT’s on Wednesday, and scored very well on both Mathematics and Critical reading on my practice test, but my Writing was barely in the mid 60’s :(. That’s why my sentence structure might seem a little bit awkward or unorthodox at times; grammar hates me.</p>
<p>I’m sure good colleges will look at your performance in context of your school. If your school isn’t offering many chances to take AP classes, they will know and take that into account.</p>