To take, or not to take.

<p>Hi, I'm 13 and I'll be a Freshman next year. I was just wondering if it seems reasonable to take BC Calc. next year, considering that you were already signed up for Algebra II Hnrs. I already have knowledge of most Algebra II concepts. If I took a cumulative placement test covering all Algebra II to see where I stand and get a high grade, would it be wise to move on? Given the chance, I would take Pre-Calc. and AP BC Calc. concurrently. I would need to take one of them in the place of an elective, which lasts a semester. I do this because I think it will help me with the AMC 10, which I plan to take in Sophomore year. I'm an AoPS (<a href="http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Forum/index.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Forum/index.php&lt;/a&gt;) self-studier.
Or, do you think I should take Algebra, then go on to Precalc and APCBC?</p>

<p>Thanks :)</p>

<p>Take CalcBC if you can and want to. We can't judge your skills or desire.</p>

<p>If the whole point of you doing math is to do well on the AMC-10, then I'd suggest going to geometry, since the AMC 10 does NOT cover anything more than geometry.</p>

<p>But you should really take what you think you're ready for. If you know everything in Algebra II, and feel ready to move on to Pre-Cal and Cal BC, then do it. Otherwise, don't.</p>

<p>I have already taken Honors Geometry last year.
I do math for the AMC 10, but it is one of my passions, and I geniunely enjoy it. I do 4-6 hours of math a day, just as it is my passion and it is something I like to do to; however, in this case, it also provides preparation. I usually work out of the AoPS textbooks. Hopefully that'll give a little more insight.</p>

<p>What's AMC 10? I guess it's for Sophmores, I took Geometry in middle school, are you allowed to do it for any grade level? First of all, most schools have graduation requirements that make you take Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2. You need to know those for state test and SATs as well. You should know Hyberbolas,Theorems, etc. Wouldn't it be cool to take an AP class in middle school?</p>

<p>Calculus will probably not help at all with the AMC, at least if it's the way I remember it.</p>

<p>If you think you can do ok in calculus, then by all means go for it. You might want to ask people who know your math ability better, though, since it is calculus after all. If you can handle it, you would want to move on and not waste time in boring math classes.</p>

<p>There's a book, "calculus made easy" by Silvanus Thompson, that I read when I was in algebra 2. It's cheap and widely published - I would try and find a copy, library or bookstore. Work some of the problems and see how you do. If you think you can understand it, then you can try calculus. If that book seems like it's too much, then it probably is.</p>

<p>
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What's AMC 10? I guess it's for Sophmores,

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</p>

<p>It's just a math contest. But you don't have to be a sophomore, just 10th grade or below. I know of someone who took it 6th grade so yea, it's not just for sophomores.</p>

<p>There's more information at <a href="http://www.unl.edu/amc%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.unl.edu/amc&lt;/a> if you want it.</p>

<p>Don't take Calc and precalc at the same time. Algebra II and Precalc are just a bunch of BS, but you do need them for calc. So if you think you know algebra II, just go to precalc. Without a formal class in algebra II or precalc, I think anyone, regardless of how much math they study math on their own would be up a creek in BC Calculus. So do precalc.</p>

<p>I agree with illinois kid. Getting precalc helps quite a lot when you eventually do BC Calc. And likely both will help with any math competition. Being able to do algebra quickly and accurately is a skill that develops out of necessity in higher math courses.</p>

<p>When I was in high school and took Precal. I had pretty much seen everything in the Precal book before in Algebra II minus the new trig. As far as the trig. goes you will see right triangles, learn about the unit circle, and a lot about trigonometric equations such as identities, formulas such as the double angle and half angle ones, and you will have to solve trigonometric equations.</p>

<p>So you guys say PreCalc is essential, and I should take it by itself, then take BC and MultV.
the next year? Would that work?</p>

<p>That looks like it would work out great for you. You'll be done with MVC BEFORE senior year, you'll have a whole year for the wonders of linear algebra, differential equations, partial differential equations, or maybe even Real Analysis or Number Theory.</p>

<p>Sounds good :)
Or I could double science instead, and take a course each year, which would be PreCalc, then BC(?), then MultV, then Linear Alg.?
Then I'd have Bio and Chem, AP Bio and AP Chem, Physics and anatomy and physiology, then AP Physics, and possibly room for another semester-long math course.</p>

<p>Hows that?</p>

<p>Prolly would work. At my school, MVC, Diff EQ and Linear Algebra are all 1 semester long. That's the way it works at most colleges too. So you could probably knock 2 of those 3 out of the way in 1 year.</p>

<p>Math gets harder too (I should mention I'm in high school, currently working on integral calculus). There's a good chance you'll find you don't want to move that fast. I know a guy who took calculus freshman year, who almost got a C in Linear Algebra junior year. This kid is AMAZING at math; he's currently majoring in it at MIT.</p>