<p>So, I'll be starting my Junior year next month and was wondering what kind of topics you first start out doing in AP Calculus AB. Do you do any review of functions, trig, etc? I just want to know what to expect. Thanks.</p>
<p>I only had it from Jan 30-May 5. We started with limits…we had a review pack over Christmas break with some pre-calc stuff on it.</p>
<p>Your teacher will probably go over functions since those are what calculus is pretty much based off of. The first topics you will do are easy stuff such as limits, continuity, and derivatives. The course gets a bit more challenging with derivative applications, definite and indefinite integrals, and integral applications. Be sure that you’re learning the proper material and not depending on some outdated textbook (my school…).</p>
<p>The first calculus topic you would expect is limits. They’re easy to do in application, but understanding the concepts might be difficult to understand, just like for many of the calculus students at my school. However, you won’t be applying limits again, except maybe for finding the derivative through the long way or L’Hopital rule or until you get to BC. After that, you will learn derivative and its application. Then you will learn integration and transcendental functions. Finally, differential equations and application of integration. That’s Calculus AB.</p>
<p>Since I will be taking the Calculus class (but not the exam due to some circumstances) next school year, I have for summer homework precalculus review problems in a packet and a poster project.</p>
<p>you will do limits usually…then probably derivatives…maybe related rates/max’s and min’s…indefinite/definite integrals…probably end with areas between curve and volume/solids of rotation.</p>
<p>honestly, the concrete work and problem solving isn’t difficult. Calculus is Trig with the “next step” of math. It’s more about truly understanding the meaning behind differentiating and integrating…its more conceptual than trig…but the material isn’t bad at all. Limits are important…but you can 5 the exam without knowing EVERYTHING there is about them…ill advise you to pay attention to derivatives and integrates because they are the most likely to be on your AP Exam…but your teacher should let you know of all the important stuff. good luck!</p>
<p>My teacher was able to start limits, derivatives, and antiderivatives by the end of our Pre-calculus class. I think he’s probably going to start the year with limits and derivatives.</p>
<p>it depends… our teacher did 2 weeks of pre-cal review (nap time).</p>
<p>The limits will come first. This concept can be seen as both easy and hard to understand. (Something to remember: CONCEPT OF CONTINUITY! This will be applied in later concepts like MVT, Rolles, etc)</p>
<p>Then comes derivatives next (the general concept), then the applications (tangent lines, normal lines, implicit differentiation, etc). The applications of derivatives may seem a bit confusing at first for some.</p>
<p>You’ll cover conceptual topics (MVT, Rolles Theorem, Intermediate Value Theorem, and so forth) before moving on to antiderivatives. </p>
<p>Basics of antiderivatives are easy. When you start applying them (volume of a revolution, area under the curve, etc), this is where things start getting a bit hairy. However, the concept of average value isn’t too hard.</p>
<p>Slopefields and differential equations come near the end.</p>
<p>And of course, if your algebra isn’t up to par, you’ll encounter problems along the way. Most of the time, this is why calculus is “tough” for many.</p>
<p>Alright thanks everyone. I can honestly say I’m looking forward to start AB.</p>
<p>Calculus was pretty rough for me going in, just because it was all new stuff. Don’t worry though, because by the time the AP exam comes around, you will be ready. You will have gone through the stuff enough that it’ll be no problem for you by then.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. One more thing- Is it normal to have no summer homework for AP Calc?</p>
<p>we didn’t have summer homework. i mean honestly, you should talk to people at your high school, as all high school ab classes will be different. our ab class was ridiculous. the averages of the tests are usually in the 50’s, but then at the end of the quarter there would be a 10-15 percent curve added to your final grade. our teacher always raved about how getting more than half on each test should be the goal…haha. but it worked strangely enough, primarily people at my school got 5’s.</p>
<p>Easy.
Buy Barron’s or PR over summer to study.</p>
<p>Mine only lasted a semester. from Feb - May 5, so it might be different from what you expect.</p>
<p>The first 2-3 weeks are review/limits/easy junk. Then 1 month for all the differential stuff and another for all the integral/solids of revolution. Then the last week is for review.</p>
<p>It wasn’t that hard actually, so I think you should do fine, as long as you have a teacher who knows what he’s doing/</p>
<p>BTW: most people in my class got 80-90s and almost everyone got 5s</p>
<p>Limits are easy in the usual, relatively non-rigorous Calc AB setting. Even so, the concept is very important and it is essential that you are comfortable with it.</p>
<p>I personally recommend studying the epsilon-delta definition of a limit even if your course does not cover epsilon-delta proofs, which is likely.</p>
<p>Q: What are the first few months of AP Calc AB like? </p>
<p>A: Hard, but then it gets easier and easier(and then becomes super easy)</p>