AP Calculus, anyone?

**CleverTangent** · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 2:59 am Post subject: AP Calculus, anyone?

I'm three weeks into AP Calculus BC, and I'm curious if anyone else is taking AP Calc AB or BC. I've got about a C average right now, between two quizzes and a random homework check.

Calc BC is by far the hardest course in my high school, mostly because of my teacher. Is it the same case in other schools?
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**PieGuy** · Joined: 01 Mar 2007 Posts: 2836 Location: Long Island, NY

My high school never offered BC, but the AB teacher said BC is harder. I don't think it really matters though, I don't know of any schools that only accept BC and not AB. (Incidentally, I aced AP Calc and got a 5 on the test

).

**bjwdestroyer** · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 3:05 am Post subject:

Well, I took AP Calculus AB 2 years ago when I was a junior, and let me just say that it was probably the easiest math class I had in High School. Never did homework, never studied, got an A both semesters. Then again, I really liked my teacher: he did a great job teaching calculus.

I have heard that BC can be a bit stressful (it goes a few months faster than AB so they can squeeze in topics dealing with series and polar stuff), but as long as you stay on top of your game, everything should be fine. Practice is really the best way to prepare yourself, as it is with any math class. First semester for you should just be derivative, derivative, derivative, and integral, integral, integral. Once you memorize all the rules and such, it becomes very straight forward. I had trouble a few weeks in, but it became easy soon enough.

As for second semester, yeah, I really can't comment on that >_<

**FBMrider86** · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 3:06 am Post subject:

I blame my Calc teacher for her teaching methods (I got a C in the class, 3 on the AP exam). For example, when the main Statistics teacher teaches a better lesson of Calculus than the assigned Calculus teacher...I think some reconsidering is in order. I'm currently taking Calc 200 as a freshman in college and it is incredibly easy so far (even if I didn't already know this material, at the rate we're going, I could have gotten a 5 if this guy taught my high school class).
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**reikonkeiri** · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 3:08 am Post subject:

My teacher for calc last year was pretty horrible but I still got an A and a 4 on the AP exam. It could've been worse though. Also, I only had AB.
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**SnipedYou** · Joined: 22 Nov 2007 Posts: 141 Location: New Jersey

I'm taking it this year as a junior. I think its gonna be easy for me cause I do math competitively and I am considering majoring in it, and I breezed through Precalc without doing the homework

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**CleverTangent** · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 3:36 am Post subject:

**Deak2112** · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 3:39 am Post subject:

I planned on having a math major in college but after taking calculus in high school, i never want to do difficult math again. I always loved math. I aced college algebra without hardly trying. Calculus took more work but too much for my work ethic. Since i took 6 math credits in high school, i dont have to take it in college. I no longer am a math major. They said it was a dumb choice because i got a 97 in calc. AB and a 5 on the AP test. Im good at math but i cant stand the hard complex stuff
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**SDoner8790** · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 4:16 am Post subject:

Well I took Calculus in 11th grade, then in 12th i took CHS (college in high school) Business Calculus, and now I am taking Calculus 1 in college. I could be in Calculus 2 but I chose 1 because I want the easy A. Math has always been my strongest subject by a long shot. It just comes naturally to me. Usually in my classes the teacher is horrible at teaching and my friends just come to me for help. Then I explain how to do a certain problem and they are always like "Why couldn't the teacher just have explained it like that" And I am like "I have no clue" Seriously, I have had probably ONE good math teacher from High School. They are just really bad at explaining things. Luckily I just have a knack for it.
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**Shaph** · Joined: 17 Jul 2007 Posts: 653 Location: Bremerton, WA

Wow, I took AP Calc AB ten years ago... God I'm old.

Luckily, my teacher was really good. Explained the theorems and their proofs really well. She also got us out of class early on the AP exam day and treated us to donuts and required nap time!
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**kcoppock** · Joined: 27 Apr 2008 Posts: 184 Location: Alabama

Ugh. I consider myself to be very good at math, it's always been one of my favorite subjects. Calculus however, hates me. I took Cal A my second year of college, and just recently signed up for Cal B. It's been 4 semesters in between me taking Cal A (or any math, for that matter), so I actually had to drop the class. I felt horrible for doing so, but it was better than failing the class. I'm going to have to do some MAJOR review during this semester on my own time. My Cal B teacher "reviewed" Cal A the first day of class by working five problems on the board (not explaining, just working) and then telling us we'd be tested the next class.

If you're up for some long reading, I stumbled on this site which lays it out in a very down to earth way that makes it a lot easier to understand the concept of what you're actually DOING in Calculus, instead of just seeing "Take the derivative" and working a series of steps. That's one thing that always bothered me in Cal A. I could do the problems, but the teacher never explained what exactly was happening, or any practical application for it.
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**FlimFlam** · Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 1619

I'm a junior in BC right now (combined AB and BC class). After only 3 days, my teacher seems like a great guy and teacher, so I hope this year is more fun than pre-calc last year (didn't think the teacher was that good).
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**dspoonrt** · Joined: 20 Feb 2006 Posts: 2449 Location: Columbus, OH

I took Calc AB in high school. For some reason, my school didn't teach Algebra past an elementary level in 8th grade so we were utterly unprepared for Calculus. My teacher was pretty horrible. I got an A in his class and a 2 on the exam. I went on to squeak by 2 Calculus classes in college, but they were no fun.
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**NimbleTerror** · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 293

Took AP Calc BC last year, got over 100% in the class and a 5 on the test, my teacher wasn't that great, however, and I really don't know how I did so well lol.

Now, I'm in college and taking multivariable Calc. It's really cool so far and is making me think about adding a Math major on top of my current Engineering major.

**DPooch** · Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 1649 Location: Pittsburgh, PA