Should I take AP Calculus?

[JohnCU]

I'm in Honors Trig (12th grade) right now with a 97~ average, but it's only an 18 week course. Right now, there is a Pre-Calculus class, but next semester that same class is going into Calculus.

It may be possible to go straight to Calculus when this semester ends, but will I be totally lost if I don't have the 1st half of the class with the pre-calculus? I'm a pretty fast learner, and I do really well in Trig and other math classes, but I dunno, what do you guys think?

 

[royaldank]

Calculus isn't very hard. There are plenty of new problem types, but it's not very difficult. I'd say you could skip ahead if you don't mind dealing with functions and can follow pretty straight forward techniques for solving problems. Calc 2 and 3 is where things start requiring a lot of thought. When you are getting the area of intersections curved planes...that is when you need to make sure you have the proper background.

Calc 1 should be just basic integrals and derivatives. Maybe some limits here and there and some function analysis. Both of those are fairly straight forward and follow pretty simple algorithms for solving.

 

[jeremy806]

Pre-calculus is not needed if you are strong in algebra.

Better yet, get a copy of the pre-calculus book and look at it. Does it look simple, or foreign to you. That will answer your question.

jeremy806

 

[Ameesh]

not to be a bitch but if you were pretty good at math you would have been in calc in 11th grade

 

[Random Variable]

I liked calculus, until I took a class on partial differential equations. Now I hate it.

 

[soccerbud34]

Yes do take calculus. It will make life much easier for you if you plan to take Calc 1 again next year in College.

 

[JohnCU]

Ameesh: I didn't get to take Algebra 1 in 8th grade, that is why I am not in Calculus this year. I didn't get serious about my work and smart until my 10th grade year.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

YES YES YES! The more stuff you can place out of in college the better. And at my school, those tests actually contributed to my GPA as well (if I wanted them to). Give it a shot at the very least. Even if you dont do well it will still be good preparation.

 

[Vincent]

Analytic Geometry is the class I took between Trig and Calculus. It actually was quite helpful.

 

[killface]

I agree. Take AP calc. It's basically calc 1, or at least it was in my high scool. I took precalc, which was useless. It just teaches more of the trig behind calc.