Should I Take AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC

Should I Take AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you trying to decide between taking AB or BC Calculus? Or are you just wondering what the difference between the two classes is? We’ll help you decide which AP Calculus class to take, based on your prerequisite classes, college plans, and career goals. Overview Calculus AB and Calculus BC are both designed to be college-level calculus courses. As such, the main prerequisite for both AB and BC Calculus is pre-Calculus. When it comes to the AP Calculus classes, you have three options: you can take AB and BC Calculus as a sequence, take AB Calculus only, or skip AB Calculus and go straight to BC Calculus. The reason you can take one or the other is because AB and BC aren’t totally different classes. BC Calculus includes everything in AB Calculus, plus a few extra topics. You’ll actually get an AB Calculus sub-score when you take the BC exam. So Calculus BC is not necessarily more difficult than Calculus AB. BC Calculus has to move faster because it covers more material, which is what makes it more intense than AB. Some schools teach APCalculus BC in two class periods to fit in all the material or have more intensive summer assignments. APCalculus BC courses often cover everything in Calculus AB in the first semester, while AB stretches that material out over a full year. If you decide to take Calculus AB and Calculus BC as a sequence – for example take AB Calculus junior year and then BC Calculus senior year – you don’t have to worry about picking between the two classes. But if you only have room for one AP Calculus class (as most people do), which one should you take? We’ll tell you the topics and discuss the benefits of each option below. APCalculus AB Topics Functions, Graphs, and Limits Derivatives Applications of Derivatives Integrals Applications of Integrals Source: AP Central APCalculus BC Topics Functions, Graphs, and Limits Derivatives Applications of Derivatives Integrals Applications of Integrals Polynomial Approximations and Series Series of Constants Taylor Series Source: AP Central Should You Jump to AP Calculus BC? If you’re up to the challenge, jumping from pre-calculus to Calculus BC can be a great option. This could be especially good if you want to study engineering or natural science in college. Taking Calculus BC shows motivation and drive when it comes to math, and you’ll need strong math skills as an engineering or science major. If you’re big on math, you could take an even more advanced calculus course at a local university or community college as a senior (that is if you take AP Calculus BC junior year). You can also make room for AP Statistics, Economics, or Computer Science in your senior year. Jumping to AP Calculus BC gives you a chance to really challenge yourself as a high school student. It’s also important to note, at some schools, you can drop down to the AB Calculus course if you find that BC is too challenging. This might be a good option if you’re pretty sure you want to take BC Calculus but aren’t positive you will be able to keep up. (Of course, check with your guidance counselor before you sign up to make sure this is possible.) Finally, taking and passing the BC Calculus exam gives you more math credit in college in the vast majority of cases. This is helpful for future engineering and natural science majors since you can jump into required math courses sooner. To give just one example, at the University of Michigan College of Engineering, getting a 5 on AB Calculus gets you 4 credit hours, but getting a 5 on BC Calculus gets you 8 credit hours. (To look up the credit policy at any university, check out the AP’s college database.) Should You Take AB Calculus Instead? Even though you often get more college credit for BC Calculus, taking AB Calculus can be a great option as well. You will still get a calculus background that'll set you up for college math. Although you won’t get to the extra topics that BC Calculus covers, you'll still learn core calculus concepts like limits, derivatives, and integrals. This will give you the fundamentals you need for tougher college math courses. You'll definitely know what this is by the end of AB Calculus! You’re less likely to be overwhelmed and burn out in AB Calculus, as well. Since BC Calculus has to cover more material in one year, at many schools it has more frequent and harder assignments. AB Calculus is definitely challenging, but it doesn't move as fast, so it's less likely you'll fall behind. Taking AB Calculus might free up your schedule for an additional class. Since some schools teach BC over two class periods, you might not be able to fit in a different AP class or extracurricular. But AB Calculus will just be one class period, which could leave you room for another class. And finally, in some cases, you’ll get the same math placement as you would for BC Calculus if you get a very good AP Exam score. (Read more about AP Exam scoring here.) For example, at my alma mater Stanford, if you had a 5 on AB Calculus, you would get placed in the same math course as students who had gotten a 4 or 5 on BC Calculus. Again, check the credit policy at the schools you’re interested in to see how much of a difference there is between AB and BC credit. Should You Take AB Calculus Then BC Calculus? Some people consider taking AB Calculus first then BC Calculus the following year. They're often tempted to do this if they don't feel quite prepared enough to start with BC Calculus, but they want extra college credits for passing the AP exam or they want to impress colleges by taking the more difficultAP calculus class. In most cases, we don't recommend taking both AB and BC Calculus. AB Calculus and BC Calculus are similar enough that taking them one after the other will be a lot like taking the same class twice, and it'll probably be pretty boring for you. Taking both also usually won't help your college applications because it will look like you needed two years to learn calculus instead of one. Also, if you're looking to get a lot of college credits from your AP classes, you can usually get more from taking AB Calculus and another non-calculus AP than you would from taking both AB and BC Calculus. If you were considering taking both AB and BC Calculus but aren't sure which one to take now, keep reading for the questions you should ask yourself. How Should You Decide? Still not sure which class is the best for you? Consider the following questions. #1: Are You Prepared For AP Calculus? Have you taken algebra II and pre-calculus? These are the main prerequisite courses at most schools for AP Calculus. If you haven’t taken pre-calculus yet, don’t worry about deciding which calculus class you want to take just yet. Focus on doing well in pre-calc! #2: Did You Do Well in Pre-Calculus? Say you’ve taken or are currently taking pre-calculus. It’s possible to get by in many math classes by doing the problems and memorizing formulas but not truly understanding the material. However, a solid understanding of pre-calc is necessary to do well in either AP Calculus class, but especially if you’re making the jump to BC. How can you tell if you truly understand pre-calculus? See if you can explain your pre-calculus homework to a friend or younger sibling. If you can teach something, odds are you know it pretty well. However, if you struggle to explain a concept, it might be a sign you don’t know the material very deeply. If you're not sure you get pre-calculus, consider taking AB Calculus, since it moves slower and you'll have more time to learn the concepts. #3: Is There a Placement Exam? This is another practical consideration. At some schools, you have to pass a placement exam to get into AB and/or BC Calculus. Don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched – make sure you pass the placement exam for AP Calculus before worrying about which course to take. #4: Is There a Summer Assignment? Many schools have summer assignments for AP Calculus, since there is a lot of material to cover during the year. BC Calculus is more likely to have a longer assignment. If you can, ask the teachers for copies of their summer assignments to see what they’re like. Also think about your summer schedule. For example, have you already committed to a camp or service trip that’s going to take up most of your summer? If you’re not sure you’ll have time to complete the BC summer assignment, you might want to consider taking AB instead. You don’t want to start out the year behind! If you've committed to a service trip abroad, you might not have time for summer BC Calculus homework. #5: Will Taking AP Calculus BC Change Your Schedule? As we discussed above, some schools require more class periods for BC Calculus since it covers more material. Would this cause you to have to give up an extracurricular, like band or newspaper? Or give you less flexibility in other parts of your schedule? If you have to give up an extracurricular you’re very involved in, a language course, or another AP class, you'll have to decide if taking BC Calculus is worth it for you. If you want to study science or engineering, it likely will be. But if you’re undecided or think you’re going into the humanities or social sciences, it might be better to take AB Calculus. #6: What's Your Future Major? Push for BC Calculus if you’re fairly certain you want to pursue engineering, natural sciences, or pre-medicine studies in college. BC Calculus will allow you to challenge yourself with a fast-moving, college-level math course, which will give you the skills you will need for engineering and science classes. If you’re going to study the humanities/social sciences, AB Calculus is likely to be plenty to meet your future college’s basic math requirement. And even if you have to take a few math classes in college, AB Calculus will give the preparation you need. #7: What Are the Teachers Like? Often, some of the best math teachers at a school teach the AP courses. But it’s also possible that less effective teachers end up in those classes, especially if more students than expected sign up for AP Calculus. So how do you figure out whether the AP Calculus teachers are your school are good? How To Scope Out Classes Ask for a copy of this year’s syllabus for both AB and BC Calculus. See the workload is like. Also see how the teacher integrates practice AP problems and full exams. If AP exam practice isn't part of the course, that can be a red flag. Talk to current students about how they like the class. Older siblings and their friends, as well as older friends from clubs and sports, are a good place to start. Ask if they feel prepared for the AP test and/or feel confident about the material. Don't trust student word-of-mouth entirely, but if you hear the same thing from multiple students (â€Å"the BC calculus teacher is amazing!") it’s probably true. Ask your guidance counselor about the teacher’s AP test passing rate if they’ve been teaching the class for a while. If they have a high passing rate (above the national average) that’s a good sign. If it’s markedly lower, you might want to reconsider. One thing to keep in mind: it’s possible that if your school has an excellent BC teacher but a less strong AB teacher, BC could actually be easier since you’ll be learning the same concepts with a better teacher. If you’re especially reliant on your teachers in math classes, you might want to take the course with the better teacher. On the flipside, if the AP Calculus AB teacher is excellent and the AP Calculus BCteacher is not, it would be smart to start with AB Calculus to get a strong foundation before attempting BC. The Bottom Line Take BC Calculus If†¦ You feel confident about your math skills and want to challenge yourself You’ve taken math through Pre-Calculus You can pass any required placement tests You want to pursue engineering/natural science/pre-medicine studies in college The class and teacher at your school seem good (no obvious red flags in terms of student word-of-mouth or AP test passing rate) Take AB Calculus If†¦ You want or need more flexibility in your schedule You've taken math through Pre-Calculus You’re less confident in your math skills and/or want to ramp up to BC Calculus after taking AB Calculus You can pass any required placement tests You plan on studying the humanities or social sciences in college The class and teacher at your school seem good What’s Next? Getting strong SAT/ACT math scores is important for college too, especially if you’re a future engineer. Get tips for a perfect SAT math score or a perfect ACT math score. Which other math classes should you take? Check out our guide to the math classes you should take in high school. Interested in math competitions like the International Math Olympiad? See our guide for passing the qualifying tests – the AMC 10 and the AMC 12. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

What makes you shudder And what are your commitments

What makes you shudder And what are your commitments Grammar Geeks I belong to a LinkedIn group called Grammar Geeks, where one of the most popular discussions right now, with 269 comments, is â€Å"What Makes You Shudder?†Ã‚   Each of these 269 entries contains someone’s comment (or more often complaint) about a grammar gaffe. At first I was interested in some of the conversations†¦Ã‚   but quickly, the conversation itself was the thing making me shudder.   In fact, I began to shudder each time another member of the group posted a complaint.   Even the word â€Å"shudder† began to make me shudder! from toonpool.com My shuddering at the shuddering forced me to look at my own way of being around grammatical errors.   Do people shudder when I let them know I am shuddering? A Turning Point for The Essay Expert At Unleash the Power Within, the Tony Robbins seminar I attended recently, I discovered multiple errors in the handouts we were given.   Believing I could make a contribution, I brought some of these errors to the attention of one of the staff.   This man pointed out, quite correctly, that the errors certainly did not prevent people from signing up for programs – in particular the ones that cost $10,000. â€Å"Why do you care so much about this?† he asked.   â€Å"Why is your focus on finding things that are wrong?† And â€Å"What would like be like if you started finding things right?† I took his comment seriously, and perhaps it was the corresponding self-reflection that had me shuddering at the relentless list of grammar complaints populating the Grammar Geeks conversation. A Shudder-Free Life?   Finding my Commitment Have I stopped shuddering at the things that have traditionally made me shudder?   Well, no.   But I am putting more attention on my commitment to effective expression in the world. I am also considering that there are bigger problems in the world to shudder about if I want to shudder – like the way we treat our environment, and the failures of our mental health system, and the hunger that still exists in the world side by side with opulence. And I still care deeply about clarity in writing and other verbal expression.   My job is to help people and companies say what they want to say, powerfully and precisely.   When I write, or when I edit someone else’s writing, I care that the final result is moving, compelling, and result-producing. Often grammatical correctness is required to produce an intended result.   An error in a resume, cover letter, or college application can be the difference between acceptance or rejection, an interview or no interview.   It can change someone’s life – maybe someone who is destined to find a cure for cancer, or discover new treatments for mental illness, or advocate for environmental issues (I have worked with people doing all of these things). As for the shudderers, I believe there is something to be gained from acceptance.   Not everyone will write or speak perfectly all the time, and I can accept them for who they are rather than putting distance between us with a shudder.   I think I’ll listen for the meaning of their words instead.   Because even with a grammatical error or two, I can hear what people are saying loud and clear. 🙂 I often adjust my grammar to match the situation Im in. On the streets of Brooklyn, I ask for directions by saying, Wheres the post office at? and on a dentists intake form recently changed Whom should we thank? to Who should we thank? because it just sounds more normal to the general public. Log in to Reply Judy Cullins says: September 2, 2011 at 5:35 pm I say focus on meaning and did the information enlighten you? I get a few gripes on my editiing when the meaning is clear. why do these kinds subscribe to my 170 blog posts and books when the only thing they say to me is This is a grammatical error. They miss my humor and the picture. Certainly, if they read my body of work, they would think amazing, not grammar minutia. Log in to Reply Judy Cullins says: September 2, 2011 at 5:36 pm I meant to say the BIG picture. I love blogs with humor! Log in to Reply Penelope J. says: September 6, 2011 at 3:39 pm Im afraid that I find it hard to compromise. Writers should learn, among other things, to use correct grammar and punctuation. Its a sign of respect for their readers. If there are grammatical errors, as someone above pointed out, there may be other more important mistakes in the content. Some popular bloggers maintain that its their creativity and content that count, and not their grammar. Why focus on whats wrong? is the usual retort when you point out, for example, that the possessive its does not have an apostrophe. Little do they realize how many of their so-called readers are turned off by or not reading their posts anymore for this very reason. However, spoken English is another matter. People can speak it the way they like. Anyway, the language/lingo is changing so much that almost anything is acceptable. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: September 6, 2011 at 4:41 pm Thanks Penelope. I admit that while I hold high standards for myself and for other writers, I also know that there are fewer and fewer great writers out there. Hey, not everyone can have The Essay Expert edit their writing, as much as I would like to take that on! My intention is to be forgiving while not relaxing my standards. Quite a trick! Log in to Reply