I'm starting AP Calc next year and I was wondering if anyone has any advice that I might find helpful for doing well in the class. Thanks!
Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 8:39 pm
Take a summer course. Or buy a crash course book. Or tutor. Either way become familiar with it.
From my HS class, the kids would be swamped in poor test grades and boat loads of homework.
If you become familiar with it (like a good deal familiar) not only will the rest of the class be envious, the teacher will appreciate it, and you won't feel as much anxiety as everyone else.
Also - the teacher at my old HS was known for being real a**l. So it depends on what you're getting into. I'd still go for it anyway.
Go into it expecting to work hard in a different way. Most of the kids who get up to AP calc in high school had a fairly easy time in math classes, feeling like most things made sense right away. There are quite a few fundamental concepts that calculus introduces that require higher-level thought (otherwise, why would it be an AP class?). If you put your effort into really understanding those at the beginning of the year, the rest of the class will feel like the old math classes: just a bunch of variations on a theme with a boatload of repetitive homework.
To that end, SuchSweetSadism's suggestions are really good. The more prepared you are with the early stuff, the smoother the transition will be. I wouldn't do a summer course personally (or shell out the money for a tutor), but a crash course book is always useful to have on hand. If you use it to stay a week ahead of what the teachers doing, by the time you get to the class that covers a given topic you'll know what questions you have to ask.
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 10:22 am
Agree with it being higher thinkings.
It's almost like philosophy meets Math... in a way.
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