AP Calculus AB or BC
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| I agree that taking AB in Junior year and BC senior year is a great plan for a strong math foundation for college. My DC is extraordinary at math and a math major at VT and she opted for AB in Junior year to help make it a less stressful year (honors and AP other classes) and it was a very good choice. VT took her credit for the BC calc and she’s doing great with her math major. There’s no need to rush ahead. |
Anonymous
The only good part about this plan is that it is meant for slowly stretching one year of math material into two years. She would learn the calculus the first year, but then do almost the exact same thing with just a few additional topics the second year. In my opinion, not a great plan unless one likes to just take it easy the 2nd year.. which I suppose fits well with senioritis. |
Anonymous
Or, she crammed everything possible into senior year, so it was nice that calculus was one of her easier classes. She also took AP Stats, AP Physics A&E, and AP Physics Mech. There are plenty of paths to success. |
Anonymous
Eh, I guess it's fine if that worked for her. But if she did great in AB, surely she could have just taught herself the few topics that were not covered in BC. Then use that slot to take an elective or something she was interested in for her senior year class. I don't really see how AB + BC works for most students. Either they're already very good at math and want to take BC, or they're not super into it and take AB. AB covers plenty of calculus. Doing BC after having done AB seems like an inefficient use of time. |
Anonymous
| I would do AB |
Anonymous
What is AP Physics Mech? Did she do AP Physics C, which is both Mech and E-Mag? |
Anonymous
Yes, at our school it is two classes, so essentially physics every day. It seems like different schools offer different AP Physics C options. |
Anonymous
| Her math teacher is always the best person to ask. The advice here is sometimes well intentioned but not always informed or accurate. |
Anonymous
what school is it? |
Anonymous
Lake Braddock |
Anonymous
sorry, and I had a typo, It’s E&M ( or as you wrote E-Mag), not A&E. That would be where I watch documentaries, not my kid’s physics class. LOL |
Anonymous
|
I think it depends on what her expected major is in college.
Taking BC and doing well on the AP Exam would exempt your kid from Calc 1 and 2. My sons schools would only give credit for a Cal 1 because he scored a 4 on the exam. He prob could have taken AB and saved some headaches in HS and scored a 4/5 on exam for the same Calc 1 credit My current senior is taking AB, and she is expecting to major in a non-stem degree so her calc credit (if she does well ) may be overkill for the math requirement for her degree. |
Anonymous
|
There is a *big* gap between AP Pre Cal and Calc BC.
|
Anonymous
It's a little weird, because BC is usually taught as ABC instead of just BC. But it's a good plan for getting a good education. This is how math works up through high school: every year reviews and extends previous year (or 2 years ago when algebra and geometry alternate). Its better than going through material once and having any cracks in the foundation left to become sinkholes. Most students end up retaking their last math class when they get to college. AB+BC is the same idea, at time when the student maybe taking 5 other AP classes simultaneously. |
Anonymous
Not in VA, but I like the way our school approaches this for advanced students: they take one semester of AP precalc (whole thing in one semester) and one semester of AP Calc AB. The next year they take two semesters of BC (skipping the AB part they already did), which essentially slows down the second half of BC and lets them dive deep and really learn it. They use the same textbook as the state flagship university instead of an AP textbook. They only take the BC test though. If you start that cycle as a sophomore, you can take multivar in 12th. |