I am currently a freshman on the +1 track, and I want to move to the +2 track. I want to know if this is a good option and if I can pass the class. I’m decently good at math, but I tend to be very lazy. Is this a good option?
I’m inclined to say no. You need to make sure you get a solid foundation in Algebra II which can be hard over summer, especially if you are only “decent” at math and are unlikely to put in the additional work needed to ensure that you master the material in a condensed amount of time.
There are lots of reasons why kids may not have made their best efforts in their classes so far. Sometimes there is a lot else going on in their lives. Sometimes they have gotten a lot of negative feedback which they have internalized. Sometimes they just really don’t like school work. Sometimes they like some school work, but not other school work, and sometimes among such kids part of the issue is they don’t like school work they find unchallenging and therefore boring.
In some of these scenarios, like the last one, accelerating may well actually help to get the kid to school work they actually like better. In other scenarios, it could be a total disaster. Without knowing you, it is virtually impossible for us to predict which way it could go.
But maybe you have some adults in your life who know you and who you trust to give good advice. So I would suggest talking to such adults if you can.
Our school actually prohibits fast tracking algebra (either 1 or 2) over the summer because it is such a foundational course for the rest of the math you do - no matter how talented the student is. Better to get a solid grounding than to rush it and flounder later (especially if you are only aiming at “passing” the class). You can see what your counselors say about it, but this is the general advice I see given too.
You are +1 already and acknowledge you lack discipline.
You’re already ahead of the curve.
Heck no. Follow the current path.
If you are “decently good” at math, the +1 track is probably the appropriate placement.
If you are “very lazy”, then further acceleration, particularly with a fast paced summer class, has plenty of room to go wrong.
Going to the +2 track does not provide that much value long term over the +1 track for most students. What is the reason for wanting to go to the +2 track?
Sounds like this option would be for next summer, 8 months from now?
If so, this is what I suggest: Over the next 8 months, do your very, very best in your current math class. Do ALL the homework, ALL the extra credit, study hard for ALL the tests. Sit in the front and pay close attention. Take notes. Ask questions if you don’t understand. Be a generous and kind classmate to your fellow students, helping them when they don’t understand.
In other words, starting NOW, be the excellent un-lazy student you will need to be in order to be 2+ accelerated. If you do all this successfully, you will be in a good position to take Algebra II over the summer, and thrive on the 2+ track thereafter.
Best wishes, no matter what you decide!
Good for them! This is very much along the lines of what I was thinking.
I was a math major in university. I was good at math. After graduating, I got jobs that needed math skills. I used some trigonometry, some multivariate calculus, some probability theory. Some stochastic processes. Some modulo arithmetic. What was needed the most? What was used on pretty nearly every math problem that I ever worked on? Basically high school algebra 2. You might use probability theory or calculus to set up the problem, but then you end up with equations that you need to solve – sometimes rather complex equations. You are essentially using high school algebra 2 to do most of the job.
I think that this is something that is worth taking the time to learn well. This is something that you are going to want to use again in a wide variety of courses and for any of a wide variety of majors.
This is also something that is worth putting a lot of time and effort into and striving for an A if not an A+ in the class. Again, this is worth learning well because you are going to have a lot of opportunities to use it again and again.
Is there a reason why you have Bowdoin College as a tag? I can remove that for you if that was a mistake.
Agree with others – algebra is a foundational course in a subject where skills are cumulative. I would not take algebra over the summer.
@Tejas_Vijayagopal if this screen name is your real name, I would urge you to change it asap. Here is how:
Most +2 Math track students started from taking integrated math since middle school. They had a good math foundation from young age, not by taking summer course to rush there. Even if you really want to do it, Algebra II is not the right class to do it. The recommended Math class to take in summer to accelerate is either Geometry or Pre-Calculus. Good Luck.
Accelerated students are expected to be motivates and not lazy. This alone says to me that you are already accelerated enough.
And really…the vast majority of HS students never take a summer school class in high school.
Why do you feel the need to do all of this?
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