<p>I'm currently in Algebra II/Trigonometry Honors right now. freshman.
I want to do Precalculus over the summer to be able to do AP Calculus AB in sophomore year.
How much different is Precal from Algebra II/Trig? And how necessary is Precalculus for AP Calculus AB? Will it be hard content-wise? The teacher for AP Calculus AB also assigns a lot of homework so there will be a heavy workload, as some have said - although I think they are exaggerating because they are those type of people that tend to BS but whatever. Might also be doing AP World History and tennis concurrently so that is another thing to consider...
maybe I shouldn't do AP World, which is the hardest AP at my school (excellent teacher), since I am planning to major in computer science and minor in mathematics in college...i also think it is unnecessary since it is just world history but all my friends are doing it and i don't want to feel like the odd one out either since i am also academically stronger than them (#1 in class) and seem like a coward...your thoughts?</p>
<p>Take AP World. And Precalculus is an extension of Alg 2/Trig. You just do more trig, might get to polar and parametrics. All Precalc is is learning how to use more functions, and extension of trig knowledge.</p>
<p>See you think you can do that but you need a good precalc foundation to move on to ap calc. ab, especially ab. I know you think it will be useless, but there are many new concepts that you can't learn in the summer. Some of the concepts are complex and you will need to know them like that when you are in ap calc. Plus the the ap calc ab exam is really hard and you need a good knowledge of precalc for it. Your going to go in ap calc and then you wont get it. Then you will start falling behind and not do well. I took ap calc last year and right now I am a senior and the test was really hard. You need to now a lot of precalc topics. I do NOT recommend doing that. But that is my personal opinion,</p>
<p>If you have trig and algebra 2 you should have no problem advancing to AP Calculus without any additional preparation. I took algebra 2 then learned some trig over the summer, and I took AB this year, and I did well. </p>
<p>The test is not very difficult.</p>
<p>^^ Are you solid in math?
^ I agree with him. I'm taking BC online next year because my school only has IB Math.
@OP, if you're solid in math you can pick up on Precalc quickly. I should've jumped to BC this year, but I had to stick in Alg 2/Trig. Honestly, precalculus you can do over the summer and soak up stuff really well.</p>
<p>^^ What score did you receive on the AP AB Exam?</p>
<p>bump 10char</p>
<p>Sure. Skipping Precalc is super simple. It's literally a Alg 2 rehash + trig. Do EPGY, that's what I did.</p>
<p>EPGY? From Stanford? May you please clarify what that program is & it's precal thing :o ?</p>
<p>EPGY Online Courses. Google it.</p>
<p>They have it in the summer? Because it says it's only during the regular fall/spring school year... lol and it's thousands of $</p>
<p>EPGY offers online courses year round (apply now).</p>
<p>I knew plenty of people who took precal over the summer to get in to AP Calc. They didn't let students just take AP Calc without taking Precal (our Precal actually covered a lot of stuff much more in depth than Algebra II).</p>
<p>I would suggest doing it, as taking Calc sophomore year puts you at a good spot in terms of math (not too advanced, but enough so that you will be able to take pretty much every math class you would want to. As in, at colleges or nearby universities).</p>
<p>^ did they go to community colleges? if so, do you know how fast the class went there?</p>
<p>Do it. Precalc is easy. You can honestly study it on your own, I know a lot of people did.</p>
<p>wooo yay alright. i was feeling fearful a little</p>
<p>I would recommend not doing it. I know one person who did it and they did bad in the class and got a 3 on th ap exam and that person was like very smart. 2240 on his SAT.</p>
<p>I'm doing it and I strongly recommend it. Precalc is really not that hard, as many are saying. I sometimes have trouble with trig identities/proofs, but it's not like a teacher would help as long as you understand the concepts. You may have trouble completing the course in time if you are starting it now, which should be your main concern.</p>