Is My Schedule Too Much?

ucbalumnus
Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:17:37 +0000

AimHigh2:

AP Calculus AB is a full year at my high school, although it is equal to one semester of college math. AP Calculus BC is also a full year. Like I said, I am not too enthusiastic about taking academic classes at a local community college when I could get AP credit for it. Most high schools have AP Calculus AB is a full year. AP Calculus BC is the same as a year of math in college, so how is it possible to do a year and a half of work in only one year?



Actually, your high school is spreading a year of calculus over two years.

AP Calculus BC (which includes AB) approximates a one year college or university calculus course that is normally taken by college or university freshmen in majors which require calculus. Note that freshmen who are zero years ahead in math (i.e. who have completed up to precalculus in high school but have not had any calculus course) are expected to be able to learn the material in a one year course.

When I was in high school, there was only one calculus course, which taught to the BC syllabus over one year.

If you really are concerned about whether universities will allow transfer of community college courses, you can take the community college calculus course and take the AP Calculus BC test (the same applies to physics). Of course, when you complete freshman calculus or AP Calculus BC, you will likely have to go to community college anyway for further math, since it is unlikely that a university will accept high school courses in multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations over community college courses.