Can someone tell me how to prepare for PAP Pre-Calc!? My friends have put me to my whits end worrying about how I most likely won’t get higher than a B in the class. My high school is well known for having bad math teachers and it’s coincidentally MY WORST SUBJECT. I really need to ace this course to raise my GPA and I have an entire summer to prepare for it. What should I do!? *PS, I’ve heard that using preparatory books don’t help and those who did bad in algebra 2 (I’m one of those people!) will suffer through the course.
Thanks! X_X
Ahhh I’m in the same dilemma as you! The algebra 2 teachers were really good in my school but the upper classmen tell me that all of our calc teachers are really bad! :(. Almost no one gets an A in Pre-Calc and the pass rate for our AP Calc BC class is 12% :’(
There are many resources online, e.g. AoPS algebra, geometry, and pre-calculus textbooks come to mind (some problems can be very tricky, but their emphasis on problem solving and getting a solid understanding over just memorizing formulas is good).
Not sure how much prep books will help, but if you have a poor algebra background, you’ll probably have a hard time in pre-calc and calc.
you could take a summer Precalculus class through Johns Hopkins CTYOnline or something (I am doing this). I am doing it so that I can take AP Calc next year, but if you just want to take it so that it gives you a strong foundation, I’m sure it would help. It’s individually paced so you can go through it however quickly or slowly you want
Would recommend working through the AoPS precalc book on your own over the summer.
Type in ProfRobBob precalculus on youtube and watch his videos not only before your class but also during the year as you learn topics. My school also notoriously has a hard pre-calc teacher but this guy got me through it!
i would recommend buying a study guide and going through as much of it as you can on your own. i was also very bad at alg 2, and used Barron’s EZ Pre Calculus (which goes right along with pre-ap pre calculus curriculum) to study. in addition to that, go to tutorials often, pay attention in class, and keep up with the homework (practicing math is the best way to master it!) i 100% believe that you can ace the class, and even if you dont, it wont be the end of the world.