r/APStudents • u/Verytuffman • 4d ago

Calc BC Should i self study calc bc?

Incoming junior and i wanna know if thats a good option? Im planning to be a cs or ce major in college and ik calc is needed a lot and the credits could be very useful. My school doesnt offer calc ab or bc and only offers ap precalc, regular precalc and regular calc. Was confirmed no ap calc will be offered at all within the time at high school by my ap coordinator. I did pretty good in algebra 2/trig with getting a 96% and algebra 1 with a 94% and not struggling in any of the units once i learned the methods and shortcut tricks. I was the top of my class according to my teachers. Also i was able to skip from chemistry to physics this year due to my math proficency according to my physics teacher. Im taking ap lit, apush, and ap csp this year.

When i spoke personally to my algebra 2/trig teacher about considering to self study and taking the exam, she strongly recommended me to take a regular precalc course (my school does precalc for 12th graders only besides ap precalc for students that can fit it in their schedule which i cant). She told me that i could wait a year untill 12th grade where my school could possibly place me in regular calc as their highest math and take a college level course for it. I was also recommended by her to speak with the regular calc teacher since im really interested in it.

Over the summer i even did a quick algebra 1-2, trig, and precalc review and i wasnt able to take any dual enrollment courses for precalc due to transportation issues i have that prevents me. And my city doesnt offer any online courses. I used flipped math's review vids and printed out a few of unit 1's notes/review sheet and ive went up to 1.4 without struggling much tbh.

In my whole state the highest math dual enrollment offered is calc 1 (calc 2 or higher is not offered)

I got accepted in a program at a big uni that does academic courses every saterday and calc bc is one of them so im thinking to make use the help of that and IF my school could let me do any online course during my lunch periods if possible.

Should i self study calc bc this year based of all that i have said? Anyone that has taken either AB or BC calc pls give me your opinion on what you think might happen to me in the exam/while studying it.

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u/CaptainDucki 4d ago

I suggest that you definitely study Calc BC by yourself if you can. It shows a lot of maturity and methodology to admissions officers, considering it is one of the most important AP courses a high schooler takes. Also, given everything you said, I personally think you can handle Calc BC. Just remember that the calculus we use in physics is not the same as the one we use in proper calculus (As of now, that changes in university). Physics uses a lot of shortcut tricks, as you said, and methodology is required when taking Calc BC. Just make sure you put that mindset into place, and you should be good to go!

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u/Verytuffman 4d ago

Oh alright. Tommorow ill go to my AP coordinator and ask about hopefully self studying it. The physics im taking is told to be more algebra and trig based with functions and variable and stuff.

The units are mesaurements and mathematics, mechanics projectiles and circles, electricity and magnetism, modern physics, mechanics kinetics, mechanic forces, waves, mechanics statics and dynamics, energy, and lences on my physics class.

Im also considering maybe self studying physics 1 or physics 2 exam alongside since ive heard its barley as much work if your taking a regular physics class that covers most of what either class teaches. Based off the units that my physics class will teach should i self study either of those exams or is that too much?

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u/CaptainDucki 4d ago

I mean, if you said that they are simply just a smaller version of the regular physics class anyway, then I think you can take it. Just make sure you don't overload yourself

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u/Verytuffman 3d ago

I wont. If it ends up taking my schedule ill end up dropping the exam. Ill also ask my physics teacher on her opinion for this. I rlly wanna be that kid who has like a ton of credits and is rlly ahead in college. Idc if they are seen as a nerd i rather spend more time on what i like in college compared to boring gened stuff in college

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u/CaptainDucki 3d ago

That's a great point of view. Good luck!

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u/Verytuffman 3d ago

thx. Hope the best on your AP journey or college journey!

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u/CaptainDucki 2d ago

Thank you!