should I take the AP calc test?
 

I think I want to be premed in college next year so my thinking is that if I take Calc again next year it will be an easy A and boost my GPA. Then again, if I place out with the AP test, then I don't have to take the course. But, I would have to take a harder course.

Thoughts?

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

Yes. AP Calc tests (both AB and BC) were the best 8 hours of standardized testing of my life.

Edit: you'll probably want to kill yourself not long into retaking calc if you actually understand it. It'd be so dull. Advanced math is much more enjoyable (for me anyhow. I'm a math major)

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

agreed are you the one who goes to nu?

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

I would say it depends on what you are planning to do. I took it and passed, but in reality we did not cover the second half of the material very well. So I took Cal I in college and it was absolute cake. Cal II was somewhat challenging, because that material was not covered well in high school.

I could have skipped Cal I, but it really turned out to not be a big deal. Starting off with an easy course was kind of a good thing when I look back on it.

Regardless, you should take the AP exam to keep your options open. Some Universities will try to stick you in pre-cal coming out of high school, and that IS a waste of time. When they see you passed the AP, there is a better chance they'll let you do what you want to do.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

What do you plan on majoring in? If you go the Chemistry route you will need at least two semesters of calc and one semester of Diff EQ so I would take the AP test and just get it out of the way. That way you can take Calc II 1st semester and Diff EQ 2nd semester and be done with math after your freshman year. Biology doesn't require as much math, Calc I is all that is required at my school so either way it doesn't make a big difference.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

why would u have to take a harder course, atleast at my school if you opt out of a class due to an A.P class you can take an elective of your choice in it's place

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

NOOOPE.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

If the teacher is good AP calc is a really good class. Also not taking AP now so you can get an A in college is the tooliest thing anyone has ever said in the history if gigantic douchebag tools ever.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

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If the teacher is good AP calc is a really good class. Also not taking AP now so you can get an A in college is the tooliest thing anyone has ever said in the history if gigantic douchebag tools ever.

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I don't think it's toolish, but it is a really dumb thing to do. A lot of schools give credit towards graduation for high AP scores, which means that instead of having to take a harder course, you get to graduate early and take no class at all.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

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If the teacher is good AP calc is a really good class. Also not taking AP now so you can get an A in college is the tooliest thing anyone has ever said in the history if gigantic douchebag tools ever.

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OP is playing D1 soccer next year, so I don't think a piece-of-cake class during freshman year is the worst thing in the world..

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

Yeah I kind of exaggerated there. But seriously don't be that guy retaking the class for an A, or those kids who take a language they already know for the A.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

Do it. And where are you playing soccer next year?

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

depends on if your college offers you credit for it.

if yes, take it. if no, dont take it.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

Like said, I think my school would have forced me to start off with pre-cal if I hadnt taken the AP exam. So if your already taking cal in high school, you should take the AP to keep your options open.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

I decided to take the test this morning, hopefully I got a 4 or 5 so I don't have to take it next year. The argument for not taking the test and then getting an easy A next year is legitimate if you want the highest GPA possible for grad school/med school...but I decided to man up and hopefully place out.


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Do it. And where are you playing soccer next year?

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northwestern

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

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agreed are you the one who goes to nu?

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Yeah I do. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about NU, or the math department specifically. Having taken the AP tests, I really can't answer first hand about the calc sequence, but I know lots of people who have done it.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

Just took this test today. The extended problems were hard as balls, multiple choice was easy.

I do see where you're coming from though, which I was I don't really mind either way if I pass (which I'm sure I will) because taking in college would be good for a slacker such as myself.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

Take it for sure.

Calc 1/2 are the most failed/dropped classes here and not something you want to take if you can avoid it (though this probably varies widely).

Whoever said that AP credits are bad because you will "have to graduate early" is wrong. I was a junior by standing after my first freshman semester (50ish AP credits, took a few university classes while in high school). I basically can take whatever that interests me for now, and will be able to double major (triple, maybe) in totally unrelated fields if I so desire.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
agreed are you the one who goes to nu?

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Yeah I do. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about NU, or the math department specifically. Having taken the AP tests, I really can't answer first hand about the calc sequence, but I know lots of people who have done it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I just graduated from NU myself and used to tutor in the math department for the first year calc sequence, happy to answer any questions as well. You going there for sure or were you just curious about the school?

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

Keeper,

you made the right decision.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

I'm kind of regretting not taking this for some reason. I don't really know why. It wuold have been really easy, b/c I did well in math this year and had a great teacher. It was probably just b/c I didn't want to spend ~3 hours of my summer studying tbh.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm kind of regretting not taking this for some reason. I don't really know why. It wuold have been really easy, b/c I did well in math this year and had a great teacher. It was probably just b/c I didn't want to spend ~3 hours of my summer studying tbh.

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I didn't do well in my high school calc class, didn't study for the AP test, yet I still got a 5 on it. It really is worth taking even if you don't feel you know the material that well.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

I didn't study for the test. I really don't think you need to. If you're a good student then all the broad material you will need to do good on the test will already be nailed into your head.

Not to mention you need around a 30% to get a 3 on the test (which is usually the amount of points you need to test out of Calc 1 in college). If you need a 5 then I think you need a 59% or something. Just goes to show how hard the test can get, but if you're a good student you will most likely pass the test regardless.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

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why would u have to take a harder course, atleast at my school if you opt out of a class due to an A.P class you can take an elective of your choice in it's place

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I think you have to take 2 math courses in college for premed or something

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

I have friends at Cal who retook Calc 1&2 after getting a 5 on the AP test.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

if u can calculate your reverse implied odds in a three handed pot, calc should be no problem go for it

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

take Calc in college, its a little different than high school test.

also, take the ap calc test because you may always wonder what you could have gotten

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

Take the test and ace it, so you don't have to re-take them in college. My roommate my freshman year could've taken Calc 3 his first semester because he got credit for Calc 1 and 2 via the AP exam. Instead of just going directly into Calc 3 though, he chose to start in Calc 2 and ended up failing it, and had to re-take it again the following semester [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

Dont't worry CAL AB is a piece of cake

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Take the test and ace it, so you don't have to re-take them in college. My roommate my freshman year could've taken Calc 3 his first semester because he got credit for Calc 1 and 2 via the AP exam. Instead of just going directly into Calc 3 though, he chose to start in Calc 2 and ended up failing it, and had to re-take it again the following semester [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

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are the AP exams really that much easier then taking the class in college?

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

Not sure, I doubt it. I didn't take the AP exams, but didn't have too much difficulty with Calc 1 & 2 in college. I think it's just a matter of attending class and doing the homework like anything else, but my roommate failed to do these [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Take the test and ace it, so you don't have to re-take them in college. My roommate my freshman year could've taken Calc 3 his first semester because he got credit for Calc 1 and 2 via the AP exam. Instead of just going directly into Calc 3 though, he chose to start in Calc 2 and ended up failing it, and had to re-take it again the following semester [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

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are the AP exams really that much easier then taking the class in college?

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Yes.

I brought in ~50 AP credits, and every single time I have had the opportunity to compare the AP exam difficulty (or the coursework of the equivalent high school class) with the college version, the college version is always much more difficult.

And its not because you are missing out on important material with the AP test compared to the college class, but instead you run into stuff like brutal curves in intro level classes to weed people out (my psych class: max of 5% As)

Calc I and II are the most failed/dropped classes on my campus.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Take the test and ace it, so you don't have to re-take them in college. My roommate my freshman year could've taken Calc 3 his first semester because he got credit for Calc 1 and 2 via the AP exam. Instead of just going directly into Calc 3 though, he chose to start in Calc 2 and ended up failing it, and had to re-take it again the following semester [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]
are the AP exams really that much easier then taking the class in college?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes.

I brought in ~50 AP credits, and every single time I have had the opportunity to compare the AP exam difficulty (or the coursework of the equivalent high school class) with the college version, the college version is always much more difficult.

And its not because you are missing out on important material with the AP test compared to the college class, but instead you run into stuff like brutal curves in intro level classes to weed people out (my psych class: max of 5% As)

Calc I and II are the most failed/dropped classes on my campus.

[/ QUOTE ]
Well I didn't take AP classes in high school and now I regret it. Calc I was a breeze but Calc II was pretty difficult, seemed liked quite a few people dropped it because the class was pretty full at the beginning of the year and by the time the final rolled around I would say 30-40% of those people were gone.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

APs are way easier. The curves on some AP tests are incredibly generous. Plus, there's downside. If you fail an AP, it doesn't affect your GPA. If you fail a class, ouch.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

My answer before looking at any part of this thread:

Why the hell would you take an AP class and NOT take the test? Passing out of a semester's worth of classes was the best thing I've done in my college career. Just because you get a 5 on an AP exam doesn't mean you'd get an A in a college calc course, the AP test is way easier than college courses, plus the calc BC exam does not cover all of college's Calc 2 class.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

The ap tests were a while ago...i ended up taking them.

Re: should I take the AP calc test?
 

i got a 5 on ab and a 4 on bc calc tests, and b/c i was doing engineering it passed me out of nothing. I got a b- in the class in college, in part because of lack of effort and in part because they covered slightly different stuff.

on a side note, i dropped out of engineering for biology, and if i'd entered the school as biology i would've gotten like 12 math credits or something. oh well.