Which Math Class
Should I Take Next
Year?
A helpful discussion with AP Calculus
Teachers
Ms. Jennings and Mr. Messner
What math class can I take
next year?
O SIX choices for pre calc students
O Advanced Quantitative Reasoning
O Statistics
O AP Statistics
O Calculus
O AP Calculus AB
O AP Calculus BC
Advanced Quantitative
Reasoning
O Type of class –
O Student learning done in groups. A wide range of
topics and types of math will be examined most of
which you will be fairly familiar with. Analytically
based
O What will it prepare you for –
O AQR “prepares students for a range of future
options in non-mathematics-intensive college
majors or for entering workforce training
programs”
O Prereq is Alg 2
Statistics / AP Statistics
O Type of class –
O Not similar to other math classes you have
taken, a lot of reading, writing, and analysis
of data (compared to other math classes)
O What will it prepare you for –
O Regular stats will prepare you to do well in
college stat classes.
O AP Stats will prepare you for the AP exam
which, with a high enough score, could place
you out of college Stats
Calculus / AB Calc / BC Calc
O Type of class –
O Problem based, individualized, very algebraic
O What will it prepare you for –
O Calc – To do well in a college calculus class
O AB Calc – The AB Calc exam, which could
place you out of Calc 1 in college
O BC Calc – The BC Calc exam, which could
place you out of Calc 1 and Calc 2 in college
Difference between
AB and BC Calculus
O AB Calc
O One period (meets every other day) = Calc 1
in college
O BC Calc
O Two periods (meets every day) = Calc 1 and 2
in college
Sophomores in precal can take AB as juniors and BC as
seniors.
Difference between
AB and BC Calculus
O Difficulty level is the SAME!!!
O Both classes require strong algebraic skills
and strong knowledge of trigonometry (unit
circle known by heart)
O Calculator use is extremely limited.
O The primary difference is the amount of
material covered. (BC covering three extra
units of material)
What classes will be required
in college if I study…..
O Depends on your major
O Almost all majors require at least some math
courses (core classes that every student must
take)
O Not all require calculus as that math class
O All typically require a statistics class
O Which ones require calculus
O Any of the Sciences (chem, biology, computer
science, environmental science, physics, math)
O Business
O Engineering
Advice…
O The best “bang for the buck” is BC Calculus.
O If you pass the BC exam you get credit for 2
college classes. At UT for an in state student
that is worth ~$2000 and many hours of your
time
O Everyone in college will need to take some
sort of Stats class
O Why not take AP Stats and pass the AP exam
so you don’t have to take the class in
college?
Advice…
O All AP classes are tough!
O Some will find Calculus harder while others may find
Statistics harder
O Typically students in Pre AP Pre Calc are ready for the rigor
in either AP Calc or AP Stats
O If you are a strong regular pre calc student you are ready
O Can’t fit BC Calc in your schedule (or you don’t want to
be in math every day?)
O AB Calc is a solid option.
O A select group of students from AB will be learning the
extra material on their own time to take the BC exam.
O But to be clear… AB Calc and AP Stats is not “easier”
than BC Calc
Advice…
O Don’t want to take an AP math class at all?
O AQR, regular Stats, and regular Calc will all
prepare you for college math classes.
Questions?…