Here are several letters from past AP Calculus AB students, for those who plan to take AP Calculus AB. Dear AP Calc/ future AP Calc student, If I could go back and restart my senior year, I would. I would not have changed my classes, but instead, I would do the opposite of what I did in this class all year. I have always been the kind of student to get through all of my classes, even AP s, with minimal effort. For some reason, taking both AP Chemistry and AP Calculus was an academic shock, something that finally took me aback and surprised me with having to put steady effort into, because I have always understood math and science as if it was already installed into my hard drive. Simply put, I struggled. I gave up early in the game. That was honestly the biggest mistake I made in this class. Now, having struggled and given up, I will end both semesters with a C, barely getting by. From my experiences, I offer you this advice: Even when you struggle, DO NOT GIVE UP. I can promise you that this will not come easy without hard work. Make sure to do the homework and not just copy it. On top of that, it may be helpful to do the homework a second time. You are also given these informational videos to use at any time so use it! If it turns out that you still find difficulty in understanding, go in for help during Mr. Robb s hours. This was a resource I wish I took advantage of, because someone who can explain in more ways than one, unlike a solutions book, is always helpful. I also realized that making a notebook like Pre-Calculus would have helped a lot. It is important to know which way you learn best, like, personally, I need to be engaged and fully concentrated math will start to bore me, so making a colorful page that explained the procedures in a clear way to my mind helped. I found that the more time I put in, the better I did, and I know that doing math every day (especially calculus) may feel like you are digging a deeper and deeper grave into the fiery core of the Earth, but instead you are actually getting closer and closer to passing the class with a good grade in the end allowing yourself to walk on graduation and even making sure your college acceptances are not withdrawn. If you happen to find yourself in a distracting situation outside of school like I did, I understand that it might be hard to divert your attention to something so prominent, but remember every educational step you take advantage of will, in the end, give you the bail you need to move on from the situations you are experiencing now. It will give you a better future and the experience of multitasking with both your future and present. In that case, work hard and remember why you took the class in the first place (whether my consequences apply to you or not).
What to expect in the class... -Tests are everything, homework is to help you pass the tests. -Every day is a new lesson or review/practice on the current lesson, so doing the homework at the correct time can help you understand concepts in class. -There is an even shot at both multiple choice and free responses. -There are A LOT of notes, so have a notebook or two ready so you can takes notes and look back at them chronologically. -Every concept is tied together, so don't throw away first semester notes. Chapter 1 will most likely be tied to Chapter 8. -Always ask questions in class to your peers because it is better to learn as you go then to learn individually later. -You need to study for this class no matter what or else concepts won't stick to you. You will end up bubbling in every WRONG answer. -This is not the type of class where you can teach yourself everything two days before and be okay on the test. -Very small commercial breaks because there is a lot to cover. After the AP test it's pretty lit. -Do not put your stuff away even though there is two minutes left of class. Chances are that particular problem will be on the test. -Robb is pretty straight forward so beware of getting roasted, but don't take it personally just laugh it out. -If you have a bad grade, keep trying. -If you get a bad grade first semester, you can do really well the second semester by putting in the time, or drop the class if you know you cannot put in the time. -This is an AP that can hurt you if you do not do your homework daily. Not for the points of homework but your grade on tests. -Watching notes videos ahead of class can help build understanding of a concept in class.
Dear prospective student, At this moment you are probably facing your senior class scheduling decisions, or maybe for a few your junior class. And if you are reading this letter it is because you are considering taking AP Calculus. This letter is coming from a student who excelled in all her math classes from freshman year, getting A s have never been a problem for me. Yet, at the moment I have a C in this class. Though my C may look bad, you must understand that I m taking four other AP classes at the time. I did not have enough time to dedicate to this class. Don t take this class if you can t manage your time correctly, because this will be the part where you make it or break it. I know many other students who are currently facing the fact that their college acceptances might be revoked for a poor grade in AP Calculus. These are students who excelled all other years in math, but Calculus simply required too much of them. This class requires much attention, in class and out of class. First semester I actually did well in the class, I had a solid B and was confident about my second semester grades. But the only reason I received a B is that I still was focusing, yet second semester senioritis hit me hard. Already knowing that many colleges had accepted me, I did not care anymore. My grade took a low blow because of that reason. And now when everyone else is relaxing, I m still studying after the AP test hoping to take retake some tests to raise my grades. This class requires perseverance to the very end, if you do end up taking this class make sure to keep that in mind. Do not let yourself lag, keep up with the homework, and keep up with the class. Don t let the thought of your final year make you forget that these grades still do matter. Do not risk it if you do not plan on dedicating to it many hours. Sincerely, Former Student
To whom it may concern Hello if you are reading this then you have decided to partake in ap calculus. Hopefully you are a student that is willing to learn and is ready to try your hardest. But maybe you are someone who has coasted through all of your math course without trying averaging C s in every one of your math classes. You aren t used to studying and don t plan to for this class because you probably have done that for years. Well, I was like that when I started calculus, I thought i could coast without trying at all but I was so wrong. Taking this course made me actually study and practice for it and during my time in the class i have come up with several tips that might help you if you plan on coasting by in ap calculus. Learn to do the class assignments as soon as possible. In this course you will be given your assignments for a unit weeks prior they are even due and each assignment has its own ideas and concepts that require time and practice to master them. At first i would do these assignments last minute, and this was a bad idea since the day they are due there tends to be an exam on that unit which can be quite difficult if one did not study. Soon after I began doing my assignments as soon as I got them and this enabled me to have a better understanding of the unit and I actually began to do decent in my exams. So, essentially do your homework as soon as you can, it will help you understand the many different concepts and ideas of calculus and will prepare you future exams to come. Watch online videos before coming to class. Usually in the classroom there is very little time to waste so usually you are plugged into a lesson as soon as class starts and this means that people who aren t paying that close of attention may lose an important detail from the lesson. This happened numerous of times, and I was at time completely lost since i sometimes had very little context on what was going on. But one day I began using my online resources and looked up online videos on the lesson that would be taught the next day and I would have some context to what was being taught. I first exposed it to my brain, and then i expanded it more during class time. Learn to ask questions to your peers and your teachers as well. If you are the type student i was, laid back and putting little effort, then you might not be used to asking questions and might feel as if it makes you look a bit uneducated to your whole classroom. Well that s how i felt at first too, I would not ask a question at all, if i did have a question i would just look it up online and teach myself later in the day. This never really worked since i usually forgot i had a question or if i remembered, i was still having trouble. One day i decided to ask a question in class and Robb was able to answer it with ease and i did not feel as if i was being judged at all. Soon I began asking more questions than before and I was able to learn more and understand complicated processes and ideas. So overall asking questions does not make you seem less intelligent but rather it makes you learn more. So those are the three essential tips i have for those who are C students and who think they can coast by with no problem. Well i'm here to tell you that you can t, trust me I tried. Also one more thing, be well rested and eat well before class, you will be more focused and be ready to learn. Dear Future Students,
Hello calculus students! I hope that this letter helps you make the right decision about taking this course. In my opinion, AP Calculus AB is not an easy course to take. This class requires a lot of hard work and preparation. If you plan on taking this course, there are many things that you need to know. First off, it is very important to determine how well you did in Pre-cal. If Pre-cal came easy to you then it would be a good idea to challenge yourself and take this course. However, if Pre-cal was not easy and required a lot of effort, then you may want to stay away from this course. During the first semester, the class is not extremely hard. I did very well in the first semester and pulled off an A. I am typically an A student in all of my past math classes that I have taken at El Diamante. I did all of the homework, studied very hard during first semester, and I was able to reach my goal! Second semester came around and the course got a lot more tougher. It is essential that you work hard during BOTH semesters. Being a senior, you will start to get senioritis and want to stop putting in the time and effort needed for this class. I received a C second semester, which was tough for me to deal with. If you play a sport during one or both semesters, it is important to keep up with your work and not slack off. You will not be able to get away with hardly studying for any tests that you take in this class, so make sure you have time to study! One important thing to take advantage of is the office hours. Mr. Robb is in his class a lot of the time and is willing to help students during lunch, before school, and during homeroom. Mr. Robb is a great teacher, and will be able to help you as long as you put in the time to learn the material. Taking AP Calculus will require a lot of work no matter how smart you are. It is important to decide whether you want to work hard during your senior year. There will be a good amount of homework that you will have to do as well as studying for tests. Expect this class to be tough and do not take this class for granted, because it will be difficult. Even if you are used to getting straight A s in math, you will most likely have a tough time keeping an A in the class. Overall, this was a very fun class for me because I like math a lot, but it will take hard work, sweat, and tears to achieve success in this class. Best of luck, Anonymous Is AP Calculus the Right Course for you? Dear Prospective AP Calculus Student, AP Calculus is a course that will both benefit and challenge you. If you are a student who typically does well in classes including those in math, but are unsure whether this class is right for you, my experience and advice may prove beneficial to you. As a student who has never received less than an A in a class, I found myself able to keep my trend in calculus; however, it was not without a struggle. Math has never been my strongest subject. I ve
always had to study more in my math classes than for other subjects, and this dilemma was intensified in AP Calculus. Although getting an A in this class took, at times, more effort than getting A s in AP Biology, AP European History, and the other various AP classes I have taken, it was not unachievable for me. If you re an A student and put in the necessary effort, I believe it will be possible for you as well. For me, AP Calculus was a game of catch-up. After not performing well on the first unit test, I found myself having to get A s on the remaining tests for the semester. This meant even more studying for myself. At times it became very difficult for me to keep trying, but I knew I wanted an A in the class. To ensure an A on the unit tests, I began to do the assigned homework alongside the completion of the chapters in class rather than waiting until right before the unit tests when the homework is due. For the homework problems that confused me, I looked up the solutions in the solutions manual found in the online textbook. I found this very helpful in guiding me in the right direction with problems I could not solve on my own. I also made sure to do these problems multiple times for extra practice. I also had to study my notes from class frequently. This meant I needed to pay extra attention in class and take very neat and organized notes that were easy for me to reflect on. It is important to know yourself before deciding whether or not to enroll in AP Calculus. If you know that math comes easy to you and you are a 4.0+ student, you will likely do well in calculus. If math requires a bit more work for you to master than other subjects but you are still a 4.0+ student, you will have to put in more work and time than the aforementioned student, but an A in the class is still a possibility. Every student will come upon an instance in AP Calculus in which there presents a challenge. If you work hard in face of challenges, your odds of doing well in the class increase. If you shy away when things get tough, you are not likely to do well in this class. There will always be help for you in this class. Whether it be study books, your peers, or your teacher, there are resources available for you to utilize. The thing is, you have to be responsible for your own learning. You need to utilize your own resources. No matter what academic pathway you choose, no matter if you choose to take AP Calculus or not, you can still be an academic success. You shouldn't feel as though you have to take this class in order to do well in high school. Don't take this class because your parents, friends, or learning director tells you to. Take this class only if you enjoy learning and are capable of hard work and dedication. Dear Future Calculus Student, First of all, welcome to AP Calculus a class that tests whether you really like math or not. Now for surviving Calculus there are a few things to remember. First, always do the packet of notes at home before class. Always. You have to do the notes anyways so why not do them when they can actually help you. It's so much more helpful knowing what you are actually doing in class then trying to piece everything together quickly; even watching the practice videos help if
you need extra practice. Don t just assume that you will catch on quickly and then be screwed when on the AP test because you weren t trying. Also don t assume you are too good for the practice videos. If you don't like asking for help or are trying to study the day before a test, these videos will be your friend. Second, always do the homework ahead of time then right before the day it is due. Your homework won't be like ten questions per assignment it will be more like 30-40. Then you will have to cram in all that information in and when you get to the test you won't feel like doing another stupid quotient rule (you'll understand when you have to do those problems). Do your homework the weekend before so if you have any issues on one of the application problems then you can ask others for help. Trust me your future self will thank you for doing your homework early than procrastinating the night before. Lastly, don t fret too much about the class. The class seems way more intimidating than what it really is. Now I should tell you I thought Pre-Calc was easy, but if you ask anyone who took the class before, they will tell you that the math in AP Calc is very easy. Now I am no way endorsing you to not study or to procrastinate on everything, I merely am trying to give you a feel for what the class is like. This class is easy if you make it easy. You may need to rely on yourself to teach if you don't understand something, you have so many resources to help hopefully one sticks. So future Calculus student I wish you luck on your journey to hopefully passing the AP test and the class (but mostly the AP test). Best wishes, 2015-2016 Calculus Student