What I Learned In AP Calculus Class

I have been placed into Accelerated Intro to Calc, but after looking at the course catalog, I would feel much more comfortable taking Honors Intro to Calc this year. This is because I have never taken a formal Precalculus class (although I did learn it casually by myself), and the course description of the Accelerated course included topics that I have never heard before.

First, the obvious one, I took calculus. Second, its a bit of a long story.

Someone once said, “Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.” I use to think that I couldn’t take AP because it was too difficult. But I’m willing to prove to myself and others that just because something is considered hard, doesn’t automatically mean it’s not for you or that you’re going to fail. I want to take AP Biology because I want to challenge myself, of the benefits, and for the experience. I believe that hard work comes with great rewards that are life changing.

Everyone who doubted me had to state that they told me not to take it but I felt accomplished that I took the hardest class provided in my high school. It was depressing that I didn’t pass the AP exam but when next year came I took AP Environmental science which was the same concept as AP World in which is all based on note taking and quizzes that relied on the notes you take from the textbook. I felt that AP World History had a major impact on this class because I was taking notes every night studying for the test. I ended up doing really well in AP Environmental science and passing the AP exam with a 4. After I took the exam I started to look back and realize how much AP World helped me succeed. Although I didn’t pass the exam for AP World I felt like all the hard work and dedication carried over to AP Environmental Science which made me realize that all those people who told me not to take the class were only trying to bring me down because it ended up helping me be a better student and leading me to be better prepared for the

I have learned how to ask better questions and to talk to my teachers when I need help or do not understand the concept well. I make sure that I have a relationship with my teachers and introduce myself at the beginning of each semester. Learning how to communicate with my teachers

Last year, I also challenged myself to improve my Calculus grade. Through a distance learning program at UCLA, I took a Business Calculus course, in which I scored an ‘A’.

As those who love physics or chemistry, or biology, are most likely to understand difficult and complex concepts and be successful in their respective subjects, I became more successful at understanding mathematical concepts as my junior year progressed and as my senior year began. Calculus became an infinitely easier subject and one that I could comprehend with relative ease, even easier than traditionally “easy” subjects for me such as history or language arts. I learned that I could fly through problem sets and enjoy it, and for the first time in my school life, I was the one answering my peers’ questions instead of being the designated clueless classmate. Learning to love something that is so essential to life made me enjoy myself and my life more than I had previously, and I no longer felt the self-doubt of not being “gifted” in mathematics in a group of mathematically “gifted” students. I feel markedly more confident in my mathematical abilities, both presently and in the future as a student majoring in

The second semester of this course made me question my passion for math. I understood concepts and the curriculum but I would never do well in the practice AP Tests my teacher gave us weekly. The tests would be curved tremendously and the grades I received were a lie. 9/45 does not equal a 70%. I felt true resentment.

This school year, I decided to join AP Calculus AB. It was tough for me to decide if I should join or not, especially since I'm going to be taking an AP course. I knew it will be more challenging than basic calculus, and instead of taking math for one semester only, I'll have AP Calc for the whole school year. After days of contemplating, I

Furthermore, I realized that this semester was going to be particularly challenging because of the Pre-calculus and Calculus hybrid course I had enrolled in; math has not always been my best subject and taking a fast-tracked math course was sure to be disastrous. Nevertheless, I was determined to make A’s in all my classes. After the first week of classes, I could already feel myself becoming overwhelmed with the amount of work I had to do in such a short amount of time. Not to mention, how disappointed I felt in myself when I received my first quiz grade for my pre-calculus class, I had bombed the quiz terribly by making a 65.

Taking countless AP classes through my high school career I have learned to go well above and beyond the minimum in order to get to the top. Studying regardless of the time of day, attending tutorials before and after school, and jumping on any extra credit offered. Such a rigorous course load has prepared me for the challenges

How I changed from this semester to the end of the semester is that I am not turning in late work anymore because I have learned my lesson with all my teachers. I used to turn in a lot of late work and they would not count it as a grade.

In preparation for my next AP calculus test, I began to study every day in hopes of raising my grade. I consistently did my homework and reviewed my notes after school. When test day arrived, I felt more prepared than ever. As I went through the test, I felt familiar with the concepts and confidently went about the problems. A few days passed and my teacher handed back the tests. I slowly turned the paper around and peered at the top; the number 84 peeked out at me. A huge weight lifted from me and a wave of relief came down across.

In 2011-2012, I began teaching AP Calculus AB; a course offered since 1995. In that time, enrollment has increased by 33% in spite of three additional AP mathematics classes being added to the curriculum. This year for the first time in school history, there are two AP Calculus AB classes with a total of 41 students. Also, the number of qualifying exam scores increased by 1300%. In 2012, my first year of teaching AP Calculus, I only had five students take the exam with only one student making a qualifying score. In 2014, for the first time in school history, a student scored a 5 on the AP Calculus exam; three students achieved this. In 2016, I increased the number of students taking the exam to twenty-one with fourteen students making a qualifying score. In 2016, I had six students make a 5, two students make a 4, and six students make a 3. Not only have I

I think it is safe to say math has always been a passion of mine. I remember learning to count to 1000 in first grade. When I was finally able to do it without any help, it was like swimming for the first time, eating the ripe tomatoes I grew myself, or putting together a new song on the guitar. The feeling of accomplishment cannot be recreated. As we get older, this feeling becomes more difficult to achieve. This only increases my motivation and determination to learn something new. AP calculus has been a roller coaster of learning. Despite the struggle and rigor, I learned valuable skills that will help me in my future aspirations. Taking the AP Calculus exam gave me a rush of accomplishment. I have built a knowledge base because I am constantly