Calculus AB or BC, how to choose?

[Penelope]

For a junior who is interested in STEM careers. Doesn’t live and breathe Math like how I have seen some kids described, but does well in it.

 

We do have a DE option for senior year. It doesn’t make sense to me to do AB and then BC the next year, so I guess that means that we would do Calc 2 and 3 senior year. Perhaps it is better to do BC and then depending on score, take 2 and 3 or just 3?

 

I was all set to sign up for BC at PAHS. Then I saw some old threads talking about two hours per day for math. That seems on the high end to me, but maybe not, since there is no live component. Still, that would almost double the time spent on precalc most weeks now, even with three hours of live class. It isn’t that it isn’t worthwhile to spend that much time on math, but with six other credits to take, including two other APs or DE, I wonder when there will be time to do anything else, like visit colleges or even have any free time.

 

Is BC twice the work of AB, or more like 1.5 times, or something in between?

 

Would a better option be to do AB, and then fit in a half or full credit of AoPS Counting and Probability or Number Theory, since Computer Engineering is a potential interest?

[kokotg]

My son is doing BC now, and it's definitely a LOT of work. He doesn't spend 2 hours every day, but it's not unusual for him to. AB covers maybe 60% of the material in the BC class, as I understand it. We had a good situation in that my husband teaches both AB and BC calculus at a public high school, so we were able to start DS out at the BC pace with the understanding that he could drop down and do AB if it was too much for him. So I'm not sure what we'd have done otherwise. I will say that there's nothing urgent about taking BC calc as a Junior. It's certainly a perfectly reasonable plan to do AB and then take Calc 2 and 3 DE next year. So I think I'd err on that side if you have any hesitation. 

[EKS]

My son is taking BC at the public high school.  He finds the pace to be about right, and spends between one and two hours per class period (his class meets three times per week) on homework.  Half or more of that time is spent in learning the material because the teacher doesn't teach.  I think the AB class would have been ridiculously slow for him.

[MarkT]

I would recommend taking Calc AB over the whole year.  Is PAH the best choice for this?

[Penelope]

I would recommend taking Calc AB over the whole year. Is PAH the best choice for this?

Well, that I don’t know. There are several live classes available for AB. More choices in general.

 

Why do you say AB? Do you think it is better to take it more slowly to let the concepts sink in? Or just let high school be high school and not try to start courses at a college pace as a junior?

 

Thanks for your input.

[MarkT]

Well, that I don’t know. There are several live classes available for AB. More choices in general.

 

Why do you say AB? Do you think it is better to take it more slowly to let the concepts sink in? Or just let high school be high school and not try to start courses at a college pace as a junior?

 

 

Yes -  bolded - for most students

[GoodGrief]

Given the situation you described, I tend to agree with Mark. I'd probably do Calc AB junior year, the DE 2 and 3 senior.

 

If he did Derek Owens Calc AB, he would have the option of moving through it more quickly if he desired and had the aptitude, then you could re-consider math courses depending on what additional time he had.