AoPS Intermediate Level Online Classes

[SierraNevada]

DS is finishing up the "dreaded" AOPS geometry book/online class. It isn't nearly as difficult as I had heard. (Other than the proof writing problems which seem to frustrate him every time. For some reason he does fine if it's a solve it style writing problem; but the proofs have definitely given him a headache.)  Anyway, I am looking for feedback on the intermediate AoPS classes. With Alcumus disappearing, do the classes get harder? Do they just give a lot more challenge problems?  Did you find Intermediate Algebra took a similar amount of time as Algebra B? I am trying to budget time/output for this coming fall and don't want to overwhelm him with too much work. But without knowing what the intermediate classes look like, it is hard to know how much time he will spend on them. Thank you!

 

[daijobu]

I also didn't think AoPS intro geometry was as hard as people described on these boards.  Except for the chapter on the centers of triangles.   I can never seem to keep those straight.  

Anyway, since no one else has replied yet, I should preface by saying we don't do the AoPS core courses online, we study from the texts only.  (We also school year round to accommodate the extra time needed for the AoPS problems.  So I can't tell you what time commitment you'll need. 

In the textbook at least, there is a jump in difficulty, at least in the challenge and starred problems.  Expect to see the hardest problems originating from AIME, USAMO, IMO and Putnam.  My students and I attempted these problems, my dd's were more adept at solving them than I was, but there were several times when I got stuck on just reading the solution.  (This never occurred in the intro level books.)   We didn't sweat these so much.  

The four polynomial chapters in the middle of the textbook got to be a drag after a while, but then it gets easier with the logs, radicals, and piecewise defined functions.  

If you can get a head start this summer I might pick a chapter or two that looks interesting and begin studying.  

[lewelma]

My ds took the entire intermediate course series -- algebra, number theory, combinatorics, precalc, and olympiad geometry.  He did the intro books rather than the courses so I can't compare the times.  The classes required about 10 hours a week if I remember correctly.  JoJosmom's dd has been taking them recently, so she would have more current knowledge than me.

Ruth in NZ

[Roadrunner]

We think proofs in geometry class are much harder than proofs in the Intermediate Algebra, but it’s the other way around for problems (or about the same). We also think books are harder than classes. 

[SierraNevada]

Lewelma, do you happen to remember if there are still around 8-10 challenge problems or do they double that since there is no more alcumus? Is there still just a single writing problem every week? It more than one? I’m trying to figure out what they replace alcumus practice with. Thank you all! 

[Roadrunner]

Not lewelma, but we are in the midst of it all. There are weeks with up to 14 problems and there are weeks with just 8. Fewer the number of problems, harder the set. Writing problems I believe are percentagewise counted for more (but I am not 100% sure of it).

[SierraNevada]

Thanks roadrunner. So it sounds like fewer problems overall (with no alcumus) but harder. If the writing problems really are easier than the geometry proofs then we should be good! ?

[JoJosMom]

..

[Lilaclady]

My dd took intermediate algebra and number theory. Inter. Algebra was her first class and she took it with Deven Ware and loved the class. Intermediate number theory was also good but she took it during summer and did not have as much time to dedicate to it as we would have liked. She found the classes challenging but not too hard.