ADVICE FROM LAST YEAR’S STUDENTS

• Don't give up! This class will kick your butt but it is so worth it :)

• Don't stress too much about the course. It's hard, but if you work enough you can do well in the class and on the AP.

• This course is doable if you manage your time correctly.

• Have fun

• It will all work out. If you do the homework and put in a good amount of effort you'll learn a lot and earn a good grade.

• Somewhere along the line, everyone has difficulty in this class. It might not be at the beginning or the end, but something will be really hard. Even if you think you're the only one struggling, you probably aren't, and there are tons of people and resources available to help you!!

• Don't get too scared by the first couple of tests. They are pretty hard and you may not usually get grades like this, but you will quickly learn how to do better on the tests. Also stay motivated throughout the year because there are great things you can learn from the beginning of the course to the end.

• My only advice would be to not fall behind, and when you don't understand something get help immediately, if you do those two things this course really isn't that bad

• Keep track of what you don't know/understand and bring that to X-block. I wish I had done that more because it is extremely helpful.

• Come in for x-blocks and try to work with your friends, but not work with friends who will distract you and not let you actually do your work. Get your homework done when you can really focus and understand it.

• Study study study! Work with friends, go over tests with friends, talk through problems. No matter how well you think you do or don't know the material for each test, studying will make you feel more prepared and at ease when the test comes (especially the AP!).

• I would say one piece of advice to students starting the course is to never underestimate the course, and to know that you can always go to your teacher for extra help.

• Calculus really isn't that hard if you master the stuff at the beginning of the year. It is really important to think as hard as you can about the new concepts that you have likely never explored before in the beginning of the year, and then carry this knowledge with you all year long!

• Calculus, for the most part, is just rates and positions. Once you understand that, and that they are not difficult in many cases, you will have an easier time accepting the laws of calculus and the subject in general. Calculus is an intimidating name for a mathematics course that all students, given they have the appropriate basic prior knowledge, are completely ready for.

• If you don't understand the class notes, spending half an hour reading through the textbook chapter can be very useful, especially at the beginning of year as you're learning the fundamentals that will reappear over and over!

• Study the material before tests

• I would say make sure to review notes and concepts every day, especially concepts that are more confusing to you. Also the best way to study for tests is practice problems!! I learned this from experience and it helped me prepare much better for tests.

• Find some good way to sort out the rules for integrating and differentiating, then keep them stuck in your head.

• When in doubt, read the textbook! Also, creating thorough notecards is invaluable for the AP exam.

• Make sure to understand every concept completely and review them periodically.

• There are topics that are really easy and some are hard, but do your best regardless, it'll pay off eventually.

• Focus on understanding. Don't worry that much about the grades or completion, just make sure you understand the material and can manipulate it. This is what the course is about!

You will need the following materials for this course:

• You need to have your own graphing calculator.  The TI-83 is sufficient for this course; although the nice formatting on the TI-84 makes them a little more user friendly and the TI-84CE is faster.  I will not be explaining how to use the TI-89, TI-Nspire or other calculators, so if you choose to use one of these, you will need to be comfortable figuring out how to use your calculator on your own.  Please let me know in private if the cost of the calculator is a problem for your family and the school can lend you one.

• You will of course need something to write with each day; I do not have a strong preference between pens and pencils, but would prefer that it be dark if you are handing the work in because that’s easier for me to read. 

• You will also need a binder of some kind to store papers I give you as well as tests.  If you would rather take notes and do homework in a notebook, you may, or you can have sections of your binder for notes and homework.