Learn Collegiate-level Mathematics with AP Calculus AB
For most students, high school is the last hurrah that they can have before entering the more academic and dedicated world of college and universities. However, there are some high school students who want to prepare themselves for college-level learning.
This is where AP courses come in. AP, or Advanced Placement, courses are taken by high school students who are looking to experience a different and more advanced type of learning that is similar to college-level standards.
AP courses have several programs and one of these is the AP Calculus AB. If you want to advance on mathematics and calculus studies, it is best to take this course. Just take note of the requirements and the basics of this program.
What is AP Calculus AB?
Students who wish to take this program would be exposed to a full academic year of AP Calculus AB. The topics that will be covered would be dependent on the student’s capabilities in grasping the theories and concepts.
For instance, a student will be able to get college credit or placement after they are able to get through the two specifications of AP Calculus, and one of those is AP Calculus AB. The course covers anywhere between elementary functions to differential calculus.
Mathematical concepts such as derivatives of basic functions, functions, graphs, differential equations, and geometric interpretation to name a few, are the common topics that are covered during one’s first year in college. By studying these topics, one would be more prepared to take and ace the AP Calculus AB exam and other math-related AP courses.
What Students Can Learn in AP Calculus AB
Since the AP Calculus AB program aims to develop and hone the student’s knowledge, skills, and theoretical understanding of calculus concepts, the students will be taught in a college-level manner when they enter the program.
Challenging the students’ mathematic abilities is just the first step, because the methods that will be used in teaching them should be similar to what will be given in an actual college setting. Certain methods and technologies are used in order to accustom the students and allow them to learn topics such as derivatives, limits, approximations, and integrals.
There is also a unified theme of broad mathematics and calculus, where an extensive knowledge of key topics such as basic limits, differentiation rules, integration techniques, and the fundamental theorems of Calculus will be covered since they are just some of the important parts of modules and curriculums.
Good Textbooks for AP Calculus AB
To get started on AB Calculus AB, it is good to do a little advanced reading, especially if one already has a prior understanding of or stock knowledge on calculus and mathematics. But students have to remember that they should not be limited to textbooks as source materials for studying AP Calculus AB and reviewing for the AP exam.
There are several review resources, at least 250, from textbooks, legitimate review websites, multimedia CD-Roms, PDF downloads, and more. Websites such as College Board even provide lesson plans and teaching strategies, as well as sample AP Calculus AB exams that students can try to study and practice answering. For those who are looking for textbooks to study, Deborah Hughes-Hallet and company’s Calculus: Single Variable, 4th edition would prove to be a handy book to keep as a study companion.
Other textbooks that would be helpful in studying for AP Calculus AB includes Calculus of a Single Variable by Roland Larson, Robert Hostetler, and Bruce Edwards, Multiple Choice Questions (and Solutions) in Preparation for the AP Calculus (AB) Examination, 7th edition by David Lederman, and Calculus: A Complete Course by Ross Finney, Franklin Demana, Bert Waits, and Daniel Kennedy.
With the use of these textbooks, the students will surely enjoy a higher form of education as well as a preparation for a more serious and focused study of math and calculus.