AP Calculus BC is a rigorous college-level course that explores the material generally taught during the second course of college Calculus (e.g., Calculus II, Calculus B, etc.). This course is taught over the course of a single high school school year during regularly scheduled school hours, although those hours will be supplemented by after-school activities, weekend opportunities, and summer work. Students need a strong foundation for this course, and the summer work will help them to move beyond the grasp of the pre-requisite concepts to a mastery of those concepts. I have included a syllabus for the course so that you may familiarize yourself with the topics that will be covered. Many of these were covered in AB, and I anticipate that we will move rather quickly through some of them.
The summer work on the website consists of 9 open response questions released from AP Calculus AB exams. Additionally, there is a multiple choice section from the released AP exam from 1997. Students should complete both the open response and the multiple choice assignments for turning in on the first day of class. There will be an AP Calculus work day in early August for students who would like to get together to discuss any difficulties that may have arisen during the summer. Please also remember that you can contact Dr. Durand by email throughout the summer. Here are some handy tips: 1. If you are unfamiliar with a problem, don't panic! And don't fake your way through it. Ask for help. 2. Achieve a sort of balance throughout the summer – don’t do all of the problems in the first week after school ends and, likewise, don’t wait til the last minute and try to do them all in the last week before school. 3. Work some problems every week, every day would be even better. Finally, let me say that the summer is a time for relaxation as well as preparation. While it is likely unnecessary to say it, do not let AP Calculus dominate all of your time. Do the preparation carefully and in small chunks, and you should be prepared for the course when the fall arrives. Have a great summer! |