- #1
DrStrangelove
- 7
- 0
Hey, I'm a first time poster here and I was feeling a bit uneasy about my mathematics preparation and my foundation in math. I'll be entering my senior year in high school in about a month, and I plan on majoring in physics at a decent, rigorous university after high school.
As a junior, I took Calculus AB AP as I could not enroll in BC (because I had not taken honors math courses previously) and I simply did not feel comfortable about my math skills. I was mistaken. I had always been a strong student, and in junior year I really focused on my schoolwork. I ended up taking 6 weighted classes (4 APs and 2 honors) and earned a solid to high A in all of them. In calculus I kept a steady 100% (over 100 towards second semester) in the class and received a 5 on the AP test. This surprised me as I had received a B- in algebra 2 freshman year and I felt that my math skills were terrible (I guess one can attribute it to the teacher or my lack of maturity towards math back then). The fact that I was taking algebra 2 as a freshman was an indication that I was a slightly "advanced" student compared to the average people at the school, but it wasn't too exemplary, especially since most advanced students were taking honors algebra 2.
The next step was precalculus (regular), and in this class I received an A+. What puzzles me is that I went from a b- in a fundamental class to an A+ in a class that draws heavily on algebra skills. Perhaps it was simply a change in my studying habits as I actually went home, sat down, and worked through all of the assigned homework problems? Maybe I had become more mature towards math?
Junior year came and I applied the same studying tactics and genuinely tried in Calculus AB. I ended up with a grade of over 100% due to setting the curve on every test and not missing a single homework assignment.
Here's where my uneasy feelings about my mathematics background begin to reaffirm themselves. I took the SAT (2/3 of the way into junior year) and I scored terribly on the math section (~600). I took the SAT Mathematics Level 2 subject test (at the end of junior year) and scored a perfect 800. The tests cover different mathematics material, and I feel that my lack of adequate preparation in mathematics prior to pre-calculus will come back to hurt me in the long run. How accurate do you think this assumption is? How is it possible that I even did so well in Calculus I without fully knowing all the trig identities, random things from algebra 2, and theorems from geometry perfectly and without skipping a beat? What would you recommend I review in order to feel comfortable about my foundations in math? I was actually considering a physics and math double major as I seem to be able to handle a strenuous courseload, and I have developed a new found respect and admiration for mathematics as a result of taking Calculus AB. I have been trying to get into a Calculus II class at the local community college, but I was not able to enter one during the summer. I am trying again this fall. Anyways, do you think I am overreacting in terms of my lack of confidence in my mathematics foundation, or do I have legitimate concern?
As a junior, I took Calculus AB AP as I could not enroll in BC (because I had not taken honors math courses previously) and I simply did not feel comfortable about my math skills. I was mistaken. I had always been a strong student, and in junior year I really focused on my schoolwork. I ended up taking 6 weighted classes (4 APs and 2 honors) and earned a solid to high A in all of them. In calculus I kept a steady 100% (over 100 towards second semester) in the class and received a 5 on the AP test. This surprised me as I had received a B- in algebra 2 freshman year and I felt that my math skills were terrible (I guess one can attribute it to the teacher or my lack of maturity towards math back then). The fact that I was taking algebra 2 as a freshman was an indication that I was a slightly "advanced" student compared to the average people at the school, but it wasn't too exemplary, especially since most advanced students were taking honors algebra 2.
The next step was precalculus (regular), and in this class I received an A+. What puzzles me is that I went from a b- in a fundamental class to an A+ in a class that draws heavily on algebra skills. Perhaps it was simply a change in my studying habits as I actually went home, sat down, and worked through all of the assigned homework problems? Maybe I had become more mature towards math?
Junior year came and I applied the same studying tactics and genuinely tried in Calculus AB. I ended up with a grade of over 100% due to setting the curve on every test and not missing a single homework assignment.
Here's where my uneasy feelings about my mathematics background begin to reaffirm themselves. I took the SAT (2/3 of the way into junior year) and I scored terribly on the math section (~600). I took the SAT Mathematics Level 2 subject test (at the end of junior year) and scored a perfect 800. The tests cover different mathematics material, and I feel that my lack of adequate preparation in mathematics prior to pre-calculus will come back to hurt me in the long run. How accurate do you think this assumption is? How is it possible that I even did so well in Calculus I without fully knowing all the trig identities, random things from algebra 2, and theorems from geometry perfectly and without skipping a beat? What would you recommend I review in order to feel comfortable about my foundations in math? I was actually considering a physics and math double major as I seem to be able to handle a strenuous courseload, and I have developed a new found respect and admiration for mathematics as a result of taking Calculus AB. I have been trying to get into a Calculus II class at the local community college, but I was not able to enter one during the summer. I am trying again this fall. Anyways, do you think I am overreacting in terms of my lack of confidence in my mathematics foundation, or do I have legitimate concern?