Can’t Enjoy Mathematics Without Calculus!

Before we start on this class review of AP Calculus AB, let’s get into what exactly the class is and what those who may be interested in taking it can expect from it. The class itself is defined as equivalent to a semester of college calculus that can be taken in high school (usually in one’s junior or senior year). It being equalized to that of a college course therefore brings about the discussion of the rigor one can expect from taking the class. In this class, one can expect a whole new world of mathematics (along with an end of year AP exam administered by College Board): everything from differential equations to integrational techniques, every single different unit and concept directly builds off of the other. Therefore, if you do not understand a “basic” concept such as finding an integral to a function, you will not be able to master more than half of the course material.

Some very interesting information about the daunting course is simply the number of students who choose to enroll in the class itself, which is estimated to be between 400,000 and 450,000 students for the 2021–2022 academic school year. The reason why I find this large number of students so interesting is because, when placed side by side with the enrollment of my school’s calculus course, the difference is very crazy. This year our calculus class (which I was told was the smallest ever seen) had only a whopping 5 people in it. Now, while I understand the class itself is a big chore, from being classified as an AP class to being a higher-level math course, it also makes me quite sad for those who won’t be able to experience the class as I did.

Now obviously, I’d be quite dense to not detail some of the negative effects the class faced firsthand, so let’s do that. I won’t lie when I say I almost dropped the class in my first week of taking it. I felt so out of place and so out of my comfort zone when in this class and when tasked with the immense amount of work put on me. All I’ll say is that I had a lot of nights where I got only 3–4 hours of sleep before tests from constant studying and even just trying to finish my homework on time. It’s no joke when I say it took me at least 2–3 hours every single day just to do a couple of homework problems. That, coupled with the fact that we were learning at least three entirely new concepts a week, was definitely an overload on my brain. That said, however, that’s also why I enjoyed the class so much and am so thankful for staying enrolled in it throughout the entire school year.

From the class, I was directly introduced not only to a fast-paced math class that gave me a sort of taste of what’s to come in college, but I was also able to find new ways of studying and applying calculus techniques. After taking this class (without the prerequisite of pre-calculus), I can say I feel absolutely confident in my mathematical abilities going forward. Though the class was by no means easy in the slightest, I can take away the amazing amount of knowledge and concepts learned and apply them later in my pursuit of higher education (which will focus heavily on STEM and mathematics).

In conclusion, I believe that if you in any way enjoy math or like challenging yourself, you should definitely consider enrolling in AP Calculus AB. It will definitely be hard, but the rewards will definitely be seen at the end, and honestly, the tests were really easy (especially after 6-7 hour study sessions). You just have to have a knack for learning and discipline for studying, and you’ll be fine.

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