Should I take algebra two over the summer to get ahead?Answered
I’m a freshmen and have recently been contemplating wether I should take algebra two over the course of a month in the summer. This would require me to go to school from 8:00am to 12:47pm five days a week for 27 days. This would put me ahead by making it possible for me to take AP Calculus CD in my senior year, instead of statistics. The main majors I am interested in as of now are aerospace engineering, computer science/engineering, and mathematics. The concern my current math teacher has with this is that a lot of future math classes build upon algebra concepts, and that it may be hard to thoroughly learn and comprehend all this important information in such a little span of time. I was thinking that as long as I take detailed notes I should be fine, I am a quick learner and am very passionate about math.
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3 answers
I think that this is a good idea - it will allow you to take more rigorous courses in high school, gain useful college credit by reaching the AP level sooner, and it will demonstrate a true passion for learning. Since you are a freshman and a lot of summer extracurricular opportunities will not be open to you yet, this summer is the ideal time to take this course as well. Hope this helps!
If you are very passionate about math, then go ahead! I took algebra 2 over the summer and I'm doing just fine in AP Calc.
Yes, you should. Going above and beyond the regular curriculum will give you an enormous advantage in college. College major courses requiring specific math levels can be reduced if completed in high school, saving you both time and money. You should, however, be able to maintain your current grade. Check with your high school counselor to see if your district has any dual credit or other advancement programs that allow you to take and earn College Level courses and credits while still in high school.
I'm also a freshman at my school, where I'm currently studying Geometry. However, at the beginning of the third quarter, I completed Geometry and began Algebra II at my own pace on the AoPS (Art of Problem Solving) platform.
I recommend AoPS to you because it allows advanced math students to explore in-depth problems in Mathematics and Computer Science. For their month-long online courses, AoPS hires mentors/instructors from top universities. It also has its own curriculum textbooks ranging from pre-Algebra to Calculus, as well as Number Theory, Counting, and Probability. It is the AMC (American Mathematics Competitions) testing website. It also offers AMC/Math Olympiad preparation courses.
Here's the link to AoPS for more information; even if you don't intend to take its courses, you should check it out because it has a great math problem/proof database, resources, and an open math forum for everyone: https://artofproblemsolving.com
I hope this helps you make your decision! Please let me know if you have further questions/comments.
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