frenzymando
Banned
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2015
- Messages
- 750
Right now I'm taking AP Calculus BC and I'm doing fine in the class. I've also taken some practice AP exams as well and done fine on them. However, I don't think I know how to do calculus very well, or at all really. I don't really understand why I'm doing things in calculus, I have just memorized how to do things in calculus, and I have a pretty good memory so it makes it look like I'm pretty good at calculus when in reality I don't know what I'm doing. For example, I'll see a problem and I'll recognize that I'm supposed to use integration by parts to find the answer. So I'll use integration by parts and I'll get the right answer, but I'll have no idea why I used integration by parts. I just memorized that I'm supposed to use integration by parts when I see certain things pop up. In other words, I know how to find the right answers but I don't understand the concepts.
Because of this, I'm worried that if I try on the validation exams I will pass and be placed in a high level calculus class and do poorly because I don't actually understand the basics of calculus. If I just fail the validation exam on purpose, or just leave the entire exam blank, could this cause any issues? I'm planning on majoring in a STEM major so I feel like I need to understand calculus very well or I will struggle later on down the road.
Because of this, I'm worried that if I try on the validation exams I will pass and be placed in a high level calculus class and do poorly because I don't actually understand the basics of calculus. If I just fail the validation exam on purpose, or just leave the entire exam blank, could this cause any issues? I'm planning on majoring in a STEM major so I feel like I need to understand calculus very well or I will struggle later on down the road.