Why is it that I can teach myself third-year-college-level math, but not pass an AP Calculus test?
I mean, I KNOW the material. I just am a horrible test taker. And... and... I'd rather teach myself topology!
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amazingpants
That kind of happens with me. It might be due to panicing, or just that during learning, you don't get answers wrong.
Making a mistake while learning how to do math won't ruin anything, but making mistakes on a test will. Maybe during a tests, you force yourself to remember and apply the knowledge, making you forget it instead.
You could be taking the test, and think "Oh, this is 2.71828asy!" but when it comes to writing it down, your brain goes, "Frrpp..."
Making a mistake while learning how to do math won't ruin anything, but making mistakes on a test will. Maybe during a tests, you force yourself to remember and apply the knowledge, making you forget it instead.
You could be taking the test, and think "Oh, this is 2.71828asy!" but when it comes to writing it down, your brain goes, "Frrpp..."
TetrisGuy · 26-30, M
It's my perfection thing--it's extremely hard for me to leave things as is. That and I still haven't fully memorized the unit circle. I'm legit bad at trig cuz there's so much memorization...
amazingpants
Yeah, all the rules.
ASA, SSS, SSA, ASSSAS, ASASAS, ASDASDSADadgniudbsdf8we3bv4iudf, and sideanglesidesideanglesidepotatosideanglesidecatmuffinsidesidesideanglebuttholeangleside
ASA, SSS, SSA, ASSSAS, ASASAS, ASDASDSADadgniudbsdf8we3bv4iudf, and sideanglesidesideanglesidepotatosideanglesidecatmuffinsidesidesideanglebuttholeangleside
33person
I think has everything to do with test taking and noting to do with math. You can get better - just make educated guesses of ways to improve. When something doesn't work for you, move on. When something does, then no matter what it is, do it.
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33person
Maybe look at some old AP free-response questions. There usually aren't problems in the calc book that do a good job preparing for free-response on AP exams, so you have to look elsewhere. They just ask the questions from a different angle. Sometimes you might find where they even have the solutions, so you can use those to guide you. Good luck!
TetrisGuy · 26-30, M
I wonder why they haven't given us any practice ones so far...
33person
I can't judge; I can only speak from my experience. Part of the reason might be because a lot of these problems require knowledge on almost all of AP calc AB with cumulative, connected strategy. In other words, you might know enough to solve parts a, c, and d, but part b requires stuff from a later lesson. It's that way in calculus, and it's even more that way with physics and chemistry. The problems in the book tell you what to calculate, but the AP free-response questions make you figure you what to calculate.
GlassDog
I'm the complete opposite. I'd do calculus tests for fun, but geometry and topology are my weakest areas by far. I guess we all have our individual skills. Do you find that you panic in the test or your mind goes blank?
TetrisGuy · 26-30, M
I never panic. My mind just goes blank.
Seriously, I'll get to the test and be like... "what's six plus seven?" xD
I could do geometry and topology in my sleep. But calculus? Sure I've literally done it in my sleep (to be fair I fell asleep listening to a calc lecture on YouTube and it was only that the integral from a to a is zero) but I read topology textbooks for fun, and I tried doing that with calculus, but as sexy as it is, it's just... when it comes to the tests at least... bleh. I get the concepts down pat. Just tests I go all tabula rasa.
Seriously, I'll get to the test and be like... "what's six plus seven?" xD
I could do geometry and topology in my sleep. But calculus? Sure I've literally done it in my sleep (to be fair I fell asleep listening to a calc lecture on YouTube and it was only that the integral from a to a is zero) but I read topology textbooks for fun, and I tried doing that with calculus, but as sexy as it is, it's just... when it comes to the tests at least... bleh. I get the concepts down pat. Just tests I go all tabula rasa.
GlassDog
I wonder if it's the stress of the exam situation and whether you could do anything to help relax, like breathing or meditation, or exercise just before the exam.
And hehe, I've done calculus in my sleep too. I was revising so many hours a day that it got into my dreams too. I was on a bus and I started differentiating the speed of the bus, and then doing some integration to work out how much space was in the bus and how much spare air there was to breathe. :)
And hehe, I've done calculus in my sleep too. I was revising so many hours a day that it got into my dreams too. I was on a bus and I started differentiating the speed of the bus, and then doing some integration to work out how much space was in the bus and how much spare air there was to breathe. :)
BloodFanatic
I'm rather good at test taking. I passed most of my pre-calc tests 85s, 99s, and a 103. Gonna pass my class close to an A.
TetrisGuy · 26-30, M
The only math I ever got an A in was Geometry. xD
BloodFanatic
The closest I got to an A was Geometry and AFM with a really high B.
TetrisGuy · 26-30, M
AFM?
pearllederman
im no good with test taking either
maxville
same here
PastelLime
👧
TetrisGuy · 26-30, M
What?
PastelLime
Idk lol it was an accident and I just went with it 😋