It is now the time for juniors to decide what math they would prefer taking during their senior year. It is a decision that will follow them their entire senior year, and it is a good idea to pick the class that best fits what you would like to do. For many, this can be a tough decision.
MIS is a math course that helps students get stronger in their basic math skills.
“It’s a good segway in between algebra two and calculus,” senior Cameron Moses said.
It is a math course that helps build a strong basis so that students that may seem a little behind don’t get confused or loss.
“I feel [the class] is too easy,” Moses said. “It’s a really good course for kids who aren’t math acclimated.”
There are other courses such as calculus AB/calculus BC. These courses are designed to keep high level math students challenged.
“It’s an advanced class,” senior Courtney Roth said. “Pre-calculus prepared us somewhat for calculus, but regulars was definitely a breeze; AP calculus is on another level.”
By taking this course, students may gain college credit. Others take this course for different reasons.
“I chose it for more than just taking math,” Roth said. “I took it for the college experience because that’s what I’ll have to take some higher level course.”
Calculus may either lead to “aha” moments, or just utter confusion. Reactions vary person to person.
“You’re either good at math, or you’re not, and if you can get it to click, then it’ll be great,” Roth said. “If not, you have to be really dedicated and work as hard as you can to earn your grade.”.
There is also the choice of AP Statistics. This class is almost all calculator based, which means that if you are calculator savvy, AP Statistics is the class for you.
“It helps you learn what graphs really mean and how biased they are,” senior Shashank Pancharpula said.
Different students have different interests. MIS might be perfect for one student, whereas AP Statistics may be something that someone else really enjoys.
“I like calculus more because it’s more theory based,” Pancharpula said.
At the end of the day, what matters is the class that will be the most beneficial in the future.
“If I had a choice, I really wouldn’t take [calculus] again because it would’ve really saved me a lot more time and a lot more focus time I can dedicate to other classes,” Roth said. “I could’ve taken something that would have probably peaked my interest a bit more.”
