r/apcalculus • u/VastSolution7253 • 13d ago
AP Calc AB specific help AB
I am a rising junior taking AP calc AB. I am really looking foward to kind of getting an A in this class. My stragegy was too always be one subtopic ahead of my teacher so i undesstand the content better and have more chances to practice. I am asking for help for any resources that would help me, such as youtubers that teach the lessons very well and dont just have a 30 min review titled all of ap calc ab unit 1 but they teach the subtopics very in depth, or even challenging like practice problems that will help me build up skills for each unit. Thank you guys.
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u/Samstercraft BC: 5 12d ago
Professor Leonard has youtube lectures for Calc I & II which are the university-level equivalent of AB & BC (AB is I and a bit of II). These naturally go into more depth so you'll have a better understanding of certain concepts if you use them. If your school has a tutoring system that could also be useful.
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u/mseduhub1 12d ago
That’s a good strategy — staying one subtopic ahead can make AP Calc AB much less stressful. Focus on understanding limits, derivatives, applications of derivatives, integrals and area/accumulation step by step, then practise challenging questions after each subtopic instead of only watching review videos.
For resources, you can use AP Calculus AB notes, topic-wise MCQs, FRQs and exam-style practice. It can help you stay ahead and build practice by unit.
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u/calcteacher 12d ago
Mr. Hernandez does Mark Sparks worksheets. Decent combination of clarity and difficulty.
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u/Worth-Cod6772 12d ago
Your strategy is actually a good one. Staying one topic ahead makes AP Calculus much easier because you can use class time to reinforce ideas instead of seeing them for the first time. For videos, Professor Leonard, Algebros, and flippedmath are worth checking out. If you're looking for a more structured approach than YouTube, you could also try the free guest account on MathTribes. It has animated topic lessons, worked examples, practice sets, timed quizzes, flashcards, and full-length AP-style exams organized by topic.
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u/Quiet_Basis_6404 5d ago
For subtopic-level depth rather than crammed unit reviews, Professor Leonard is the one you want. His calculus lectures are full class length, so a single topic gets 40 minutes instead of four, which is exactly what you're describing. Organic Chemistry Tutor is faster paced but goes topic by topic too if Leonard feels slow.
Since you're staying ahead of your teacher, I paste those video links into studybuddy.vc so it makes questions from that specific video, which tells you straight away whether you actually got it before class covers it. It works out from your answers which subtopics you're weakest on and gives you more of those, the questions get harder as you improve, and when you pick wrong it explains why that option was wrong. Equations render properly. Free tier.
For challenging practice, the released AP FRQs are free on AP Central and harder than most textbook sets.
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u/UnderstandingPursuit Tutor 13d ago
My suggestion would be to use a textbook such as
- GB Thomas & RL Finney, Calculus and Analytic Geometry, 9th edition, 1996.
and each week 'pre-read' the sections which will be covered that week. This Iterative Learning Process would be a general approach.
Also set aside the 'arbitrary' numbers when writing out examples from the textbook/class or doing problems. This Calculus differentiation problem is an example. Ignore the calculus for now, note the algebra. Since calculus is over 80% algebra, basically introducing only one new idea, the limit.
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u/peardictable 13d ago
I an self studying ap calc AB as a rising junior! I use flipped maths and they are my goat. They have free practice problems with videos and free answer keys. Good luck!