Algebra 2 Honors

[Jalor]

This August, I begin my sophomore year of high school. This would normally be a good thing, except I have Algebra 2 Honors. Algebra 1 was the hardest and most miserable class I have ever taken. Part of that was the teacher I had, but I just don't seem to get along with the concepts involved. Most of the time I would apply the formulas without having any clue what they all meant.

I much preferred Geometry, and I keep hearing that people who liked Geometry will hate Algebra 2. Does anyone have any advice as to what to expect?

[13_CBS]

Well, as the name would suggest, Algebra 2 is simply Algebra 1 with more complex stuff. You're still dealing with variables, mostly.

At least you're not in Calculus :smalleek:

[Guru]

Algebra 2 is actually after Geometry. Algebra 1 Freshman year, Geometry Sophomore year, Algebra 2 Junior year, Trigonometry Senior year.

Except it to be a lot like Algebra 1, except harder and more advanced.

[Llama231]

Huh, I took this in Freshman year...
Graphs. Lots of graphs.
Did you like trig? If so, you are in luck, there is a lot of that in Algebra 2.

As for understanding the formulas, where did you have trouble? Radicals? Factoring? Completing the square? The quadratic?

[Guru]

I doubt he's taken Trig yet.

[13_CBS]

I doubt he's taken Trig yet.

They don't teach that in Geometry/Algebra I? :smallconfused:

I guess math education varies wildly from school to school.

[toasty]

I'm taking pre-calc in my senior year... but I think I'll get some more trig in there (I got a little bit in Algebra II).

I took Algebra II last year and I LOVED it. :smalltongue:

And yes, I hated Geometry. Too many freaking proofs and to many theorems to memorize...

Sorry if that's a not a lot of help... but like everyone else, what about Algebra I did you not understand?

[Guru]

Yes, it does.

[Knaight]

Any particular formulas you don't understand the origin of? If I remember the derivations I can put them up for you (for instance, the quadratic formula can be derived from a normal equation, you just have to get to vertex form first, itself a fairly easy derivation).

I loved algebra and geometry (I just finished sophomore year, but was taking a basic calculus class in it.)

[Mauve Shirt]

I just barely passed Algebra 2 because I had an excellent medical excuse for doing poorly. It's a lot like Algebra 1, as others have said, but much much worse.

[Kroy]

Around here it goes:
6th Grade Math
7th Grade Math
Pre-Algebra
Algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II
Pre-Calc

I, and quite a few smart people do this instead:
6th, 7th, Pre-Algebra
Algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II/Pre-Calc
Calculus
Trig maybe? I am not sure what I'm doing in Junior/Senior year

[Recaiden]

I recall liking Algebra II better than Geometry. Of course, our teacher was...weird. If you have any specific questions, go ahead.

[Lupy]

I've heard it's not as bad as Algebra I because you've already got the basics. Dunno though, I have Geometry this year.

Where I am it's:

Normal|Advanced
6th grade math|7th and 8th grade math
7th grade math|8th-grade math and Pre-algebra
8th grade math|Algebra I*
Pre-algebra/Alg I| Geometry*
Geometry*|Algebra II*
Algebra II/Pre-calc| Pre-calc*
Calculus I*| Advanced math* (many options)

*One semester course. Others are two semesters

NOTE: Some kids take two one semester classes in one year and do multiple advanced maths.

[Jamin]

Why are you taking honors?

[Lupy]

Why are you taking honors?

Probably so that he can go to a good University.

[Jamin]

News Flash honors is pretend.

[Moff Chumley]

@^: In terms of content or value to Colleges?

'Round these parts (for t3h sm4rt p3opl3, at least), it's:
6: Prealgebra
7: Algbra I
8: Geometry (Which includes trig)
9: Algebra II (Which includes LOTS of trig. Damn you, sine. Damn you to hell.)
10: Pre-Calc
11: Calculus/Stats
12: More Calculus/AP Stats/AP Algebra

Of course, due to some district hocus-pocus, I'm one of the 5 or so kids to have done Algebra II as a freshman. :smallamused: So I'm not sure about Senior Year, I'm probably just gonna drop math and take more music. (Because 2/3 isn't enough. My friend's doing 5. Man, I love art school. :smallbiggrin:) However, I've enjoyed math more and more as it gets more theoretical, so we shall see...


And, OP, Algebra II draws HEAVILY on Geometry. Essentially, it's Algebra in a geomteric context; lots of graphs and such. Many scientific constants and things. However, there's plenty of other stuff which builds on Algebra I. The best part is, though, if you go over probability, Poker and Blackjack become a lot more interesting when you figure out the exact probability of any given hand based on the circumstances...

But I also learned that people get suspicious when you pound away at your calculator for minutes at a time before betting. :smallwink:

[averagejoe]

Hmmmm... I would tentatively offer to try to put together an explaination of Algebra II that could possibly relate more to your strengths, that is, to try to put in explanations for things so that you understand them and are not just plugging in formulas. I say tentatively because 1) I don't remember which material is covered in Algebra II (I know the material, I just don't remember which material it is) 2) I don't know if I can do it, because I've never tried, and 3) even if I can I don't know if I'd have the time. Even so, if you're interested, I'd be willing to give it the ol' college try.

[Deathslayer7]

Alegebra II is more based off Algebra I expect you use sine and cosine (and the others) a lot more. It's more trig focused.

[Viv]

At least you're not in Calculus.

Meh, the hardest part of Calculus is the Algebra.

[Jamin]

@^: In terms of content or value to Colleges?



Both if anyone tries to tell you anything else they are mistaken

[Moff Chumley]

Hrm, I know that the content is barely different, but one benefit is the people in honors classes tend to be less annoying. And I know my Honors Chem class got to do a LOT of stuff CP (Common Placement?) didn't. :smallamused:

As for colleges, I do know honors and AP raise your GPA more than CP. Which is important for someone like me, who's GPA is hovering around 3.4. I need all the extra I can get. :smalleek:

[SDF]

I went to a private prep school where AP (there was no 'honors' classes) classes didn't weight the GPA and a lot of private colleges look at unweighted GPA. The classes you take still matter immensely, though. Somehow I ended up skipping a year or so of math in high school and finished AP calc my jr. year. That was when I realized I hated hard academic, AP classes and that no one cares where you get your undergrad degree. (rarely cares where you get your grad degree) It seemed like a big joke to me, so I took a bunch of fun classes my senior year and don't regret it at all.

My algebra 2 class had trig in it, but don't be too worried about the class. It was a good day when I realized little matters less than [pressure in] high school, and the worst thing you can do is psych yourself out.

[Em Blackleaf]

HONORS ALGEBRA II? ARE YOU A MADMAN?!

You didn't like Algebra I? You'll hate Algebra II. I did pretty well in A1, but I very nearly failed A2, with a 70% C-. But, my A2 teacher is quite possibly the worst teacher I've ever had, while my A1 teacher was like second father to me. I guess how well a student gets along with their teacher has to do with how well they do in that class.

Also, it could just be that I've gotten lazier since two years ago. Which is probably the case.

But really, all you need to do is listen, take good notes, do all of your homework, and study. If you're taking Honors Algebra, I trust you have confidence in your study habits. Me? I have too much pride to give up hard classes. :smalltongue:

[Vaynor]

Hrm, I know that the content is barely different, but one benefit is the people in honors classes tend to be less annoying. And I know my Honors Chem class got to do a LOT of stuff CP (Common Placement?) didn't. :smallamused:

As for colleges, I do know honors and AP raise your GPA more than CP. Which is important for someone like me, who's GPA is hovering around 3.4. I need all the extra I can get. :smalleek:

Haha! No, not Common Placement. College Prep.

Depends on the college, but with some it increases your GPA by 1 point for up to 8 semesters. CP and below do not do this.

[Icewalker]

Yeh, if you don't like the trig part, don't be excited for calc, because trig in integrals gets pretty bad.

Anyways. I don't remember Algebra 2 all that much, but it does waver somewhat away from what you'll get in Algebra 1.

BHS math line:

Algebra 1 (8th grade or Freshman)
Geometry
Algebra 2
Precalc
Calc (AB or BC) or AP Statistics

Now, I skipped a year of math, taking Algebra 1 in 7th grade, so I've finished Calc now junior year, and intend to take Linear Algebra/Differential Equations up at UC Berkeley senior year high school.

[Keld Denar]

Meh, the hardest part of Calculus Differential Equations Math is the Algebra.
Fix't

A lot of Algebra is patterns. If you can recognize certain paterns in formule, it makes it a lot easier. You'll be spending a lot of time solving systems of equations. There are literally hundreds of ways to solve a system of 3 equations, and thousands of ways to solve a system of 4 equations. The hint is to recognize patterns. Look for lonely variables (variables with a coefficient of 1). These guys just want to be your friend, and help you solve the system. Study up on things like the quadratic formula, completing the square, and factoring. You should have learned them in Algebra 1. They are your hammer, your wrench, and your screwdriver. The more familiar you are with them and recognizing when to use each, the better you'll be able to utilize them to isolate variables.

And above all else, don't slack off here. I took Calc1 - Calc4 + an extra differential equations class in college (I have a BS in Mech Eng). Calc 1 is kinda foreign and kinda wonky, but as soon as you hit calc 2, you'll be back to doing algebra again, and guess what you use to solve second degree differential equations? Yup, the good ol' quadratic equation. I dunno what your career plans are, but I can tell you that if you plan on taking ANY math in college, what you learn here will make the rest of your math career much easier.

EDIT:
Oh, and another tool, learn up on distributing variables and parenthesis operations. You'll spend a lot of time converting ax^2 + bx +c into (x+q)(y+r) and back again, and turning p (ax^2 + bx +c) into apx^2 + bpx +cp and then pulling it back out again. You can't lose anyone when you do this, or you'll mess things up all the way through. Its not hard, just be thorough and careful.

[RS14]

Yeh, if you don't like the trig part, don't be excited for calc, because trig in integrals gets pretty bad.

Well, sort of. There was a bit of it, but really most of the nasty trig integrals are just the sort of thing you look up (http://integrals.wolfram.com/index.jsp) in practice. For us, it required a bit of memorization, but most of calculus had little or nothing to with trig.

[Don Julio Anejo]

Jalor, are you doing this for the extra point to your GPA or for no reason other than to take an AP math class?

If it's the latter, I would reconsider. Doing something you don't enjoy for no reason other than to do it isn't going to make you happy.

PS: for all the non-Americans, what exactly is the Algebra II cirriculum? Here in Canada we just have stuff like Grade 9 math or Grade 12 math or Calculus..

[Jalor]

Honors classes are a part of my magnet program; if I forfeit an Honors class (or fail it for that matter) I have to go to the school I am "zoned" for, rather that one of my choosing. Yes, Florida is weird.

People mentioned lots of Trig, which I loved when we did it in geometry. Unfortunately, quadratic equations (especially graphing them) are my Kryptonite. My 8th grade teacher did a piss-poor job of explaining the concept. It would be great if somebody could explain it in plain English.

As for my study habits... terrible at best. I have done homework for a class while walking to that class. I have crammed for a test while in the bathroom. Either I need to work harder, or I am screwed.

[Em Blackleaf]

Honors classes are a part of my magnet program; if I forfeit an Honors class (or fail it for that matter) I have to go to the school I am "zoned" for, rather that one of my choosing. Yes, Florida is weird.
Ah, my middle school was like that. Which is why I already ended up doing Algebra 2 in my freshman year.

What I hate is when people assume you're brilliant, just because you're in a hard class. They complain about an Algebra 1 test, and when you worry about your Algebra 2 test, they say, "You'll be alright, you're in Algebra 2, you're smart!"

I doesn't work that way.


People mentioned lots of Trig, which I loved when we did it in geometry. Unfortunately, quadratic equations (especially graphing them) are my Kryptonite. My 8th grade teacher did a piss-poor job of explaining the concept. It would be great if somebody could explain it in plain English.
Trig is the best thing ever. Also, if your class is anything like mine, you'll get a little bit of Algebra 1 review, which really helped me. I just needed to be told twice, I guess.

[Keld Denar]

Quadratic equation is actually rather easy. You know what a quadratic equation is, right? Its any equation that fits the form:


ax^2 + bx + c

where a, b, and c are all called coefficients (numbers, usually intergers). BTW, if you don't recognize any terminology I use, wikipedia it quick. In fact, wikipedia the quadradic equation, it'll probably explain it better than I can.

Now, in order to solve the quadratic equation, you need that to be in the form


ax^2 + bx + c = 0

If it doesn't look like that, the first thing to do is put it into that form. You can add and subtract like terms from either side.

For example, if you have

x^2 + 4x + 4 = 9
then you can subtract 8 from both sides of the equation which results in

x^2 + 4x - 5 = 0
See what I did there? You can always add or subtract like terms. Like terms are variables with the same power. Like, 2x + 2x = 4x, and 3x^2 - 7x^2 = -4x^2.

Now, once you get your like terms together in a nice form like above, you figure out what you will be plugging into your equation. The coefficient of the x^2 term is a, the coefficient of the x term is b, and the term without x (called the constant term) is c. For example, in the above

x^2 + 4x - 5 = 0
a = 1, b = 4, and c = -5
Its very very VERY important that you bring your - signs along. Mistakes involving - signs are one of the most frequently made mistakes in algebra, and will mess up your end result.

Now, the quadratic equation is:




-b±SQRT(b^2 - 4ac)
2a


Since the forum code doesn't have the square root sign here, you'll have to bear with me. There are 4 important parts of this equation, each of which have their own importance. The first is the -b term. This is related to where the peak of your parabola will be, but I'll get into that later. The second is the number under the square root, or the b^2 - 4ac term. This is your determinant, and will tell you a TON about your parabola. If this number is positive, your parabola will cross the x axis in 2 places. If this is exactly equal to 0, it will cross the x axis in 1 place. If its negative, you can't solve the equation because your parabola NEVER crosses the x axis. The next important term is the 2a, which, combined with the -b term, are where the peak or valley of your parabola will be. The last important part of the quadratic equation is the ± operator. This means + AND -. That means that the quadratic equation is actually 2 equations that look like this:



-b+SQRT(b^2 - 4ac)
2a

and



-b-SQRT(b^2 - 4ac)
2a


Now, plugging in that equation I mentioned above, with a = 1, b = 4, and c = -5 Plugging in, we get:



-(4)±SQRT((4)^2 - 4(1)(-5))
2(1)

and resolving that:



-4±SQRT(16 - (-20)
2

to



-4±SQRT(36)
2

to



-4±6
2

to
x = -2+3 AND -2-3
to
x = 1 and -5

Now, these are the x intercepts, or the places where the parabola crosses the x axis. These are what you will spend a huge majority of your time solving. YAY.

Now, if you remember that quadratic formula, and you remove the whole square root term, you get something like this:



-b
2a


thats the middle of your parabola, or the vertex. Resolving that with the values we used above, you get:



-4
2

or -2

Notice anything? -2 is half way between 1 and -5. Thats because a parabola is always symetric. Now, where exactly is the vertex? You know its somewhere on the x = -2 line, but where?

Plug x = -2 back into the equation. x^2 + 4x -5 = y You get (-2)^2 + 4(-2) -5 =y which simplifies to 4 -8 -5 =y or y = -9. That means your vertex is at (-2,-9). So, now you know where the parabola's vertex is, and where it crosses the x-axis (1,0) and (-5,0). Plot those 3 points on a coodinate grid and connect them with a big curve that passes through (1,0) then (-2,-9) then (-5,0) and you have a rough estimate of what your parabola will look like.

Hope that all made sense! If you have any questions, just ask! Next lesson, Factoring 101!

[Pyro]

Honors classes are a part of my magnet program; if I forfeit an Honors class (or fail it for that matter) I have to go to the school I am "zoned" for, rather that one of my choosing. Yes, Florida is weird.

That's how it is for my magnet too. Is your focus science and math?

Don't be afraid to look up what you don't understand online. Purplemath.com usually explains concepts well, and you can always google your topic for a variety of other explanations. Just don't use Wikipedia. Its articles only make sense after you understand the topic in the first place.

I also strongly recommend this (http://www.youtube.com/user/khanacademy#play/user/7AF1C14AF1B05894) guy's series of math explanations on Youtube. He has seriously taught me concepts better than my teachers.

Other than that I can't offer much help. I personally love math, but communicating an abstract concept over an abstract medium is ineffective. Plus, I'm awful at explanations.

Edit: Also math in my state is screwy. The order is:
6th grade or 6th grade + 1/2 of 7th
7th grade or 1/2 of 7th + 8th
8th grade or Math 1 + 1/2 Math 2
Math 1 or 1/2 Math 2 + Math 3
Math 2 etc.
Math 3 etc.

By the time you're in Math 3 in sophomore year, you're actually taking all of Math 4 and...something else? The state is still making the curriculum. Of course there's also a third set of Honors Math 1, 2, 3... that is that entire class plus 1/2 the next class as well.

[xyzzy]

Algebra II is basically the first math class where the fun problems are accessible; there's a lot of fun geometry problems, but most of them require some of what you learn in algebra II.

That's the big difference between algebra II and prior math classes; that's sort of the turning point where math stops being about computation and more about innovation. Obviously, there's a lot of busywork, but if you think of the class in terms of a few rules that you can use in a wide variety of ways to solve a wide variety of problems.

Also, depending on how far in the book you get, you might cover some combinatorics or things like that; this is by far the most enjoyable math in high school, because there's basically two rules and a never-ending supply of ways you can apply them. That means that it's really, really easy to learn, but actually tests your ability to innovate.

Oh, and the calculus is totally awesome. Yes, the calculus, so while it's a huge mindscrew at first, it's also fun, so look forward to it!

If you need any help with anything during the coming year, PM me; I'm planning on teaching math, so the opportunity to help someone out is experience I'd be grateful to have.

Good luck in your endeavour; may you be mathematically powerful!

[OwlbearUltimate]

Heyo, here's my advice, and I advise you take it. I was in the exact same situation as you, going into algebra II honors. I just finished it, ending with a C+, my first C ever, and ruining my life's goal to make honor roll every year. I neither associate myself as being an algebra or geometry person, but I guess I lead more towards Geo. Take the class, but be sure to always study, take notes, and do friggin well on tests/quizzes, or else you'll end up like me.