Math, unique compared with every other high school course, allows students to think critically, statistically, and even outside of the box. Although it may not be a favorite among Wilsonville’s student body, math is a key skill that everyone will use throughout their lives.
Upperclassmen at Wilsonville High School will always have some key advice they feel the need to share with the younger students. With a wide variety of math classes at Wilsonville, it’s necessary to be informed on the classes to take to ensure you graduate with no academic regrets.
Most commonly, students have or will take advanced algebra freshman or sophomore year. Most freshmen have entered high school with a basic understanding of common algebra. Geometry is a smooth course for most new high schoolers to equip them with knowledge that will move with them through their remaining years of high school.
Two options branch off geometry. Some students are ready for a more rigorous class as they forecast and may even take one of these classes as freshmen. Advanced algebra and trigonometry typically support students with imperative formulas and learning targets, but some gifted learners jump straight to pre-calculus.
Trigonometry is a skippable stepping stone to pre-calc and is covered in pre-calc anyway, as the second semester of pre-calc is usually a brief review of content from trigonometry and algebra problems. Either way, students who intend to take four years of math in high school probably take pre-calc at some point.
What does a junior think about the high school math classes? Julia Tatsumi responds by saying, “I really liked pre-calc and skipping trigonometry. I was looking for a challenge, and I recommend that others also take up the same challenge.”
Wilsonville also offers three AP math classes, all challenging and undeniably beneficial. AP Calculus AB & BC, as well as AP Statistics, are good for essentially every business, marketing, or engineering major. These are also dual credit and AP courses that qualify for college credit to some extent, which can also push students forward in GPA and transcript fulfillment.
Campbell Lawler, a senior who will have done all three classes by the time she graduates, states, “I definitely feel all of the math classes I’ve taken were worth it. Challenging myself in high school, I am confident, will give me a substantial advantage in college.”
In conclusion, most high schoolers support the choice of underclassmen and each student to take academic risks and push themselves, especially with math. With many resources for support like tutors and eager, willing teachers, students can thrive in mathematics, even if they believe it not to be their strongest subject area.