‘Life and Mathematics,’ with Mr. Choe

When it comes to being college ready, one of the subject areas all students should focus on is mathematics. Every freshmen college student must take math courses, at least for their first semester. And, as we all know, College is EXPENSIVE! So, why not make the most out of the opportunities our school offers! 

Hillcrest students are blessed with multiple mathematics college level courses, whether it be College Now or AP courses which, if taken and passed, can give a student college credits, and exemplarily prepare them for college. Two of those college courses are AP Calculus AB and AP Statistics, both taught by the same teacher, Mr. Paul Choe, who has a charismatic personality with over 11 years of teaching experience at our home, Hillcrest! A truly inspiring teacher with his interest in horrifying movies, and growth through spirituality, he stands as an innovative scholar. His passion for the challenging and beautiful subject field of mathematics, made him pursue teaching math as a profession. 

Who can take these APs?

As AP Calculus AB is a course with heavy contents, there are a few requirements, in order for a student to take it, including the successful completion of Algebra l, Algebra ll and Geometry. Though, it’s not a requirement for a student to take pre-calculus, this course is directly helpful and applicable to students who study business/economics, engineering or medicine in college. On the other hand, AP Statistics focuses more on solving problems involving context and making conclusions based on given data, therefore requiring careful attention to reading text carefully in order to apply mathematical formulas and definitions which can be applied to many careers, including nursing, nutrition, accounting, business, agriculture, geography and more.

Both AP courses have been in the school for a good period of time and are taught by a brilliant mentor, who’ll not only give you insights of how college courses are, but will also focus on understanding and analyzing problems using metacognitive strategies rather than just “doing the math.” According to Mr. Choe, “For both courses, enjoyment comes through persistence with challenging concepts and problem solving methods, and being open daily to making sense and meaning out of mathematical information that are not just meant for memorization.”

So, students! If you’re someone who likes connecting formulas and definitions to problems, while also making connections among different forms of information, including graphs, tables and text of problems, AP Calculus AB is for you! If you enjoy solving word problems by deep analyses of key quantities, AP Statistics is definitely for you!