Is it compulsory to take physics in high school?

[pink10]

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I'm currently a sophomore in a British school. During our freshman/sophomore we prep for IGCSE exams which we take during May/June of our sophomore year. Your results are of grave importance when it comes to applying to college.

So back in 8th grade when i was choosing my IGCSE subject i never intended on going into medicine (or any healthcare career for that matter) so i never took physics (only took chem/bio). I'm in serious trouble now because well i won't be able to take physics for the rest of my high school career because i'll be doing the IB diploma which restricts a student as they are only allowed to take 2 science classes (i'm taking HL biology/chemistry). After going looking through the pre med requirements it seems like i'll need to do physics. I have two options:

-Self study IGCSE physics (in 12th grade so it's fresh in my head when i start college) - shouldn't be a problem because i've always been a very strong physics student
-Go to college without taking a physics course in high school

Which option do you think will make me better off in the long run?

 

[Alucard6]

I was also in the IB diploma program! I did not take physics at all during my high school, I took it all at my university.

You will be perfectly fine. All I suggest doing is studying some physics the summer before you take it at your university so you can have good background knowledge.

 

[College18]

I would highly recommend taking Physics in high school because it'll be helpful to not learn everything from scratch. I know it saved me a lot of time just reviewing concepts rather than learning everything for the first time. I'd recommend you taking the IGCSE physics, however, if for any reason you're not able to, it won't absolutely kill you.

 

[superpom_7]

A lot of people recommend taking Physics (especially colleges and universities), and personally I really want to, but the way my school's curriculum is set up, I have to take pre-physics before I can take physics.

 

[AniSci]

Physics isn't required, but it's very helpful to take it if you plan on majoring in some sort of science (or get into a medical career); physics one in college is like taking a high school physics course, only a little harder and a little more demanding as far as homework and studying goes. It's great to get some pre-exposure to anything and everything you might encounter in college. It will make your life so much easier. Like chem 1 & 11 in high school are like gen chem 1 in college. (Gen chem II stinks, organic 1 & II are better. But only because they don't involve math.).

 

[efle]

A lot of people recommend taking Physics (especially colleges and universities), and personally I really want to, but the way my school's curriculum is set up, I have to take pre-physics before I can take physics.

What the hell is pre-physics? ...Math?

Physics isn't required, but it's very helpful to take it if you plan on majoring in some sort of science (or get into a medical career); physics one in college is like taking a high school physics course, only a little harder and a little more demanding as far as homework and studying goes. It's great to get some pre-exposure to anything and everything you might encounter in college. It will make your life so much easier. Like chem 1 & 11 in high school are like gen chem 1 in college. (Gen chem II stinks, organic 1 & II are better. But only because they don't involve math.).

Quite the necrobump, a couple weeks shy of a year old thread

 

[bashwell]

Physics ain't required for med school. But it sure is a whole lot of fun! 🙂 But honestly just major in what you are interested in and will excel in so you can get a solid GPA. That's what will help get you into med school.

Edit: sorry I just realized this is for high school, not college. (I didn't look carefully enough.) Wow, people are worried about this kind of stuff already? Just enjoy high school as much as you can, take whatever interests you, and worry about this later. Med school really doesn't involve much physics at all.

 

[ndafife]

Physics ain't required for med school. But it sure is a whole lot of fun! 🙂 But honestly just major in what you are interested in and will excel in so you can get a solid GPA. That's what will help get you into med school.

Edit: sorry I just realized this is for high school, not college. (I didn't look carefully enough.) Wow, people are worried about this kind of stuff already? Just enjoy high school as much as you can, take whatever interests you, and worry about this later. Med school really doesn't involve much physics at all.

Physics is absolutely required for medical school.

 

[bashwell]

Physics is absolutely required for medical school.

I meant in the sense that you don't need to know physics well to do well in med school. But as a pre-req, many med schools require it.

 

[ndafife]

I meant in the sense that you don't need to know physics well to do well in med school. But as a pre-req, many med schools require it.

Be careful with your wording then. Its pretty hard to read "you don't need to know physics well" from "physics is not required"

 

[bashwell]

Be careful with your wording then. Its pretty hard to read "you don't need to know physics well" from "physics is not required"

Respectfully, I think you'll have to be careful with how you read as well. Take what I said in its entire immediate context as well as the context of the thread.