Would not taking High School Physics affect me in college? I've decided just to not take a science course my senior year and take Physics in college. I am extremely horrible in math and will not take pre-calc till college(taking trig.). Would this affect me in any way?
No Physics in High School?
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I took physics my freshman year and did well, but I don't really remember any of it now. However, I'm currently taking Calculus and physics is very closely related to it.
I know for a fact that med schools like at least a year of *preferably* calculus, so waiting until college to start pre-calc may not be the best course of action.
I know for a fact that med schools like at least a year of *preferably* calculus, so waiting until college to start pre-calc may not be the best course of action.
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High school math courses and physics courses are certainly easier than college courses.
Since you can get a lot of help from your teachers while in high school, I strongly advise you to take even a pre-cal course before you graduate.
Good luck !
Since you can get a lot of help from your teachers while in high school, I strongly advise you to take even a pre-cal course before you graduate.
Good luck !
Some colleges use physics as a weed-out course. Depending on where you go, most students will have had physics in high school.
If you can't take physics in high school, be prepared to work a little harder than your classmates and you can do very well.
If you can't take physics in high school, be prepared to work a little harder than your classmates and you can do very well.
AP Physics B (Physics II at my school) is trigonometry based physics. AP Physics C is calculus 1 based physics.
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Hm, I see. Do they have a non-ap one? I think any exposure to physics will help you with the college physics courses.
At my school Physics I is the pre-req to Physics II and AP Physics (although Physics II is AP Physics B, and AP Physics is AP physics C).
In our physics I you can still dual enroll with local colleges and get college credit for it, but it's not AP. So I don't actually know what level college course AP Physics B and C are associated with.
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I didn't take any physics until college, I got "A"s in both physics without much effort. Although I'm one of those strange people who is good at math, so maybe I'm a bad example.
But really, lots of people don't take physics in HS and do fine in it in college.
But really, lots of people don't take physics in HS and do fine in it in college.
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TYou don't need physics in high school at all. It's just nice to have a little bit of background for the chemistry and biology you'll be learning in college and, of course, your physics classes. If you need to get the math nailed down first, by all means, go for it. Not having physics before college is just fine.
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I didn't take physics until college. I really liked physics so I spent a good deal of time with the problems. No physics in high school didn't hurt me, came out with all "A"s in college.
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High school physics for me was harder than when I took it in college. I took the highest level I could as a junior and chose AP Bio over AP Physics. Big help for me in college. Now I just got to maintain it until the end of the year.
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If you are taking physics for scientists/engineers in college it is significantly different from anything you would have learned in high school. High school physics is essentially useless. My freshman physics prof. described high school physics as, "the worst thing to ever happen to physics." A 5 on the AP physics test was correlated with a C average in the class...so even the "best of the best" couldn't hack it.
I would tend to agree after tutoring many AP physics kids that AP physics has nothing in common with college physics--the strategies you learn in AP physics will need to be unlearned.
Oh, and I would also definitely recommend taking a pre-calculus class and possibly a calculus class at a community college over a summer if you have time.
Personally, I didn't take precal in high school or any AP science classes. I did just fine. Its more about hard work than anything else.
A lot of the guys on here are "physics for life sciences" guys...so their view of physics is obviously very different than anyone who took it from an engineering perspective.
I would tend to agree after tutoring many AP physics kids that AP physics has nothing in common with college physics--the strategies you learn in AP physics will need to be unlearned.
Oh, and I would also definitely recommend taking a pre-calculus class and possibly a calculus class at a community college over a summer if you have time.
Personally, I didn't take precal in high school or any AP science classes. I did just fine. Its more about hard work than anything else.
A lot of the guys on here are "physics for life sciences" guys...so their view of physics is obviously very different than anyone who took it from an engineering perspective.
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I'm not sure where you're getting this aversion to AP physics, but I took it and was fine in college physics despite skipping the the classes the AP gave me credit for. I taught/tutored several people physics in college, and they did fine also. I took the physics portion of the MCAT cold and did quite well. What gives?
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I think you should take it. Since colleges care mostly about your junior year grades, and half semester senior year.....its better to mess up in regular physics in highschool as opposed to college physics. You must have a good algebra and math background regardless.
I'd personally take physics in high school. It takes time to get used to.
High school physics is basically a bunch of formulas and, in general, the math isn't that difficult (I don't know about calc-based). It's the application of the math that is what will get you. You have to be able to conceptualize a problem with real quantities and apply that math.
I think getting some solid exposure in high school and learning how to handle it early is better than taking it for the first time in college and doing horrible because you haven't learned how to deal with the problems and how to visualize what they are trying to say.
High school physics is basically a bunch of formulas and, in general, the math isn't that difficult (I don't know about calc-based). It's the application of the math that is what will get you. You have to be able to conceptualize a problem with real quantities and apply that math.
I think getting some solid exposure in high school and learning how to handle it early is better than taking it for the first time in college and doing horrible because you haven't learned how to deal with the problems and how to visualize what they are trying to say.
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I'm not taking physics in high school either - right now I'm taking Anatomy because it is more interesting and it's my senior year. I'll probably just take it during Freshman or Sophomore years of College. It didn't hurt my chances of getting into college, but hopefully the decision doesn't cost me when I take it in college.
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Whats your intended major
some majors require Calculus Based Physics (cue horror Music) and Its already been said but you can't improve if you avoid it like the plague
some majors require Calculus Based Physics (cue horror Music) and Its already been said but you can't improve if you avoid it like the plague
