Physics Advice

[ayyntee]

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I am currently taking the second part of physics at a community college. I got a C+ on the first part at the University I took it at. I do not get anything at all right now, since it's been about 5 years since I took the first part. I am thinking about dropping it and starting over with the first part. I was wondering if you guys were in my situation what would you guys do?

 

[toes crossed]

Hey. I retook my second Physics because I had a C...it was probably 4-5 years since I touched physics. I thought I was a bit crazy for redoing the second instead of starting back fresh, but I ended up with an A-. I worked really hard at it by staying on top of my hw and asking questions during and after class. Put it in your head that you will do well and you will!

 

[jchen707]

Lots of places split up the two intro semesters of physics as part 1: mechanics part 2: electromagnetism. Therefore the two semesters are not really related in terms of topics so retaking mechanics prob won't help with electromagnetism

 

[pjr75]

I was just thinking the same thing as jchen707. The second semester doesn't really build off the first. I think you should stick it out. Maybe try to get some extra help from the professor or something. I don't think re-taking the first half will help with the second. Although, with a C+ in the first half you may want to re-take it anyway.

 

[jchen707]

^ ditto. I had about a year between mechanics and E&M but I had a B- in Mechanics and somehow ended up with an A- in E&M. Mechanics def didn't help me but I worked hard and got an A- in physics 2. If you got a C+ in physics 1, you may want to think about retaking it just for the sake of pulling up your pre-req GPA.

 

[rangardrum]

I think for the most part, my physics courses were pretty independent from each other too. If that's typical, retaking the first one won't really help.

One thing that helped me was befriending classmates in those classes and working together, asking each other questions, etc. I met two people who were respectively pursuing dental school and vet school. We all needed to take physics, and none of us was very fond of it, haha. We worked together a lot though, and I think we all ended up with A's.

 

[TxDPT14]

I would not re-take the first physics. I made a C in the first physics, waited a couple of years, then took the second physics and made an A. They are not related and the formulas used in either class are totally different. I was very worried about Physics II the first few weeks of the class, but it ended up being a lot easier for me to understand than the first physics!

I also got into 2 out of the 3 P.T. schools I applied to in Texas, so I wouldn't worry about having one "C" on your transcript.

 

[Ngozi Onyema]

I took physics first in high school then had to take it again when I was majoring in Computer Science in college and it was really tough that I had to drop it and I think had some part in why I changed my major from Computer Science to Physical Therapy Assistant(which didn't require physics). Several years later I decide to go back to school to get my DPT and physics is a prerequisite but I think the physics for PT is an easier physics than that for Computer Science which is probably why I got an A in physics 1 plus my professor made the quizzes and tests really easy as they exactly mirrored the examples he gave during lecture. For Physics 2, I found it allot more difficult. What I went through to pass that class was insane. The professor was one of those professors that intentionally wanted to make the questions on the test very tricky(he literally said he wanted to make them very tricky). Plus for some reason in the tutoring center in my school there was no tutor for that physics, although there were for other physics. What I did was take the answer book and I did every question at the end of each section in the chapters we went over and wrote down step by step how the answer book came to the answer. I visited the professor to make sure I knew what sections in the book were going to be covered on the tests. I had literally spent a whole weekend from morning until late at night summarizing how the answer book came to the answers it got. I had almost a notebook full of summaries. This helped me get a 93% on one of the tests and pass the class with a B. Plus that semester I was doing a total of 21 credits (yes 21 !) including Chemistry 2. It was tough.

 

[Akiramay]

I got a C+ in both physics classes and still got accepted. You barely use anything from physics in PT school, so it's not as crucial. If you had a C in anatomy that'd be a different story. And like people have said, Physics 2 doesn't build off of Physics 1, so there's really no carry over.

 

[NewTestament]

Physics 2 has almost no application to PT, so that makes it even harder. At least in Physics 1 you learn about torque, levers, and distribution of forces, which all have relevance in PT and biomechanics.

I passed with a B last semester, even though I bombed the first exam. My method included:

-Buying an AP Physics book. Barron's makes a study guide for high school students that summarizes key concepts and has practice questions

-Go to MathtutorDVD.com and buy the Physics courses.

-Check out tutorhero.net and work with the tutor twice a week. That makes a huge difference

I got an 83 (huge relief). Physics II is usually the toughest class for pre-PT students so you're not alone. Thankfully, you don't have to use special relativity or calculate capacitance in PT school.

Kevin

 

[markelmarcel]

Physics 2 has almost no application to PT, so that makes it even harder. At least in Physics 1 you learn about torque, levers, and distribution of forces, which all have relevance in PT and biomechanics.

I disagree... Electromagnetic fields are important... Diathermy and electrotherapy definitely deal with electricity/magnets/electric fields/amplitude/frequency/intensity, etc. We just started our lectures on e-stim and it was a straight up physics lecture (minus the practice problems) 😉

 

[Julie S]

I disagree... Electromagnetic fields are important... Diathermy and electrotherapy definitely deal with electricity/magnets/electric fields/amplitude/frequency/intensity, etc. We just started our lectures on e-stim and it was a straight up physics lecture (minus the practice problems) 😉

This is really good to hear since I am taking physics II now and slightly bored out of my mind... I also know where I am going to school (Chatham!) and have a mild case of senioritis, which I did not contract when I was actually a senior in college. At least if there is SOME applicability I will be more motivated.

 

[NewTestament]

I disagree... Electromagnetic fields are important... Diathermy and electrotherapy definitely deal with electricity/magnets/electric fields/amplitude/frequency/intensity, etc. We just started our lectures on e-stim and it was a straight up physics lecture (minus the practice problems) 😉

Oh my. Perhaps I should remember the right-hand rule and RCL circuits too.

Kevin

 

[markelmarcel]

Oh my. Perhaps I should remember the right-hand rule and RCL circuits too.

Kevin

No need to be snarky; I'm just saying that it DOES come up. Is it as involved as taking an actual physics course? No. But, to say it's not related in any way isn't true either.

 

[NewTestament]

MarkelMarcel:

My response was impulsive and clearly ignorant. Since you are in school and I am not, your opinion has much more credibility.

Kevin

 

[ez1023dpt]

Me too I am taking physics 1 at the moment... My university have really horrible professors... they teach us ABCandD and ask how do you spell CELEBRATE... alot of components missing. I am very worried and the semester just started. I am just really scared that I will ruin my chances and everything that I worked for because of physics. I am currently a senior with a 3.79GPA and 3.6 pre-req and currently taking physics 1... then have physics 2 left as my last pre-req. It's very expensive to repeat too... if I take it a community college and fail, atleast I only paid $200 but at my university it's $1000. 🙁

 

[rangardrum]

Me too I am taking physics 1 at the moment... My university have really horrible professors... they teach us ABCandD and ask how do you spell CELEBRATE... alot of components missing. I am very worried and the semester just started. I am just really scared that I will ruin my chances and everything that I worked for because of physics. I am currently a senior with a 3.79GPA and 3.6 pre-req and currently taking physics 1... then have physics 2 left as my last pre-req. It's very expensive to repeat too... if I take it a community college and fail, atleast I only paid $200 but at my university it's $1000. 🙁

Take one day at a time, and try to find some people in the class to work with you. I swear physics got way easier when I made some allies in the class to work through problems with and explain concepts to each other. Our professor...well...wasn't exactly a fantastic communicator. We taught ourselves and each other a lot of things as a result.

It might not make physics fun, but you might prevent it from being miserable with some collaboration with your peers in the class.

 

[Ngozi Onyema]

The solutions manual (which was more than just the final answer but a step by step explanation of how they came to the answers for each question) for the text book saved me. It should be in your library. I got it from the tutoring center in the library at my school. Use it and understand how the book came to the answers it got and basically replicate that on the tests. My Physics 2 professor gave tests so hard that he made them open book/notes. I can't imagine anyone passing that class the way my professor gave the tests without it being an open notes/book test.