Physics

[smilin1590]

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For a pre-req for vet school it says 8-10 credit hours of physics. Does this mean that I can take regular college level physics 1 and 2 and get my 8 credit hours of it or do I have to take the more advanced physics classes? Let me know what you guys did for your physics pre-req's. Thanks!

 

[VeganSoprano]

College physics I and II with lab is what they're looking for. You can take calculus-based if you want but it isn't necessary.

 

[BlacKAT33]

You don't have to take the advanced physics. I didnt. I don't recommend it either lol my friends were getting literally 20% on tests!! Bad professor i guess in addition to it being crazy hard

 

[smilin1590]

Thank God! I was just looking over my University's catalog for physics and there was college physics I and II for 4 credits a piece and General physics(calculus based) I and II for 5 credits each. I was assuming they just wanted college physics for vet pre-req's but was not positive. Thanks for the fast response!

 

[smilin1590]

Oh yes one more thing...is college physics hard. I mean I've had high school physics and liked it and did well in it but just wondering about college physics (not calculus based)

 

[cowgirla]

Oh yes one more thing...is college physics hard. I mean I've had high school physics and liked it and did well in it but just wondering about college physics (not calculus based)

I had a bit of trouble with physics in high school--math isn't my strong point and parts of physics just "didn't click."
That being said, I actually thought college physics was easier. We seemed to focus less on the mathematical aspects of it. We looked at a lot of theoretical situations, and real-life situations. We, had two professors for the course--one was a physicist and the other was a biologist who helped us relate everything to the life sciences and other relevant interesting things. (Majority of the class was prevet/biology majors) I had been dreading the class, and actually ended up really enjoying it, and doing well.

 

[smilin1590]

All I know is I can't wait to get it over with 🙂

 

[BlacKAT33]

Oh yes one more thing...is college physics hard. I mean I've had high school physics and liked it and did well in it but just wondering about college physics (not calculus based)

If physics clicks for you i think you will find it easy. If not, than you'll just need a bit more studying but Im sure if you try hard you will get a good grade.
For me, physicsI was more math (allebra) based (acceleration/motion stuff) and physics II was more geometry based or non math based (light and mirrors, electricity/batteries)

 

[PigsRock]

I really like physics! I took AP Physics in high school so I only had to take the second semester (which I'm taking now.) At my school that means heat and energy stuff, electricity, and magnetism. I'm a little sad that I missed out on the mechanics stuff that was during first semester-that was my favorite part...

Anyway, I think my college physics is really easy mostly because most of the classes I have taken before were above the lowest level. My bio was with bio majors and my chem was with engineering majors. But this physics is definitely NOT for physics majors so the professor takes it slower.

I just think physics is easy in general. I like the "here's an equation plug-and-chug" kind of thing. But maybe that's just me.

 

[DVMorBust]

I took non-calc physics and was lucky enough to have the subject 'click' for me, but I would seriously recommend taking calc-based, if you have time for a semester of calc. Calc is the math that explains physics! I had so many friends (math/phys majors) wondering how the heck physics could even make sense without calculus, and wound up taking a calc course my last semester anyways. Within two lectures, I *understood* physics so much more than in a semester of physics, even though I had thought I understood it before. There's a lot of hand-waving going on in non-calc physics (in my experience), so if you can deal with that go ahead - but if you are one of those that needs to know *why*, I'd really recommend doing calc-based.

(And no matter what you think - you won't get away from it in vet school. Yay cardiovascular system!)

 

[ReadyBeVet]

I'm taking Physics I right now... I HATE IT!

I am really struggling with the tests, but can do the homework just fine. I think it might just depend on your professor and the school. 👎

 

[Caninerepro]

I took non-calc physics 1&2 -- 10 semester credits. From a guy in a tie-dyed shirt who had a grade school program named "Little Shop of Physics". 😛 Worked my hind end off, missed an A by 3 and 4 points respectively, and hated every day of it. But it got me into vet school just fine. Calc was my C in undergrad, so I avoided calc-based physics like the plague! I am just not that smart -- and my dad is a physical chemist. 😀 Other poster is right though, cardio-pulm will almost require some kind of calc exposure.

 

[DVMorBust]

Other poster is right though, cardio-pulm will almost require some kind of calc exposure.

Has it really been so long, CanineRepro?

 

[Caninerepro]

Has it really been so long, CanineRepro?

Huh?

 

[sumstorm]

I took calc based physics and TA'd regular physics. If you are comfortable with calculus, you may find calc based makes more sense, and consequently easier. I had the hardest time even as a TA (not a lecturer) who knew physics helping students understand it, and spent a lot of time saying 'just accept this part on faith' while the calc students had figured it out and understood it. Also, it may depend partly on how much formula memorization is required...in some courses, it is minimal (formulas are provided) while in others it is a lot (where as with calc based if you understand the concept you can derive the formula.)

 

[eventualeventer]

I took calculus-based physics (even though I wasn't that great at calculus), and I'm really glad I did. As mentioned above, it makes a lot more sense with calculus, and it was really just basic general concepts from calculus, not crazy stuff like integration by parts. I've talked to a bunch of people at my school who took non-calculus-based physics, and they all hated the class, saying it was hard and didn't make sense. YMMV.

Psst, CanineRepro, I think she was referring to the fact that you didn't refer to her by name. 😉

 

[Minnerbelle]

non-calc physics

hmmm... didn't even know such things existed 😱

i mean, how else do you understand that:

y = position
y' = velocity
y'' = acceleration

are you just given the equations for each one that you just have to memorize?


it seems kind of like learning the DOGMA without learning the mechanism involved (enzymes/ribozymes/etc... ), and being quizzed about how a point mutation may or may not affect the product

 

[VeganSoprano]

I'm taking trig/algebra based physics and actually really liking it. I do have an awesome teacher, which helps a lot. Somehow he manages to make it seem ridiculously easy without watering down the material. I got C's in high school physics and I've gotten almost perfect scores on everything for this class.

 

[rileyroo]

I'm taking Physics I right now... I HATE IT!

I am really struggling with the tests, but can do the homework just fine.

my current experience, exactly. 😡

 

[scb44f]

hmmm... didn't even know such things existed 😱

i mean, how else do you understand that:

y = position
y' = velocity
y'' = acceleration

are you just given the equations for each one that you just have to memorize?

Yeah, you are given the equations without really understanding how to get there. I took 2 years of algebra/trig based physics in high school (where I learned the concepts) and then 2 years of calc-based in college (where I learned the "how" of those concepts I already knew).

 

[deleted497320]

Physics II is the only pre-req I have to take next semester and I'm currently deciding between calculus and non-calculus based. I took Physics I a few years ago and it wasn't calculus based, and I did well in the course. Only one of the schools I applied to specifically said Physics doesn't need to be calculus based but I don't want to assume that means every other school requires calc-physics, since I haven't taken calculus in...5 years? (I feel so old)

So just to verify, based on these posts it seems like vet Physics doesn't need to be calc based, is that correct? Because if I can avoid the math, I will. 😕

 

[wildcatj]

Physics II is the only pre-req I have to take next semester and I'm currently deciding between calculus and non-calculus based. I took Physics I a few years ago and it wasn't calculus based, and I did well in the course. Only one of the schools I applied to specifically said Physics doesn't need to be calculus based but I don't want to assume that means every other school requires calc-physics, since I haven't taken calculus in...5 years? (I feel so old)

So just to verify, based on these posts it seems like vet Physics doesn't need to be calc based, is that correct? Because if I can avoid the math, I will. 😕

I would assume as long as a school doesn't specify that it has to be calculus based, regular physics should be fine.

 

[Foxhunter]

wow... at my school we didn't have a non-calc physics that was a two semester series. If you were pre-med, pre-vet, whatever you had to take calculus based physics. I think calculus-based makes a lot more sense, but then again I majored in physics....