Should I drop physics?

redence

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Alright it's my senior year of high school, and out of all my classes honors physics is hitting me hard. Mainly because I just don't really have the time to study/do all the hw for that class. I keep doing bad on the quizzes and tests because I don't study for it. I feel like I could learn it, but I don't really have the time for it. Physics is not the only science I'm taking, I am also taking AP Biology, which I put more effort and study for it more since I actually like Biology. So far 2 sciences isn't working out for me, especially with me wrestling as a sport after school. Taking physics in my school is optional. I come home late, and not being able to eat (to make weight for wrestling), and I have other AP's and other college courses to worry about. I really don't want to quit wrestling since my coach really needs me on the team, it's my last year and I'm on varsity. Out of all my classes, physics is the one i find least interesting and I hate it. My physics teacher recommends me to drop this class since I usually sleep in his class, don't do the hw, and do badly on his quizzes/tests, and not ask questions. However, I am interested in the health field, I hear that if you want to do premed, you'll have to take physics in college, and taking it in hs is a good prep for it. However, I also am not 100% sure if I want to be a doctor, I actually am leaning towards more of Nursing, Physician Assistant, or maybe even Occupational Therapy (all these fields don't require physics, and taking it in hs won't really help me, unless I want to be a doctor, in which I have a slight chance in becoming). If I drop physics, I would be automatically be placed with a study hall.

Why I should continue with Physics:
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-I already applied to some colleges, and I've been accepted to some. I would have to let the colleges know that I dropped out of physics and had to take a study hall instead, (which could negatively impact my college admission, but definitely not a game changer, and not serious since most of the colleges I applied to are state schools that require only 3 years of science which I already took, plus I'm taking AP Bio senior year)
-With a slight chance that I change my mind to become a doctor during college, I would need to take physics in college, and taking it in high school will help. I would be at a disadvantage if i drop out now.
- I'm almost halfway done with senior year, and in our school GPA's aren't calculated for senior year (only up to junior year or before you applied to colleges). So getting a C isn't terrible and won't be counted towards your GPA, but colleges might still see it.

Why I shouldn't continue with Physics:
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-I hate it. Boring to me
- I don't have the time to study for it (idk if it's just during wrestling season, because wrestling is the only sport I do currently), I also take AP Bio, AP Government, and College Pre-calculus
-Currently, I want to be a Nurse (Nurse practitioner one day), and I don't see physics is a necessity in college for Nursing.
- I will be forced to take a study hall instead (idk why?) but I love it! I could study for my other classes and do homework there. :)

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I feel ya man. I am taking physics H right now (it's counted as an intro to college physics course since my school and a college from my state have some connections and I guess its an approved college course) Anyway beyond that stuff. I honestly think that's totally your decision. I ended off with a B+ (Close to an A, but given the fact that I'm okay with physics I'll take it. Anyway, from what I've read from other forms, I hear people say that physics is necessary because of the thought process that goes into it. It really makes you think critically which is crucial in all aspects of medicine. At the end of the day, it's your choice of whether dropping it or not will benefit/hurt you. My suggestion since I'm pretty much in your shoes would be to just keep going, but try to take an interest in it. You will have to take much harder classes in college so why not prepare now and not get slammed by those hard classes. I know organic chem is pretty tough too, so I think having that critical thinking skill will really help in organic chem. (correct me if I'm wrong). Just my thoughts. :shrug:
 
I have the opposite opinion of the above poster. When is wrestling season over? If it will be over soon, maybe hang in there and see if it gets better after you have more time due to wrestling being over. If wrestling season extends far into the spring, I would drop it. I went the PhD route rather than MD route, but even into college I dropped a class that was relevant to my area of study, for the same reason (well, I actually did find it interesting, but did not have enough time to do it well). And I dropped a class in grad school for the same reason. Nobody ever gave me a hard time about either of them - if you're not making a habit of dropping things but can articulate a good reason for it, it can be perceived as a reasonable, mature thing to do. If you don't have enough time or mental resources to do something well AND it's impacting your ability to do other things well or overall impacting your quality of life in a big way, it's an important life and professional skill to be able to weigh the pros and cons and sometimes be able to drop something for the sake of doing other things better (and having at least some minimal work/life balance). You will have lots of opportunity to take (and study your ass off for) physics in college. Your half a year of physics - AP at that - will be an asset even if you don't complete the whole year. You say that you feel like it is material that you'd be able to learn fine if you had the time (and more interest, which you would likely have more of if you weren't stretched so thin elsewhere), which if I were in that situation I'd drop it. You'll have time and ability to pick it up later-- if you decide you need it (which you may not I guess if you go into nursing). Then you can have that time to really dig into your other classes and the rest of the things you should be enjoying your senior year of high school, and scholarship applications or whatever other prepping-for-the-future type things that come up. I took a study hall one semester my senior year of high school, and same- I loved it. Made a huge difference in my quality of life - got my homework done so I had time for extracurriculars and exam study after school.
 
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