Should I take AP Physics 1 and 2 or AP Physics C: Mechanics?
I am currently a junior in an honors Physics class and have gotten high A’s on almost everything. I am also in pre- calculus right now. Next year, as of now, I am signed up to take AP Calc AB, AP Physics C: Mechanics, and an advanced Anatomy class. My main question is should I take AP Physics 1 and 2 or AP Physics C: Mechanics and Anatomy. Im starting to second guess myself because everyone says the physics C teacher is horrible. The physics 1/2 teacher is also my baseball coach and he is supposedly a very good teacher and he already knows me. Do you think it would better to take 1 and 2 or C?
Physics C, which is Calculus-based, is a good choice if you’re a strong math student and/or are interested in going to sciences or engineering. If you like pre-calc right now and are interested in seeing applications of the math that you’ll be learning next year, I’d take this class.
Physics 1 and 2 are Algebra-based and will likely be more similar to the honors class you’re taking right now. If you prefer other sciences (bio, chem, etc) to math, you’d probably like these classes more, especially considering the teacher situation.
You say the teacher is known to be horrible; what does this mean in context? Do they not teach well? Do they assign inordinate amounts of work? Do they give out low grades to good students? Are you motivated and willing to learn material on your own if you don’t understand it when the teacher explains? Sometimes “horrible” should be a deterrent, but sometimes it shouldn’t be-- you need to figure out if the Physics C teacher’s brand of horribleness is compatible with your learning style and values, and if you’d be willing to stretch them.
Thanks for the reply, I am more of a math person than science. I’ve enjoyed the Mechanics part of physics but I have hated the electricity and magnetism part of it. My sister and one of my friends have take Physics C with the so- called “horrible” teacher. He apparently teaches as if everyone were stupid and had no idea what they were doing. He is supposedly arrogant and often complains about how much he hates teaching. I heard there is not much homework at all because he is too lazy to check it or grade it. When he does give grades, he is very vague with his instructions and many people get bad grades on tests and report cards because he doesn’t care enough to help his students understand his material.
My next question would have to be, if I did take 1/2, do colleges give any credit for those classes since they are only algebra based? Also, I have done very well in pre- calc (around a 98% each quarter), so would C: Mechanics be more math oriented than 1/2?
Some colleges will give credit for 1/2 and C; some colleges will only give credit for C. (And of course, some won’t give you credit at all!) You can find information about a specific college’s take on APs by looking around on their website-- the page tends to be pretty easy to find, especially with the help of Google.
I’m sorry about the teacher situation. It’s always annoying to have bad teachers in good subjects! Still, if you’re into math and liked the mechanics in your class this year, I’d recommend Physics C: Mechanics as long as you’re willing to put in the work to make up for a subpar teacher.
However, if you know you’re going to be really busy next year and don’t want to have to deal with a bad teacher, or if you’d like to get a sense of the larger scope of physics, or if you know that the teacher for another class you’re taking isn’t very good, you’d want to consider physics 1 and 2.
Best of luck!
(And yes, C tends to be more math oriented than 1/2.)