I am currently a junior in high school looking to major in engineering. I am currently in AP chemistry and honors precalculus. I am on the track to take AP calculus BC next year. However, I am not sure about science. I was planning on taking AP biology but I also need to take a physics class. I could take honors physics. AP physics C(mechanics and E&M) is the only AP level physics offered at my school. With no background in calculus or physics, would it be possible to take it? Would taking a summer physics and/or calculus class be beneficial? Or should I scratch the idea altogether and take AP bio and honors physics? Thanks!
You can take AP Physics C and calculus concurrently.
True. However, the CB recommends, and the HS usually requires, a prior course in physics before taking AP Physics C. While there may be the 0.01% who can successfully jump straight into AP Physics C, they are usually the ones who took pre-calc in 8th or 9th grade.
Now, whether the OP should take AP Physics C (after taking a summer physics course unless the HS has not physics prereq) or AP Bio + honors physics next year depends, in part, on her career/major goals, and if taking a class over the summer replaces another activity that would be more beneficial in the long-run. Certainly physics is more useful than biology for most engineering fields, but if Physics C is not taken in HS, taking it in college will probably not greatly impact the college study plan (depending on the college/university).
I can only speak for my kid’s HS, but a fair number of the high-level kids (such as my own) wind up taking the H Bio-AP Bio-AP Chem-AP Physics C track with nothing in between. It is a struggle for many the first couple of months, but very doable. I would look at the prerequisites of the school and/or talk to your GC for the Physics C class to see what they recommend.
And as I have told you many times, neither your kid nor your kid’s HS is typical. Perhaps the OP does indeed fall into the atypical group, but without further information, IMO, nobody here should assume that she is.
Not to pick a fight with you, but if my kid did everything that was typical, he’d be at a much lower school now. I’m here to point out possibilities. Typical info can be gotten from a GC. Many kids post here because they want to see what all their options may be.
Two things to consider:
- Ask the AP Physics C whether you should take it or not. Some teachers have calculus review classes in AP Physics C, some don't.
- How strong is your math? Will you be able to easily sail through the Calculus class next year? Or you will have difficulty in both Calculus and AP Physics C?
IMHO, for that kind of outlier schedule, having a well-trodden path at the school is important. If Physics C is taught as a very fast paced introductory physics class, presuming no prior exposure, that’s very different from Physics C taught assuming a strong conceptual understanding from one or two prior years of physics classes.
OP, if you were my kid, I’d be inclined to suggest honors physics rather than AP Bio or Physics C. You won’t want your first physics exposure to come in college.
I went to a competitive public high school with an amazing, rigorous physics teacher. Something like 19/25 kids would get 5’s on their AP C exams, because he made the class so difficult.
I tried skipping physics honors, and despite having taken calculus well before attempting AP physics C, I barely passed my first kinetmatics exam! I ended up needing to drop down to physics honors after much anguish and reflection—but I’m so glad I did (I went on to loving physics and was a 2 time semi finalist for USPhO!).
I would just recommend thinking about taking physics honors your senior year, given all the stress about college apps as well as calculus being new to you. You can take the entry level physics classes in college and do exceedingly well once you have a good high school course under your belt.
AP Physics C was by the far both the hardest course my daughter took in HS, and the most valuable for engineering. Her high school required honors physics first and then concurrent enrollment with AP calc. Fabulous class but I’m in the camp that it would be super hard to take without honors physics first.
Just to give an idea what my school is like. The general track is Bio-Chem-AP Physics Mechanics (or physics 1)-AP Physics E&M A( or Physics 2). After 1 year of Chem and Bio, we can take AP classes (we are allowed to take multiple science classes per year). The “top” students generally take AP Bio concurrently with physics, AP chem concurrently with AP Mechanics, and E&M the final year. I have taken all but one of the classes I just named and for me, by far, AP Bio was the most difficult. It requires the most hard knowledge while you can get by with intuition in the other classes.
Source: 4 on Bio, 5 on the others.
AP Physics C is Calculus-based Physics and if you are strong in Calculus, you would do fine. BC Calc and Physics C go well together.
If not comfortable wtih Calc, take Honors Physics.
Take Calc AB or BC and take Honors Physics. You will need to know that info for engineering. You don’t need AP Bio for engineering.
You don’t need AP bio. Take Physics Honors but perhaps ask for supplemental material or look at the AP Physics 1 material from Khan Academy.
Talk to your guidance counselor. But I would take one of the physics courses over AP Bio.