Hey guys. So we are currently choosing classes and I’m trying to decide between a set of classes. The first option for me is to take AP Lit with Principles of engineering (an exposition to all different types of engineering jobs). POE is a weighted class in our school. My second option is to regular English with AP Physics C (The only ap physics class in our school). I’m hesitant on AP Physics C because I am only in H Precalc and my physics teacher said that I would need to self teach myself the calculus math that I haven’t learned (from which he said is integrals, limits, and derivatives). However, I’m also hesitant about taking AP Lit because I have heard it is a lot of reading. Here else is what I’m planning on taking next year:
AP Calc AB
AP Comp Sci
English (AP Lit or Reg English)
H Spanish 4
Civil engineering and architecture
(AP Physics or POE)
What do you guys think I should do?
I also want to become a stem major (I was thinking about civil engineering for a while but I was talked out of it)
Have you had at least one physics class already? Is the typical math sequence at your school pre-calc followed by AB-then-BC, or is it pre-calc followed by AB-or-BC? Do you have an effortless A in pre-calc?
If you’ve had physics already, did well in it and are breezing through precalc, and have an interest in engineering, I’d go with Physics C. If you haven’t had a physics class yet, take a non-AP physics class. If you’re having to work in pre-calc and the normal math sequence is AB-then-BC and most of your classmates will be in BC and the teacher is not interested in helping you keep up, don’t take Physics C.
Have you had any physics course yet? You do want some kind of physics course (high school physics is ok) before entering college as an engineering major who needs to take physics in college.
In college, the physics for engineering majors sequence starts with a course that usually have calculus 1 (which high school calculus AB approximates) as a prerequisite and calculus 2 (which the rest of high school calculus BC approximates) as a corequisite. Taking physics C with calculus AB concurrently probably means getting a lighter-math version, which may still be difficult if you have to learn calculus ahead of your calculus AB course.
I’m currently taking H Physics. Last semester, I got a 92 and my teacher recommended me for ap physics C. He said however that I would need to self-study on the math concepts. I’m in H Precalc right now and my math teacher had recommended me for AB instead of BC because I didn’t make the cutoff. I had an 84 last semester.
Theoretically AP Physics C is supposed to go at the same pace with concepts with AP Calc AB. At least that was supposedly the case at my kid’s HS for those kids who were taking AP Physics C and AP Calc AB concurrently. Though a large number had already taken some form of AP Calculus the year before.
It sounds like you’re at a school where the AP Calc sequence is AB-or-BC instead of AB-then-BC, so I think you should be ok with taking AP Physics C concurrently with AP Calc AB. You should already have a little bit of the derivative and integral knowledge from pre-Calc, and certainly in the first few months in your AB class.
As far as AP Lit goes, my kid’s experience was that it was a very cumbersome class, yep a boatload of reading and analysis, but it was worth it at the end since he tested out of his 2 mandatory college English classes (by getting a 5 on his AP test).
At my school, you’d need to be currently taking / have taken AP Calculus BC, but I know a number of people who took Calculus AB concurrently with Physics C and did awesome.
If you’re going into STEM, especially engineering, then AP Physics is the way to go. You should be able to find out the textbook used and see how much calculus is required. If it’s more a conceptual book, then there may not be as much calc required as you think.
My daughter is taking both, and AP Lit is 1000x easier than AP physics, but that’s just her experience. Oh and she had taken regular physics last year and found it very manageable so that is why she took AP Physics this year. They are very different experiences.
My DD took AP physics C concurrently with AP calc. No issues. If you want to do STEM, take AP physics.
What’d you get on SAT Reading? AP Lit is a skills test, and it’s hard to cram advanced skills, after all.
I haven’t taken the SAT
From what it looks like, many of you guys are telling me to take AP Physics C. However, I’m still wondering if I should take principles of engineering?
Really no way to answer this q without knowing more about your skills, tbh. Best of luck, though!
A high school engineering course would mostly be useful for determining how interested you are in engineering as a college major and career, rather than any advanced placement in college.
It depends on what you want to study.