<p>I am currently entangled in a dilemma about which class to take right now. I want to take both AP physics and a scientific research class at my school, but because of scheduling conflicts I cannot fit both classes in my schedule. </p>
<p>I would like some feedback on which class I should take. I want to go into medecine later on, and I'm applying at some combined bs/md programs (northwestern, rice, boston). </p>
<p>The scientific research class is a class where you perform your own science project and present it at local science fairs. </p>
<p>take research, but only if your school has a good research program. </p>
<p>colleges look badly upon your application (if you're trying to get into a technical college or a scientific field) if you haven't taken my school's research course. ours is really fantastic, and five kids went to nationals last year in arizona. </p>
<p>you can always take physics in college. research will provide you with good skills for later.</p>
<p>If you take research very seriously, you can get a lot more out of it than you would a conventional science class. If you have an idea for a research project that you think will be innovative, I think it may be a good idea to go for it. However, research can be a very easy class if you don't go above and beyond, and it is a simple task to identify those who put in the minimum amount of effort from those who were truly AP Physics would be the way to go, and while it is by no means a "cake" class, it will take up less time than (properly conducted) research. Also, it is important to base your decision, at least partly, on the resources the research program offers at your school. See how many kids participate, how many win awards (and at what level), and whether or not the majority of participants receive lab experience and mentoring from an expert i the field. If your program seems somewhat constrained, it's really not worth it. Also, consider how much of a contribution you can really make. If you only have one year, and think it would take longer than that to really get a foothold on your research, then perhaps AP Physics would be a better choice. Many people are able to accomplish much in a year, but that is up to you to evaluate. And if your research (or project idea, I should say) really isn't something you're passionate about, then don't do it. AP Physics is really a great class if you find Physics interesting, but if you find the subject matter utterly repulsive, then certainly it would be better to do something else. If you go to a good school, you will have plenty of opportunities to conduct research there, as well as many opportunities to take Physics classes. So whichever you don't do now, you can easily do later. Therefore, you should really consider: a) whether you have enough time to devote to science research, usually far above and beyond the time you would spend in class, and b) if you really have the interest and drive to dedicate yourself to conducting this research. In sum, research is the better choice if you (and your school) allow you to really make the most of it. However, if you, for some reason or another, cannot really make the most of the research experience, AP Physics is a very desirable alternative (provided you get a good teacher and enjoy the subject matter). Neither option is bad, but you will have to evaluate which is better for you given your circumstances, which only you are aware of. I hope this (exorbitantly long and somewhat redundant) post helped! Good luck with your decision!</p>
<p>if the research class is simply 'how to make a research paper', then a half-assed attempt at putting out a science fair project, don't do it. on the other hand, if it gives you the resources to work under (or spend some time with) a person in your field of interest, go for it. it really depends on the specifics of the situation.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice guys!
My school's research class is actually not that bad. (Almost) every year, one or two people qualify for the ISEF (INternational Science & Engineering Fair). I think a few people work with a mentor outside of class, but most just work with the instructor, who has a good background in physics, (she got her PhD in physics) and has been sponsoring the science research class for like 15 years at the school.</p>
<p>we just started research class this year! lol SOOOOOOOO many people dropped physics 2 to take that class . awesome teacher it's gonna be great ( he teaches physics 2 as well :-P ) .</p>
<p>I dont know what is best 4 you, but I'd go with research any day. Physics was...........boring. Teacher made it as fun as possible but it wasn't really challenging. </p>
<p>Well, I'm leaning towards science research right now =). That was what I had in mind before, but I kinda wanted to take AP physics b/c I thought med programs would like to see that I have taken all the science classes at my school. (excluding research). But honestly I really don't enjoy physics....b/c it IS boring...also incredibly confusing at times.</p>
<p>As an aspiring pre-med, doing well on the AP exam may place you out of the cutthroat gpa-killing pre-med physics weeder class requirement. You'll thank yourself later on.</p>
<p>vtran, are you sure? My brother placed out of his Physics requirement at Cornell with his AP Physics B score.</p>
<p>Also, physics is probably among the harder AP courses to self-study for. I did extremely well in physics, and plan on studying it in college. I doubt I could have been successful without the guidance of my teacher.</p>
<p>that's just what I've heard. I think I read it in a forum or two, a couple books, and pretty sure that's what a college admissions officer said his school did.</p>