<p>So Im taking AP Government and AP Physics B but both of them only count towards "elective credits". Do elective credits even matter? I'm a mech. engineer major if that matters.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter that much, but it does give you credits which can help you pick classes before other people do. Basically, those with more credits have an enrollment window before those with less, but yeah, for anything else, it really doesn’t matter. Sometimes, classes like AP Physics (I think) can help you satisfy prerequisites for classes (can allow you to skip some lower level classes), but yeah, overall, not entirely useful.</p>
<p>I am a first year CHP Electrical Engineering major attending UCI.</p>
<p>Elective credits can be very useful, since extra elective credits allows students to get an earlier registration date based on the amount of units. An earlier registration date can help you pick a better time for course scheduling and also, it can definitely help in getting better discussion times, especially for physics and lower division courses.</p>
<p>I took AP Physics B during my junior year in high school and it is definitely helpful since a lot of material in the Physics 7 series classes covers the same material as AP Physics B except the material in Physics 7 series classes includes calculus. Even if there is no tangible benefit right now, you will see the benefits when you are attending the physics classes, since at least you have been exposed to the material and many other people have not seen much of the material before. Since physics classes are graded on a curve, you should get a higher score (at least a B- after the curve) compared to other students. </p>
<p>Well, I am sorry to say that you still need to take the physics 7C placement test if you want to skip Physics 2 since only AP Physics C allows students to skip the placement test. But the placement test is very easy and it covers kinematics, simple calculus (AP Calculus AB should be enough for that test), and vectors.</p>
<p>My recommendation is to take the Physics 7C placement test before SPOP so that you do not have to take Physics 2 and to take Physics 7C in Winter Quarter since everyone taking Physics 7C during fall quarter has to pass the placement test, so it is harder to get a good grade. I have heard bad stories about Physics 2 from other students taking that course.</p>
<p>Thanks for the physics placement exam advice. I was just about to ask about that. Yea I understand the material I just wish getting 5s on those exams would be worth something. I suppose they are according to the whole “enrolling early” process. Now I am satisfied haha. Also, is there really any calculus on the placement exam for physics, the questions seem to be satisfied by simple algebra. I just want to make sure whether I should review some calculus/algebra basics since i haven’t practiced them in awhile</p>
<p>@shlo1992
What bad stories have you heard from Physics 2? I have no experience with Physics and I want to go Electrical Engineering at UCI. I’m an undeclared senior as of now. Would knowledge in Calculus AB help me pass the placement exam or is it really needed for me to take the class if I want to go into Engineering?</p>
<p>@ehvyizcool</p>
<p>Yes, there is calculus on the actual exam, but it is very simple and just knowing how to differentiate and integrate polymonials and simple trig functions like sin, cos, etc.<br>
Also, don’t forget how to add, subtract vectors and also know how to do the dot and cross product of vectors with and without angles given. One more thing, I would know the calculus relationship between displacement, velocity and acceleration.</p>
<p>@JGod93</p>
<p>Well, calculus is essential for many of the physics (Classical and Modern) courses that you will take as an Electrical Engineering major at any university. From what I have heard from Physics 2 is that most people only manage to barely pass the course with a C but actually some of them manage to actually do way better in the Physics 7 series courses. In the curriculum for any engineering major, you could take Calculus 2A during the first quarter along with Physics 2, but there are people who have taken Calculus AB in Physics 2, so I would be careful. I do know a college friend majoring in CSE who has no physics experience during high school and she struggles with the current physics courses, resorting to hiring a private tutor to help her. Since you have completely no experience with physics (I assume that you did not even take regular physics inn high school), you should take Physics 2, but be careful. Good luck in college and hopefully you do well.</p>