<p>My friend at UCI said she took algebra based physics there and that was sufficient, so why the hell am I asked to take trig or calculus based physics in order to transfer? I'm taking trig based Physics iN Fall but there's no way I can take Calc based physics without taking another year. Calculus based physics is completely worthless as a bio major.</p>
<p>Algebra-based physics? That sounds like something you’d get in high school. You’re going to have to do some trig, even if it is “algebra based.” You’d miss most of the material of physics if you avoided vectors. You need to be able to at least do simple trig operations like resolving a vector or performing the dot product.</p>
<p>At UCI you have the option of taking the physics 7 series, which is calculus based if your a bio major. </p>
<p>Your friend is taking the 3 series which is pre-cal based. </p>
<p>and there is a field called bio-physics, … If its part of the curriculum its most likely useful for something.</p>
<p>In my opinion, as a math major… Calculus based physics is the real deal. I prefer to take the real deal anytime over a watered down version of a class.</p>
<p>It’s often easier to just derive the equations you need wiht calculus instead of memorizing them anyway. I recall this one test question during thermodynamics. There was a constant-volume 100C box suspended in an 80C ocean. Had to find the change in entropy of the box/ocean system after thermal equilibrium. I knew the heat lost by the box had to be gained by the ocean, and the ocean was large so it’s temp was nearly constant. So ^S sys was just qlost/(273 + 80)K + ^S box. Then used to ncvdT for dq, and solved the ideal gas law for T (V was constant for the hard box)to make the entropy lost by the box for every dT function of T, and integrated from 373->(273 + 80)K for the box. If I didn’t do that, i’d have to remember which one of the derived equations was appropriate for the situation, without any help.</p>
<p>Likewise, if I had to memorize moments of inertia for every stupid arbitrary 3d shape, I would have gone crazy!</p>
<p>Well I’m taking Trig based Physics this coming fall anyway but I was just concerned because my friend was telling me she took “algebra based physics” even though she had the option to take calculus based physics (she’s a bio major as well). Maybe she got confused though, she probably did mean trig/pre-calc? </p>
<p>Okay so let’s say I can pick between the two. Why is assist.org telling me I need Calc based physics in order to transfer then? I really don’t want to do it if I don’t need it, Physics is not my strong point and it’s not like I’ll die without when I take the MCAT.</p>
<p>Hmm… checking the transfer agreement from my CC (Sierra College), you can take either trig-physics or calc-physics. What school are you transferring from?</p>
<p><em>EDIT</em></p>
<p>Actually, NM, my school apparently doesn’t offer a “comparable course” to their trig physics. That’s odd. I don’t know what to say. UCSD allows Sierra to transfer their trig-physics but not UCI.</p>
<p>(And good luck on the MCAT. I’m hoping to take it myself next april and timely apply to med school)</p>
<p>Yeah it’s really weird man…The only other school I was interested in going to was UCSB and they accept my school’s Trig based Physics. UCSD was an option too but they want Calc based Physics, not Trig based physics. Does this make any sense at all? Do you think the counselors at school will know any better or do they also just use assist.org lol</p>
<p>Just don’t overdo it. I was considering changing my major from bioengineering to just bio with a minor in physics now that i’ve transferred, but I might have too many units. Damn. I like school, I don’t think I should be punished for it.</p>
<p>hm, overdo what?</p>