<p>I have several choices of AP Sciences next year (senior year). This year is my first year taking physics but I am very passionate about it. I am also taking Calculus BC. Thus I was thinking of taking Physics C next year, since I will already have a strong background in Calculus and a solid one in physics.</p>
<p>I love science but I am not sure what specific direction I want to take, though I was initially leaning toward bioengineering and chemistry rather than mechanical engineering. </p>
<p>If you are taking it now/have taken it, what major are you pursuing/want to pursue? Did it help you in college? Does depend solely on your (presumably brilliant) skills or on the teacher as well?? </p>
<p>(I am NOT a genius, mind you, and I do not want to take a course that will be strenuous for me. Along with this class I will also be taking at least 4 AP classes).</p>
<p>Does the same teacher you had for physics also teach Physics C? If so, ask him/her.</p>
<p>Also, are you taking BC Calc now, or next year? Physics C uses calculus; Physics B does not. If you know calculus, Physics B can be frustrating because you’re not allowed to use it, and you have to do the calculations caveman-style. Also, Physics B has a broader physics curriculum than Physics C does. Physics C focuses on mechanics and electromagnetism. There are two separate AP tests (each one is scored individually) for Physics C.</p>
<p>One word of advice whicever one you take is to get an AP study guide and USE IT. My daughter took Physics B from a good teacher last year and left the test stunned at how much material on the test was never covered in class. She got a 4 and was crushed.</p>
<p>Be aware that even AP Physics C is not that likely to be accepted for credit or placement to more advanced physics courses for a physics or engineering major, since the electricity and magnetism in university physics for physics or engineering majors involves sophomore level math, rather than the freshman level math that is covered in AP Calculus and high school calculus courses generally. However, students with AP Physics C may be encouraged to take an honors introductory physics sequence if offered. Majors which require physics as a secondary requirement (e.g. biology) may be somewhat more likely to accept AP Physics C for credit to the requirement.</p>
<p>AP Physics B is probably useless for placement or credit to any major that requires any kind of physics.</p>
<p>AP Calculus is often accepted for placement to more advanced math courses, though students who got less than a 4 (or sometimes less than a 5) are often encouraged to start over (even though a 3 is often accepted for credit and placement). At some top level science oriented universities, AP Calculus is not accepted for placement or credit since their freshman calculus courses are much heavier in theory than those at most universities.</p>
<p>@spdf: I am taking Calculus BC now and I really like the physics-based problems in my calculus book. In my physics class, I am indeed frustrated when I am forced to use a conceptual approach to various problems, even if we are still on mechanics. I heard that the teacher “was born to teach physics”. </p>
<p>I am a little daunted by the later chapters on electricity and the like but I am guessing that will not be the case when we actually start going over them? Also, I am much more comfortable with mechanics/waves than thermal/fluids (currently at least). </p>
<p>ucbalumnus: So if I were to go in a bioengineering field, would Physics C be more appreciated by colleges than AP Bio? I know a TON of people take AP Bio, and it is much easier to get a 5 on it too… and Physics is also so much more interesting…</p>
<p>Unfortunately, AP Biology is in the same boat as AP Physics. University level biology for biology majors depends on organic chemistry, so AP Biology is not generally considered a substitute for biology majors.</p>
<p>You might as well take the AP courses and tests anyway to see where you stand; if you do well on the AP tests and the university offers an honors version of the introductory courses that you have to take anyway, you may want to consider that. It is possible, though not that likely, that the AP credit may be usable for partial introductory course credit for majors; better to have the AP credit to decide whether to use it than not have it at all.</p>
<p>An alternative to consider is to take transferable courses at a local community college (make sure that they actually do transfer as the equivalent of the courses for majors at the universities you are considering).</p>
<p>If you go to an elite science and engineering university (e.g. MIT or Caltech), you will likely find that very little AP or community college math and science credit is fully transferable, due to the much more rigorous and theoretical nature of their introductory courses.</p>
<p>Disagree with the last statement. Organic chemistry is never used in an actual biology program. The biology based on physical and organic chemistry is Chemical Biology - an emphasis in the Chemistry (or occasionally Chemical Engineering) department. You’ll calculate enzyme kinetics, calculate thermodynamics, solvation energies, phase transitions of proteins and other biopolymers, learn reaction mechanisms, predict biosynthesis results, etc. Some classes include physical biochemistry, biomolecular spectroscopy, biochemical separations, environmental transport processes, computational biophysics, etc. that use PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL and QUANTITATIVE methods, applied to biological systems.</p>
<p>The biology in an actual bio department is memorization of metabolic pathways. It is fact based learning, not problem solving based learning.</p>
<p>Both are useless but at least the hardcore, physical version of biology gives more practice to quantitative skills.</p>
<p>ucbalumnus Just wondering, but are these university/CC courses usually held during the summer or during the school year? Thanks for the input.</p>
<p>LastThreeYears Thing is, I am probably not even taking Bio AP, because I do not enjoy memorization much. I like to work with math and logic and problem solving. That is why I am thinking of Physics C. </p>
<p>I am also thinking of taking Multivariable Calculus. I need to yet find out about this course but from what I heard it is usually not creditable… But hey, I think it might be helpful. I mean, any sort of engineering college department would probably prefer a non-AP Multivariable (I mean, I don’t think they have AP Multi do they?) over say, Statistics or Economy AP? What do you think?</p>
<p>You’ll have to check the universities and community colleges for which courses are offered when.</p>
<p>You’ll have to check each specific university with respect to which community college courses can be counted. If you are in California, [Welcome</a> to ASSIST](<a href=“http://www.assist.org%5DWelcome”>http://www.assist.org) can help with California CC courses transferring to UC and CSU.</p>
<p>AP Statistics is non-calculus based. In some majors at some universities, a calculus based statistics course is required; if so, AP Statistics is unlikely to be accepted. AP Economics may be accepted for introductory economics courses; at some universities, micro and macro may be in a single introductory course, so you would have to do both parts of the AP Economics to get credit.</p>
<p>Getting credit and getting exposure are two completely different things. If you think you are into Physics, take Physics C, see if it really is for you. It doesn’t have to be all about credits, sometimes taking it to explore is better than getting a credit.</p>
<p>If you are planning to go into any math/physical science, most math credits won’t be transferred or given. They can be used for placement, but that’s about it. Oh, and it’ll help you when you return to those concepts in college, but in greater detail.</p>
<p>** ucbalumnus ** Hmm AP Stats does sound boring but it is also useful. Though I’ve had statistics-integrated science courses for the past 3 years. AP Economics sounds tedious. And I can always do Economics with a strong math basis later on. </p>
<p>wofbharatj OK, I think that settled it. Thanks.</p>