Hi everyone, So I have a bit of a dilemma.
It’s around the end of the school year, and I’m just finishing up AP testing. And right now, I’m trying to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my high school time as far as classes. The problem is, I know my counselor very well, and because of that, I have basically no restraints on what I can do with my schedule. Because of that, I’m taking AP Physics C- Mechanics, and AP Calculus BC as a sophomore in high school. Which has been awesome, but my school doesn’t offer anything a lot higher.
I want to go into physics, engineering, or something highly mathematical in the future, and I want my classes to really reflect how math works in the world, and I feel like the second part of AP Physics C, E&M, would be a really great class for me. The problem is, my school doesn’t offer it. So I’ve decided to look into self-studying the course, but I have to admit, I don’t really know what I’m getting into. So, for people who have taken the class, how is it, and do you feel it’s doable to self-study the course? Mathematical ability is not an object of any sort, I’m taking linear algebra courses through a local university, and the mathematics in Mechanics has honestly become trivial. But I’m just not sure how to approach a self-study course, I’ve never done it before.
By far, the hardest course that I have had.
It’s definitely doable. I’m in a similar place (sophomore taking Calc BC and both Physics C’s) and can imagine learning E&M outside of school.
A few things: you could probably work just out of AP prep books and figure out enough to get a four or five, but if you actually want to learn the material (not just get the score), I’d either work through a textbook or sign up for an online course. If you wanted to go the online route, CC can definitely reccommend providers-- CTYOnline and Stanford Online High School jump to mind, but there might be more cost-efficient routes.
I really liked having a teacher to go talk to this year to clear up details or points that the textbook left a bit ambiguous, so I would recommend finding someone (perhaps outside of school) to whom you could go with questions, but, again, you could probably survive without that.
Hope this helps!
(Also, I hope the Calc AP went well for you 
)
i’m also going to self study E&M this year, i just took the mech exam. i just started learn em, and was wondering to anyone that already learned it, what is the hardest topic, so far i have learned gauss’s law, and some about elec energy, it’s not easy, but not as hard as i expected based on what i’ve heard. i’m sure it gets harder but just curious when exactly. Thank you
Just feel, don’t conceal. Gauss’s law is feeling fields. Even more so for the magnetism concepts and your lovely right hand.
I feel it doesn’t get harder because Gauss’s law was the hardest concept for me (am an electrical engineering major)!
The rest of the course the concepts are pretty simple to learn and all you have to do is find a comprehensive set of challenging problems and learn how to do them.