Should I drop Physics?

Student Lounge College Life
1

Hey everyone,

I am currently enrolled in Intro Physics 1 (algebra – pre-req), along with Chem 1, Calc 1, and History.

I am really struggling with Physics. I didn’t have physics in high school, and my professor is awful. I have met with various students in the class, and we are all in a similar boat in terms our feelings about the professor. He really doesn’t teach anything. His class is essentially putting an equation on the board, and then telling us to do our homework, and ranting about how easy it is, without ever working out any examples or explaining any concepts.

I’ve gone to the learning center where we have tutors. The tutors there have agreed that the professor is awful, having taken him themselves previous semesters.

With all the aforementioned issues, I am reading the text book, reading an additional book on physics I purchased, watching KhanAcademy and opencourseware videos before working out the problems. Even after doing all this, I very rarely come across a problem that I am able to solve. So, I know conceptually, a lot is my fault. But, I am putting in the hours studying (which makes this even more frustrating). This past week I study physics for roughly 50 hours trying to complete the homework, all to no avail, and nearly every problem I worked a few times before needing a tutor to show me how to solve it.

Now, I believe I could potentially make a ‘C’ in this class. But, that’s with spending 75% of my studying time devoted to one class. In fact, I don’t know if I can even keep up with the workload. This past week I made myself sick from stress, and lack of sleep. I’m really worried that my other grades will begin to decline because of physics. My other courses, presently, are fairly easy, but some of the concepts in them aren’t sticking because I am not devoting as much time to them as I should.

And thus ensues my dilemma…

Because it is past the census date, dropping physics will give me a ‘W’. I have a total of 4 W’s already, but those were a result of personal issues, and I’ve retaken all but 1 of those courses and received As in all of them. Meaning, I’ll have a net of 2 Ws by dropping this course.

What should I do?

2

A few questions:

  1. Is it a classical mechanics course (similar to AP Physics 1)?
  2. Is it a gen ed requirement of some sort?
  3. Is it a requirement for your major?

For 1., there may be better resources out there such as AP materials or similar. Maybe MIT 8.01 OCW but 8.01/8.02 require some knowledge of calculus. But 50 hours or however many hours you really put in in 1 week is far too much and that tells me that you’re not managing your time well. You should continue seeking help from TA’s, tutors, upperclassmen, etc.

If the answer to 2. is yes, you might just have to trudge through it. If not, then drop it.

If the answer to 3. is yes, then that major might not be suitable for you. This doesn’t seem likely though.

3

drop it before it sucks to much from other classes.

4

Are you able to drop it and take it next semester with a different (better) professor? I would definitely consider dropping it if I was struggling so much. You don’t want your other grades to suffer because of physics.

5

Your other posts indicate that you are at a community college student intending to transfer to a university for engineering. You need calculus-based physics for engineering, although calculus-based physics courses commonly assume that you have a semester of calculus and high school physics knowledge as prerequisites.

Is the physics course you are taking a preparatory physics course for students without high school physics, or a physics course for pre-meds and biology majors? (The latter is what AP physics B or 1 tries to emulate.)

What is the penalty for W grades, including both by your community college and by the universities that you want to transfer to?

Of course, delaying completing courses (including dropping them, W or not) means that you will be delayed in being ready to transfer to a university.

6

I am still a CC student. I have only have 2 more math classes to take (Calc 4, and Diff. Eq), so I am essentially trying to catch up my physics and eng courses for ASE. It is possible to retake the class another semester, it also won’t really hurt me. The amount of physics I have left, I won’t be able to transfer till fall in 2 years because they don’t accept spring transfers, and I’ll be done next fall – if I stay in Physics.

The only problem with dropping classes in Texas are you get 6 W’s and then your tuition becomes out-of-state tuition. However, ALL of my previous W’s are from another state, so they do not apply. In other words, in Texas’s eyes I’d only have 1 drop. I do need the calc-based sequence, and this class is a pre-req to it.

To be honest, however, this poor experience with Physics is making me reconsider my major and move onto something think Accounting or another science involving less physics. Typically, I obsess about something until I understand it. But for whatever reason, physics is not clicking. I moved into ASE as an interest because one of my math professors told me I would do well in engineering. Apparently math skills don’t necessarily follow over into physics.

I am probably going to drop. I’ve talked to my family about this, and they said that I need to take into consideration my relationship with my girlfriend, and my life as well, and that I can’t devote everything to a single class. Which, is my problem, because as aforementioned, I will study it until I figure it out. I obsess about things to the point of having dreams about it. Coincidentally, a lot of my mathematical understanding has actually come to me while sleeping.

Anyways, I’m just really discouraged because this is what I wanted to do with my life, and I feel like I don’t have any direction or motivation anymore.I also hate the idea of giving up. I’ll get over it I’m sure, but presently it really sucks.

7

For other majors if you like math, what about math, statistics, economics (with more math), or CS?

However, many of the jobs associated with the first three are in finance, so think about whether that is of interest.

8

I have thought about statistics. I’ve heard it is a pretty great field. However, I’ve only REALLY taken an elementary statistics course. Likewise with economics. Economics was a passing interest, but I really had my heart set on engineering.

I’m primarily looking for a way to provide value to society. I want to do something that matters.

I’m not saying business and finance sectors don’t do things that matter, they do. It is typically against what I believe in ethically for various reasons, and it seems soul-sucking from the few finance majors I know. However, I guess that’s too much of a blanket statement about the degrees.

Computer Science is viable, but I’d be starting from ground zero. I only know HTML and Python.

I appreciate your help so far.