Should I do year 12 physics?

Question

I am in year 11 and have to submit my subjects for next year this week. I currently do physics in year 11 and am good at it (got 99% in my mid year) but I don't know if I should do it next year. I'm good at maths (doing year 12 in year 11) and do chem and bio, but I have heard that physics gets REALLY hard in the second semester of yr 12. My dad wants me to do it, but that means doing 3 sciences! I'll also do French so do u think I will overload myself and crash and burn?

So, should I do year 12 physics?

Answer 1

I was advised against taking almost every physics course I took because someone said "it's too hard."  They were always easy for me because I liked and did well at physics.  QFT in grad school was hard.

If you like and do well at physics (Where did you lose the point?), don't be scared off.  The 12 th yr physics should show you that physics is more interesting than the simple stuff you have done in 11th.  

Answer 2

Hello Bec-

I understand that your father wants your transcript to be as impressive as possible, but...

Try to explain (stay calm and factual) to him that your main concern is that physics 12 will hurt your chances of doing superior work in your other classes AND that you want to have at least one full year of calculus before taking advanced physics.  In my opinion, and I have been teaching college physics for thirty years, is that you would be better off taking physics in college AFTER strengthening your mathematics (which is probably the thing keeping your "freaky smart" guy friend from sailing through).  You will not get into the best colleges that you can if your senior year performance is affected by a "poor" physics grade (or worse yet, all around worse grades that you usually get).

It would be a mistake to risk the best grades in your other difficult subjects just to take physics again.  It is not pedagogically sound.  Tell your dad that a full professor recommends waiting on the advanced physics.

If you remain unimotional and argue with reason and explain to him that you are not slacking off but rather plan to work harder in the other subjects, he may "come around".  If he does not and you don't do as well as you wanted...do what the other answerer suggested--deop the class and note to your father that this was your concern from the outset and that you are able to make "adult" decissions for yourself.

gl2u

-Fred

Answer 3

Physics is my favourite subject. But, let us be realistic. If you do not take Physics, then is it must that you take some other subject to compensate for it? If yes, then what is that subject. Compare that subject with Physics and see which one you will find better.

If there is no need to take a subject to compensate for Physics, then do not take it in year 12. If you take too many subjects, then you will not be able  to do justice to all.

But there is one more important thing. If you do not take Physics in 12, then will you have to take it after that? Will it not put you in pressure? Moreover, will the knowledge of Physics in 12 be useful for your career or higher education? If yes, then 12th Physics is important. Consider all these things.

Answer 4

try it out... if you see that its too much work then you can drop the subject and carry on with the other, perhaps more important, ones.

Answer 5

well ..... may be if you are really good at it.... it sure gets really really hard in year 12 unless you take interest  and are good at it .... but its good if you take another subject for a change!!like math or chemistry ... good for you .... you get more knowledge that way ....learning physics again wont make great sense!

good luck for next year!

Answer 6

If you got 99% in your mid year you're pretty good at it and you really should do it. Physics is hard in year 12 but not THAT much harder than year 11. Chemistry is the subject that gets harder next year for you.