I’m taking PreCalc w/trig over summer and below is my junior course selection for now.
AP Lang/Comp
AP CS A
AP Env Sci
AP Calc BC
Physics 1 HN
US History HN
Foreign language 3
Now, I’m thinking of replacing AP Calc BC with AP Calc AB (considering that I’m taking 5-credit PreCalc w/trig over summer) and Physics 1 HN with AP Physics 1 so the alternative schedule will be like
AP Lang/Comp
AP CS A
AP Env Sci
AP Calc AB
AP Physics 1
US History HN
Foreign language 3
The biggest hesitation over this change is the very low pass rate of AP Physics 1 exam. I heard that more than 80% of students scored lower than a 4 on that particular AP exam. (and more than 60% scored lower than a 3) It’s also 5 APs vs. 4 APs in schedule #1
On the other hand, I’m concerned if the 1st schedule would not prepare me for AP Physics C in senior year. My counselor said transition from Physics 1 HN to AP Physics C would be a big “jump” Also, going straight to Calc BC after taking PreCalc over summer could be a challenge. (although Calc BC at my school covers both Calc I and II)
Peer pressure is another thing. They say that taking Calc BC would be sufficient for Physics C preparation besides the fact that the majority of folks around me take Calc BC in junior year. (I’m an Asian boy aiming at CS major in college.)
So a couple of things.
If you take Calc BC next year, what would you take senior year?
“They” being other HS students who don’t know how much they do not know? Well, the reality is that AB is sufficient for Physics C, although one might be more comfortable with BC, but it’s a personal choice.
You heard correctly, but IMO that’s based, in part, that there are students taking AP Physics 1 that should not be. At many HS’s, when they introduce AP Physics 1, they eliminated Honors physics, so the option for those kids is AP Physics 1 or nothing. That said, if you do take AP Physics 1, strive to be in the 20% that gets a 4+. Also, do the AP scores for the students at your school match the overall distribution? Perhaps your school performs better.
Assuming you have a viable option for math senior year, and that you can handle the workload (which none of us would know), I would opt for schedule 1 for the following reasons.
• Assuming you perform well on the AP tests, you might not get credit for both AP Physics 1 and AP Physics C
• IMO (and I don’t know your HS curriculum), Physics 1 honors is better preparation for Physics C than AP Physics 1, assuming that Physics C at your school covers both mechanics and E&M, and that Physics 1 Honors includes E&M.
Does your school’s physics C include both EM and M, or just EM?
You could take either physics class and calculus AB.
You might be better off with physics honors then because it covers more topics. So calc AB and physics honors?
How do you know that Physics honors covers more topics than AP Physics 1?
Because AP Physics 1 was specifially reated so that it’d cover half of what the old “Phyics B” exam used to cover, and Physics B covered roughly as many concepts as Honors Physics (which would match SAT Subject Physics). AP Physics 1 covers few concepts in depth, on purpose. Students who take the SAT subject test in Physics with an AP Physics 1 have not covered all the ideas and concepts on the test and need to work on their own. However, you may well be better served if you learn about all the fundamentals and all the key concepts, then work on your own to go deeper about them before you take Physics C.
