I’m deciding whether to keep Physics or to replace it with Pre-Calc. I’m currently in my junior year in high school and am on the track to graduate a semester early. I want to be an electrical engineer in the future and taking either will benefit me in college. I don’t want to end college with just Pre-Calc and I’ve already finished my science requirement last year.(I passed Chem with an A). I took Principles of Engineering which was physics based and I understood the material really well. So what should I do? Any useful insight is appreciated. If I wasn’t specific in something feel free to ask.
What math have you taken so far? Most engineering programs want you to start with Calc 1. Having to take precalc or other lower-level math classes in college may delay your graduation.
Both.
Regardless of your HS requirements, you should have a math and a science each year particularly if you want to go into engineering.
You will want both. Don’t graduate early if you don’t have calc and physics. School is way cheaper than college.
I’m currently in integrated math 3. I’m not sure what’s that’s equivalent to. It’s based off common core standards.
Common core 3 here is 10th grade for kids who would want to be on an eng type 4 yr uni path. 11th grade for kids who did not accelerate. Still leaving 12th for AB calc. If your school offers AP calc of any kind you are not doing yourself any favours by leaving school before you exhaust options. Look at DE options if the math ends at CC 3 in your school.
@Sybylla Common Core was established the year I got into highschool so everyone was at the same level and the highest level was Integrated 1unless you decided to double up. I doubled up in science freshman year. My school goes up to AP Stats.
Why do you want to graduate early?
I would recommend not graduating early and taking precalc AND AP Physics 1.
Having taken both honors physics and POE, I can tell you that POE was way more difficult and I learned almost nothing new in honors physics.
I agree… take both and don’t graduate early
Graduating early without the basics you’ll need as an engineering major is a mistake.
@IAmNotCreativ If I were to graduate early, I would be leaving taking Pre-Calc and Physics. I want to graduate early because I don’t like how you have to go to school everyday. I’m probably going to enroll in a CC too. I don’t want to stay in the city that I’m in right now either. My school doesn’t go up to AP Physics or honors. It’s just normal physics.
My schedule for next semester is Physics, AVID, Punjabi 2, and AP Comp Sci. I’m probably going to switch AP Comp Sci for Pre-Calc so I can take Calc AB first semester of senior year.
Somewhere down the road, don’t you anticipate having to go to work every day?
I’m not sure that it’s something you’ll be able to get around unless you hit Lotto.
You want to graduate early because you don’t like having to go to school everyday and you don’t want to stay in the city you’re in?
@bjkmom
“I’m not sure that it’s something you’ll be able to get around unless you hit Lotto.”
Not unless I love what I’m doing.
What do you think college is like? Class every weekday, unless you’re very lucky, and if you major in engineering you’re likely not going to have weekends off of schoolwork either.
So you won’t want to be an electric engineer since they have classes Monday to Friday.
If you want to go do eng in college there are going to be tons of classes you will have to suck up.
Life as an adult very often includes far more than “doing what you love.” Putting food on the table sometimes precludes being choosy.
I LOVE teaching. But I could do without all the grading-- it gets in the way of quality time with my family. Oh, and I HATE proctoring, as does anyone who has ever done it. But if I don’t proctor, then you can’t take the SATs.
Aside from school, I love living in a home that’s neat and tidy. But that means that someone has to clean the bathrooms and mop the kitchen floor. Not my favorite part of the deal, but the price I have to pay for that tidy house.
Even in terms of your life in college: there will be classes you don’t enjoy. Personally, as a math major, I hated the Philosophy classes I had to take. Three sentences in and my eyes glazed over. But that was the price I had to pay for my degree.
OK, I’ll stop and get back to the point. If you want to major in engineering, you’ll want to arrive to college with both Pre-Calc and Physics under your belt.
@bjkmom Ok, thanks for the kind and insightful response. I’ll have to find more enjoyment to get through school.