Vernon Said:

Do I need high school physics to become a family doctor?

We Answered:

First of all, if you want to pursue a career as a doctor then you will need an undergraduate degree at a university. Most people going into the medical field will major in Biology or some other science. If you choose to complete a Bachelor of Science degree, you will need to take a first year introductory level Physics (calculus based, or non calculus based, your choice) at University anyway. You will also need to take first year Calculus.

Don't let that discourage you though. Its not as hard as it seems, all you need is a little determination and hard work :)

If you want to get into a science program at university, then you will probably need grade 11 physics, and if you are going to take physics in University anyway, it will probably be beneficial for to take high school physics. You will also probably need to take two grade 12 science courses, so out of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics 12, you will need to pick two of those.

I took Physics 11, Chemistry 11 and 12, and Biology 11 and 12 to get into the General Science program.

Just in case, talk to one of your school counselors and find out everything you will need to take, they will be very helpful.

Marjorie Said:

Does college physics start at the high school level?

We Answered:

The college mentality is that you learned nothing from high school (sometimes called "college" physics), and that your course was nothing near anything that could be called rigorous with a straight face. I TA a freshmen level engineering course (which is a physics course essentially), all of us TAs teach the subject to every student assuming they are at the same level, that level being: a nonexistent level of understanding physics, and math (even algebra, trigonometry, etc.). Our students should know how to do simple things like solving systems of equations, be decent at geometry/trig, know how to integrate polynomials, but they never do. Given the crowd we get every year, do not worry about being "behind" if you have never taken physics before. I guarantee that you are not, no matter how much it seems like it. Freshmen who come into these courses might have a big head, but if only they could see what I see: no one knows *anything*. We teach it to you on a college level, there are no college level courses that teach you at the high school level. Those days are long past you, and that is a great thing! We do not assume you understand fundamentals, we assume you know nothing and are right nearly 100% of the time. Everyone is on an even playing field. I spend time during my classes "reteaching" my students algebra, calculus, geometry, etc. The course smoothly brings you up to speed (but once you get to full speed, it either stays at that pace or gets faster. Welcome to college). For instance, the first few weeks of class we teach students about elementary concepts like vectors, trigonometry, etc. We even have homework assignments at first that have almost nothing to do with physics, all they are, are mathematical exercises because students entering college do not have the competency required (no problem, that is what education is for). It will be very tolerable, do not be afraid to ask for help, we really want you to succeed adn help you. No matter how basic the question is or how far you are in the course, if you cannot understand something from whenever, please consult your TA. There is something of a line we have to respect, we see our students struggling, maybe one of them in particular, but to be so bold as to approach them and be very direct with an offer of help is not always possible and in sync with propriety and teaching etiquette. If you come to us, we would love to help, that is why we are there. And, I can say that as a TA, we want specifically our students to succeed (as well as everyone, but especially ours). We put a lot of effort into teaching, and if we cannot convey our lessons clearly enough, it would be great to have the opportunity to clarify to an individual student. Anyway, I am getting side tracked. The bottom line is that we do not assume anything, we know you do not understand it, we will not pretend like you understand it either for the sake of "getting further in the syllabus," we teach it to students almost as if it is their first time ever seeing something like that in their life, move slowly (relative to college, it is still a fast pace), and teach everything from the ground up in a self-contained class. It should be no huge problem for you, it will be hard, but just work hard, get to know your TA, do not be afraid of asking for help, talk to other students, and do your best. Do not get discouraged if it starts off badly (which it probably will, physics courses tend to hit freshmen very hard), college is tough. You cannot start out good at everything, keep studying and at some point you will start to get good at it (hopefully within the same semester). Best luck and have fun (really)!

Melissa Said:

What grade were you in when you took high school physics?

We Answered:

Senior for me also.

It does sound like they let her into it without sufficient math; especially if she need a tutor this early in the school year.

Joshua Said:

How important is high school physics for a bio major in college?

We Answered:

high school physics are useful for math and engineering majors. furthermore, it is interesting. i loved it so much i took physics 2. i am going into neuroscience, which is centered in biology. it will look good to a college because physics is challenging. but if you dont want it, then dont take it, cause you dont really need it for biology. =)

Wilma Said:

What level of math do you need to be in high school physics?

We Answered:

Ill be a junior next year, and Im taking physics. I took algebra 2 last year, so algebra 2 should be sufficient for general calculations. I took chemistry my sophomore year and biology freshman, chemistry is a nice stepping stone to go to physics, if you enter physics right away it may be overwhelming.