How important is physics?

[Anonymous]

My DD did not take physics. She was waitlisted at Michigan — but she applied RD there, so your kid probably has a shot (if their stats are OK).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is strange to go through high school and not take a basic course of bio, Chem, and physics. But people seem to be forgoing physics more and more. My kids’ school requires physics. And I’m happy about it. It’s the most fundamental of all sciences. An educated citizen should know a little bit about it.

Agree. All people should have taken at least a standard level physics class in high school to be a nominally educated person.

[Anonymous]

One year each of bio, chem, and physics is fairly standard. I wouldn't have a kid skip it just because they aren't interested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is strange to go through high school and not take a basic course of bio, Chem, and physics. But people seem to be forgoing physics more and more. My kids’ school requires physics. And I’m happy about it. It’s the most fundamental of all sciences. An educated citizen should know a little bit about it.

My honors high school physics course was badly done and boring. I retained nothing from it. I was exposed to physics but a lot more content stuck from Earth Science, Biology, and Chemistry. In college, for my science distribution requirements, I chose a Genetics elective for science majors and Chemistry and Public Policy (easy class but great teacher and fascinating course material....sort of like studying global warming wouid be today).

I have 2 male PhD physicists in my immediate family, btw. We have a gender split on this interest.

My senior only had the minimum Physics required (1 out of 4 semesters of 9th grade "expose to all sciences" survey course). He took AP Environmental Science. Was going to take AP Bio but due to schedule changes could not get that and is taking AP Stats and AP Calc AB.

I would recommend Physics for pre-med, science, Comp Sci, and Engineering majors. I doubt it matters for many others. At the high school level, it seems mainly to be a check-the-box class for the quantitatively adept to continue demonstrating their A-getting capabilities. (Mini-weed-out class for straight-A students).

Wow. Way to insult kids who take a single year of what is the most fundamental of all sciences. Maybe they just want a well rounded education in all the basic sciences. Jeez.

PP. Didn't insult anyone. "Matters" here is in the OP's context of "Will it hurt my DD's chances for admission if she doesn't take physics". Don't worry, the entire discipline of physics will not be harmed by my perception of whether it's useful or fun to take in high school. My husband enjoyed it in college. And I have physicists in my family...so I'm very, very used to hearing about how wonderful it is.

It's impossible to study everything in high school. I prefer curriculums to have a wide range of electives. I would rather have had organic chemistry than physics senior year but I thought taking physics was the right thing to do because it was the default senior science class at my school. I reject that kind of unquestioning attitude now. I would have been better off reading a book or watching a science docuseries about physics, even though I got As.

This kind of protective reaction towards physics is exactly what the OP is worried about. That her child will be disadvantaged in the admissions process or not be able to live a normal UMC life because DC was not exposed to high school physics.

Physics thanks you for your defense of its importance!

I believe what you said is that most of the kids at your kids’ school in physics were taking it because they want to show everyone they can generate As. But I submit they just MIGHT be taking it because it is a fundamental pillar of science. That is all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who doesn’t remember doing the egg drop project in their HS physics class? That was so fun. I forget the physics behind it though - something similar to how airbags work in collisions

Did not have the egg drop project.

Also did not do the bridge-building project that is discussed in the book about Walt Whitman.

I vaguely remember a lab involving electrical circuits, a few bad science jokes, and that's it. Also that our main curriculum resource was a Schaum's Outline. We learned and were tested on lots of equations that promptly drained out of my memory after the course ended. It was indeed like a math class. The teacher did not seem bad...he was competent and funny.

This was an Honors class at a "good school" in a town where many fathers were engineers. Long enough ago that "engineer mothers" were not a recognizable population. Gen X.

You are lucky to have had an interesting class.

[Anonymous]

Bio, chem, physics, 4 years language, are pretty much the basics for college.

Up to the student whether they want to do regular, honors, or AP.

Physics is usually the fun course though. Will depend on the teacher. But wouldn't avoid. Not taking physics is going to take away a lot of opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS didn't take physics - he was a non-science kid that took bio, chem and APES and then didn't take science senior year.

Currently at a T50 school in humanities major and had a lot of good college options.

+1
Exactly the same for my DD. Very much a humanities kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is strange to go through high school and not take a basic course of bio, Chem, and physics. But people seem to be forgoing physics more and more. My kids’ school requires physics. And I’m happy about it. It’s the most fundamental of all sciences. An educated citizen should know a little bit about it.

Agree. All people should have taken at least a standard level physics class in high school to be a nominally educated person.

Not at all. Basic physics concepts are always covered in general science classes, usually in middle school. I mean, I could counter your argument by saying taking a foreign language through the AP level is necessary for "all people" to be nominally educated. Which is what my own kids did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is strange to go through high school and not take a basic course of bio, Chem, and physics. But people seem to be forgoing physics more and more. My kids’ school requires physics. And I’m happy about it. It’s the most fundamental of all sciences. An educated citizen should know a little bit about it.

Agree. All people should have taken at least a standard level physics class in high school to be a nominally educated person.

Not at all. Basic physics concepts are always covered in general science classes, usually in middle school. I mean, I could counter your argument by saying taking a foreign language through the AP level is necessary for "all people" to be nominally educated. Which is what my own kids did.

Np. I agree that taking a foreign language is necessary for someone to be educated. I also think that understanding some of the basics of the most fundamental of sciences - physics- is necessary. You don’t have to take AP physics or honors physics. But an intro physics class in high school should be a baseline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is strange to go through high school and not take a basic course of bio, Chem, and physics. But people seem to be forgoing physics more and more. My kids’ school requires physics. And I’m happy about it. It’s the most fundamental of all sciences. An educated citizen should know a little bit about it.

Agree. All people should have taken at least a standard level physics class in high school to be a nominally educated person.

Not at all. Basic physics concepts are always covered in general science classes, usually in middle school. I mean, I could counter your argument by saying taking a foreign language through the AP level is necessary for "all people" to be nominally educated. Which is what my own kids did.

So depressing. Physics built our modern world. And you think having had a few concepts in middle school is sufficient for you to be an educated citizen. I don’t think everyone needs to be a STEM major. And every kid should follow their interests. That being said, there should be some non negotiable basics in HS and physics is definitely one of them.

[Anonymous]

Physics was my favorite class in high school. You learn and do some interesting things. My DS junior just finished AP Physics and it was his favorite class.

I think your DD should take it, she may be pleasantly surprised. It’s certainly a more fascinating and useful topic than Biology and ES, imho. It will also help develop her analytical and critical thinking skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is strange to go through high school and not take a basic course of bio, Chem, and physics. But people seem to be forgoing physics more and more. My kids’ school requires physics. And I’m happy about it. It’s the most fundamental of all sciences. An educated citizen should know a little bit about it.

My honors high school physics course was badly done and boring. I retained nothing from it. I was exposed to physics but a lot more content stuck from Earth Science, Biology, and Chemistry. In college, for my science distribution requirements, I chose a Genetics elective for science majors and Chemistry and Public Policy (easy class but great teacher and fascinating course material....sort of like studying global warming wouid be today).

I have 2 male PhD physicists in my immediate family, btw. We have a gender split on this interest.

My senior only had the minimum Physics required (1 out of 4 semesters of 9th grade "expose to all sciences" survey course). He took AP Environmental Science. Was going to take AP Bio but due to schedule changes could not get that and is taking AP Stats and AP Calc AB.

I would recommend Physics for pre-med, science, Comp Sci, and Engineering majors. I doubt it matters for many others. At the high school level, it seems mainly to be a check-the-box class for the quantitatively adept to continue demonstrating their A-getting capabilities. (Mini-weed-out class for straight-A students).

Wow. Way to insult kids who take a single year of what is the most fundamental of all sciences. Maybe they just want a well rounded education in all the basic sciences. Jeez.

PP. Didn't insult anyone. "Matters" here is in the OP's context of "Will it hurt my DD's chances for admission if she doesn't take physics". Don't worry, the entire discipline of physics will not be harmed by my perception of whether it's useful or fun to take in high school. My husband enjoyed it in college. And I have physicists in my family...so I'm very, very used to hearing about how wonderful it is.

It's impossible to study everything in high school. I prefer curriculums to have a wide range of electives. I would rather have had organic chemistry than physics senior year but I thought taking physics was the right thing to do because it was the default senior science class at my school. I reject that kind of unquestioning attitude now. I would have been better off reading a book or watching a science docuseries about physics, even though I got As.

This kind of protective reaction towards physics is exactly what the OP is worried about. That her child will be disadvantaged in the admissions process or not be able to live a normal UMC life because DC was not exposed to high school physics.

Physics thanks you for your defense of its importance!

Oh please. You just said physics is a “check the box” class for nerds. I mean, how much more dismissive can you be?

Women physicists are awesome. We need more of them. I am sorry to hear about the gender split in your family but it is all too common.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is strange to go through high school and not take a basic course of bio, Chem, and physics. But people seem to be forgoing physics more and more. My kids’ school requires physics. And I’m happy about it. It’s the most fundamental of all sciences. An educated citizen should know a little bit about it.

Agree. All people should have taken at least a standard level physics class in high school to be a nominally educated person.

Not at all. Basic physics concepts are always covered in general science classes, usually in middle school. I mean, I could counter your argument by saying taking a foreign language through the AP level is necessary for "all people" to be nominally educated. Which is what my own kids did.

So depressing. Physics built our modern world. And you think having had a few concepts in middle school is sufficient for you to be an educated citizen. I don’t think everyone needs to be a STEM major. And every kid should follow their interests. That being said, there should be some non negotiable basics in HS and physics is definitely one of them.

Agreed. Not requiring at least a basic Physics course for high school is nothing but a race to the bottom.

[Anonymous]

Would this thread even exist if the question were, "How important is literature?"

Your kid should take a physics course, just like your kid should read A Midsummer Night's Dream! Even if they will hate it. It has nothing to do with getting into college.

[Anonymous]

Even the Golf Course Management major at UMD requires college Physics class.

https://academiccatalog.umd.edu/undergraduate/colleges-schools/agriculture-natural-resources/plant-sciences-landscape-architecture/plant-sciences-major/#requirementstext

I don't understand how UMD is hard to get into but then a bunch of students major in Golf Course Management.