Dropping Physics at AS level, ? bad idea

Jays

Hi, hope you can help

My 17 year old son is doing his AS levels at present, he is enjoying Maths, Chemistry and Biology but hates Physics. He is also doing A level PE as he got his AS at school.

He is really struggling to complete his coursework and take up the revision for the Physics.

So we were wondering if it would hurt his chances of a Science based degree (obviously not in Physics, he is leaning towards Marine Biology, or another Biology based course) if he:

gave up the Physics at this stage, to take the heat off the revision for the subjects he enjoys

or

carried on with the AS (he intends to give up for the A level) but if he got a low grade that would be available for the Universities to see when applying for courses.

Which do you think is the best way forward?

Any help gratefully received,
Many, many thanks

JayS

tr3mor

What kind of grades is he expecting?

I wouldn't have thought that universities would be too bothered about his physics.

celyn90

Hi JayS, the best thing to do would probably be to contact the Uni he's in interested in and ask them directly. Failing that, take a look at the entry requirements for the sorts of courses he wants to do; quite often these are posted on the uni web-sites for the courses.

Many people I know didn't have physics for biological courses or even for chemistry (although it helps here definitely) so to be honest if he hates it and it will affect his other subjects, I can't see dropping it as having an adverse effect on his chances provided he has enough in the way of other subjects and good enough grades, but I would certainly have a check with the institutions first as they will know for sure.

Jays

Thanks for your quick replies tr3mor and celyn90

Grade wise, he is forecast high grades but only if he get on with the revision and tighten ups his coursework deadlines, but we think the Physics is causing him such grief he can't concentrate on the other subjects. He has persevered until the last piece of coursework, due in on Friday, should have been doing it over the last four weeks but cannot face starting the writing up (he has all the answers and measurements, but has trouble just putting the stuff down on paper/computer).

He is not really sure which course to take, let alone which Uni so can't really ask them.

We are going to contact his tutor tomorrow to get his thoughts, I think he will suggest he carries on just to get the AS level, but I don't think my son can actually cope with facing it. I don't want to give him a 'get out' without it being the best thing to do for him as it may just encourage him to give up when the going seems tough.

What do you think?
Ta
Jays

alm721

I would say that if you think it is affecting his other grades then let him drop it and concentrate on the others. Maths chem and Bio will get him onto a marine biology course and trying to study 4 AS levels and 1 A level is hard work for even the very brightest students. The school/college will probably suggest he carries on and at least takes the AS level as provided he is predicted a grade it will be better for their statistics (not saying thats the only reason they would suggest it but worth bearing in mind), but if he really dislikes it and would better spend the time revising for the others then I think he would be better doing that particularly if it helps him to relax a bit. (although as an A level physics teacher it really pains me to say this)!

sockospice

is it a modular AS? Has he already done any exams for it? Maybe he could consider dropping it for now, taking a break, and see if the college will let him take the AS exams at Christmas. It maybe that he's burnt out with physics and if he comes back to it in a few months he might feel a bit more positive about it. Seems a shame to waste all the hard work he's already put in.

okra

I took a similar set of A-levels and went on to study for a science based degree, and had a similar dilemma to your son's. I was studying Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, and needed between AAA and AAB for the course of my choice. By the start of my A2 year, I was struggling to manage four A-levels (and a home and family) so dropped A2 physics and ended up with just an AS.

I spoke to the university of my choice and my tutors, and they seemed to be of the opinion that an A-grade AS physics, plus A-grade A-levels would be better than ending up with a handful of B-grade A-levels because I'd struggled. I think they were right, in the end - I finished with 3 A's and a B and felt like a huge weight had been lifted when I finished Physics.

I would be wary of postponing the AS exams. Many of my fellow students were quite relaxed with their work in the first year because they knew they could resit easily - in the second year, that meant that they were sitting lots of exams, having to revise the whole 2 years work at once and were under huge amounts of pressure- and therefore didn't do as well as they might have done. I was determined not to resit any of my modules, because I didn't want to get into that position. If he were to postpone, he would also be having to sit the exams without the backup of lessons.

I can also understand why he struggles with physics, by the way. Parts of physics were like religion - they couldn't be proved or demontrated to students at our level, so we just had to have faith. :rotfl:

pluk

I imagine if he is not going to study anything engineering/physics related then having only AS level physics should not be much of a problem...that is ofcourse unless the university specifies that he needs a physics A-level, but I very much doubt that biology related degrees need physics at all, I have many friends doing things such as biochemistry that have not touched any physics at sixth form/college...

StudentLife

In my experience a lot of the material covered in A level Physics is really rather difficult to get your head around. However, after persistant practise of exam questions, etc, you suddenly "get it" and wonder how you didn't understand it before. HOWEVER, if spending a lot of time on Physics means his grades in the other subjects start slipping, then it's really not worth it and I would suggest dropping it.

As it is only about 3 months till the end of AS's, then it would be a shame to drop it and let all his hard work over the year count for nothing. Has he asked for extra help from the Physics teacher? I know he might not like the sound of that, but in our A level Physics class, if someone mentioned that they found a particular area difficult, then the rest of us were relieved because we were all struggling too.

Also, I would recommend using a few different text books/study guides (his school library should have a selection). Sometimes it just takes a different explanation of a topic and it suddenly becomes clear.

So in sum, get him to ask for help, then if he still stuggles with it and his other grades are slipping, then dropping it does seem to be the best option.

P.S. Sorry for waffling, but once i got to grips with it Physics was my favourite A level and I got an A

[Deleted User]

If you do maths w/mechanics at A level then physics should be easy.

Engineering is the only way to go if your getting middling science based A levels and you actually want a job that gives you real money at the end of the degree. If you dont want a job marine biology is an excellent choice.

Other choices for degrees id recommend - Law (too boring), Economics, Medicine (too gory)

I got 3*As (98% in chemistry, 95% in maths and 87% in physics) and a 1st class in electronics and my job gives me real money and i can doss off when i want.

kittiwoz

I did maths with mechanics at A-level and though I found the mechanics part of physics easy it didn't exactly help with the particle physics, medical physics or electronics, though I was OK at electronics. I can't see it helping with astrophysics much either.

I'd say this late in the year he might as well carry on with the AS level physics. I don't think Universities will regard him less well for having a low grade at AS level than for not having one at all and it will contribute to his UCAS points. I think he needs to try and not stress over it too much to stop it having too much effect on his other subjects but since he is going on with them he will be able to re-take modules if necessary so it is not the end of the world. Obviously he doesn't want to end up learning the first year modules alongside the second year ones all in one year but provided he's not dossing, which it sounds like he isn't, I don't think revising for resits would be too much of a distraction from his second year modules because he should have a good start on the material already.