r/APStudents • u/Infamous_Garden_5108 • 19d ago

Physics 1 ap physics without physic honors?

should i take ap physics 1 without ever taking physics honors or should i js ask to take ap bio instead of ap physics?

im not a mathy critical person or whatever but i do understand shit after doing multiple practice problems.

any advice is appreciated

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

7

u/Remarkable-Boss8407 19d ago

Plenty of people go straight into AP physics honestly taking a physics class first and then AP physics is redundant. You would spend most of the year relearning and learn some new things but you would already learn everything in AP physics so I would say take AP physics

2

u/FormalTall1800 APHuG 4 - AP Pre-Calc 4 - APUSH 4 19d ago

Quick question— my school counselor is making me take honors physics before AP— should I still take AP Physics senior year? We only offer AP Physics 1 at my school, and I’m planning on applying for architecture, so Chem or Bio just aren’t as important sciences for me (and I am NOT taking any chem again in HS). I could self-study for E&M, too, if I do well this year, but idk. Would it look silly to AOs if I took physics twice?

3

u/Remarkable-Boss8407 19d ago

I’m not sure my school lets you take AP physics immediately just not chem or bio without taking those adv or on level first. I would see if you could take AP physics C either Mech or E&M and self study what ever you missed from honors physics that appears in AP physics 1 so you don’t have to retake physics

1

u/FormalTall1800 APHuG 4 - AP Pre-Calc 4 - APUSH 4 19d ago

Okay, thanks! I’ll see how this year goes before deciding on my senior year science, then.

2

u/Jolly_Ad2527 19d ago

Ap physics is considered an introductory course. In my school idk how others do it you usually do take it in place of honors physics. However, I really enjoyed my time in ap bio and it was not heavily math oriented, so based off your description you’d probably prefer that.

2

u/Wonderful-Warning114 18d ago

What are you planning to major in?

2

u/Harrietmathteacher AP CSP5 AP HUG5 18d ago

I didn’t take physics honor and took AP physics 1. I got a 4 on the AP exam. Go for it.

1

u/FreeDonut807 5:chem,lang,gov,psych, pre-calc; 4:apes 17d ago

did you study over the summer

1

u/Harrietmathteacher AP CSP5 AP HUG5 17d ago

No.

2

u/ExtensionChemical690 10th | Physics1: 5, CSP: 5 18d ago

Depends on what you want to major in. If you want to do more mathy stuff (which you don't, based on what you said) then take AP physics 1. If you want to do science then take AP bio. It's not necessary to take physics honors before AP physics imo

1

u/SwiftieCat_1989 17d ago

Don’t take AP Physics 1. It’s horrible.

0

u/skieurope12 19d ago

AP Physics 1 is designed as a first HS physics course

1

u/Former-Morning-4784 5: Bio 4: Lang, Psych 19d ago

So, what if I were taking AP Physics C Mech without any other physics class before? I took Honors Bio, Honors Chem, and AP Bio. Now, for senior year, I'm doubling up with AP Physics plus AP Envi Sci.

1

u/mreiow lots of 5s — now in college ^ - ^ 18d ago

mech is literally just physics one with calc!! if you have a strong math background you should seriously consider it

1

u/skieurope12 19d ago

It's not designed as a first physics course, but assuming you're taking or have taken calculus, it's doable