About the Course and You
Just to make sure you're in the course you think you signed up for, review the course description if you haven't already.
Read below to see if the course sequence fits in with your goals.
How does the course description relate to your goals? How will you know if this is the right course for you? Here are three things to consider.
First, you need to meet the corequisite. This means that you're either taking precalculus at the same time as PH424/PH426 or you've successfully completed a precalculus course already.
Second, what are your goals in taking the course? This course is taught assuming that you want to prepare to do well on the AP Physics 1 exam. You also have to be interested enough in physics to motivate yourself to study and do the homework. If these things don't describe you, then you may find it particularly difficult to motivate yourself to complete the coursework. In addition to having the motivation, you also need to have the time, about 10 hours per week. If you're taking physics on top of an already full course load and have time-consuming extracurricular commitments, you'll find it difficult to keep up. It's important to be realistic about how much you can do and still get enough sleep to stay healthy.
Third, why take the AP Physics 1 exam? While you may be required to take the AP exam as part of your enrollment in this course, we hope you've also thought about how this exam fits into your college and career plans. The AP Physics 1 and 2 curricula are for students who are interested in obtaining credit for the introductory algebra-based physics course at the university where they will atten. If you plan to use your score on the AP Physics 1 and/or 2 exams to help you exempt from physics in college or place into a higher level physics course, it's a good idea to check with the physics departments at the universities where you'll applying in order to find out what, if any, AP exam score they will accept for exemption or placement.
While the above items have to do with learning physics, AP Physics 1 and 2 have overarching goals that will serve you well in your college career and beyond. Here are the most important ones:
Go on to the next item in the Orientation to take a survey to provide some information to the teacher.
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