How applicable is HSC physics to civil engineering? (1 Viewer)

[rumbleroar]

I'm about to make subject choices for year 12 and I'm deliberating dropping physics, purely because it's one of my weaker subjects, in comparison to my other subjects and want to use my strongest subjects for my HSC/ATAR.

I just want to know how applicable is HSC physics to civil engineering (hoping to do B arch/B eng at usyd) and if the bridging courses are useful for it.

Thanks everyone!

 

[funnytomato]

how is your maths ?

 

[Drongoski]

Want to do Engineering with no Physics? What makes you think a bridging course will fill the gap?

What subject were you planning to keep instead of Physics?

 

[Menomaths]

I've heard high school Physics is nothing like uni Physics.

 

[nerdasdasd]

I've heard high school Physics is nothing like uni Physics.

That is indeed true .

 

[rumbleroar]

how is your maths ?

Picking up ext 2 maths, if that gives any indication (top 72 at my school is allowed to do it)

 

[rumbleroar]

Want to do Engineering with no Physics? What makes you think a bridging course will fill the gap?

What subject were you planning to keep instead of Physics?

Ultimately, my aim is to actually get into my course with the required ATAR and I'm not sure if that can be done if I kept physics (it's not as strong as my other subjects)

I'm planning to keep food tech, if I drop physics (wildly different, but I get strong marks and have a stronger ranking than physics)

 

[rumbleroar]

That is indeed true .

What is uni physics like?

 

[funnytomato]

What is uni physics like?

one of my friends went to the physics olympiad summer school and did not get a band 6 in HSC physics
(I'm pretty sure he can if he bothered to learn all that stuff)

 

[funnytomato]

but if you find 4u maths alright, why would you find physics to be difficult?

 

[funnytomato]

what's your ranks like in phys and food tech ?

 

[rumbleroar]

but if you find 4u maths alright, why would you find physics to be difficult?

I don't really find it hard. Well it's not as hard as what people make it out to be.

what's your ranks like in phys and food tech ?

phys - 4/62 (I have a 'crappy' mark though, in comparison to my other subjects)
food tech - 1/8 (I'm quite sure, I haven't lost any marks so far but I haven't gotten prelim results back)

 

[Drongoski]

Key thing is: if you want to do course A, you should make sure you have all the essential subjects to support your pursuit of that course. Say you get into Civil Engineering, on the strength of your performance in Food Tech: then how are you going to cope with the part that requires a reasonable foundation in Physics, regardless of whether or not the NSW HSC Physics is watered-down physics. Do you think your bridging course will be enough? Maybe, and maybe not.

 

[rumbleroar]

Key thing is: if you want to do course A, you should make sure you have all the essential subjects to support your pursuit of that course. Say you get into Civil Engineering, on the strength of your performance in Food Tech: then how are you going to cope with the part that requirese a reasonable foundation in Physics, regardless of whether or not the NSW HSC Physics is watered-down physics. Do you think your bridging course will be enough? Maybe, and maybe not.

That's pretty much what I'm trying to ask in this thread: how applicable is HSC physics to civil and if the bridging course is useful for it

 

[SpiralFlex]

That's pretty much what I'm trying to ask in this thread: how applicable is HSC physics to civil and if the bridging course is useful for it

The only applicable part of HSC physics is the part with calculations and thinking, questions that ask you to simply write down memorised information the marker wants you will never see again for example (Westinghouse V Edison, though history is important, first year physics are calculations from what I have seen). So do pay attention in class.

Try 'getting your hands on' Serway and Jewett Physics textbook (the textbook used for many first year college students and at UNSW for first year physics) & compare it with HSC past examinations. You'll see the difference immediately.

 

[funnytomato]

I don't really find it hard. Well it's not as hard as what people make it out to be.



phys - 4/62 (I have a 'crappy' mark though, in comparison to my other subjects)
food tech - 1/8 (I'm quite sure, I haven't lost any marks so far but I haven't gotten prelim results back)

In terms of optimizing your ATAR, physics may not necessarily be the bad choice if you consider scaling and size of cohort
And as you've mentioned, it would also be more relevant to an Engineering degree

But if you really dislike physics for whatever reason (bad teacher, unfair assessment etc. ) ,
dropping the HSC physics course will not severely affect your future study IF you can learn it by yourself

 

[Drongoski]

dropping the HSC physics course will not severely affect your future study IF you can learn it by yourself

Unlikely; if you can study by yourself, then you'd not have the issue you now have.

 

[rumbleroar]

The only applicable part of HSC physics is the part with calculations and thinking, questions that ask you to simply write down memorised information the marker wants you will never see again for example (Westinghouse V Edison, though history is important, first year physics are calculations from what I have seen). So do pay attention in class.

Try 'getting your hands on' Serway and Jewett Physics textbook (the textbook used for many first year college students and at UNSW for first year physics) & compare it with HSC past examinations. You'll see the difference immediately.

I'm not sure if I can 'get my hands on' the Serway and Jewett textbook, but if I can, I'll compare it. Thanks for your advice!

Do you know if the bridging course is more quantitative (from the sounds of it) than the HSC course?

 

[rumbleroar]

In terms of optimizing your ATAR, physics may not necessarily be the bad choice if you consider scaling and size of cohort
And as you've mentioned, it would also be more relevant to an Engineering degree

But if you really dislike physics for whatever reason (bad teacher, unfair assessment etc. ) ,
dropping the HSC physics course will not severely affect your future study IF you can learn it by yourself

Hm, I like physics (hence, the reason for wanting to venture into a field where physics is applied) but I don't like how school runs it (if that makes sense...science at my school in general is a bit of a joke). I get tutored for physics and find that more enjoyable. I guess that's also another reason I'm considering not doing it.

Decisions

I don't really want to spend a year kind of not enjoying it, because of school, and go into uni discovering most of the stuff we learnt is irrelevant :/

 

[SpiralFlex]

I'm not sure if I can 'get my hands on' the Serway and Jewett textbook, but if I can, I'll compare it. Thanks for your advice!

Do you know if the bridging course is more quantitative (from the sounds of it) than the HSC course?

My quote implies you maybe able to search a certain library everyone has access to.