Help Needed: A Level Subject Selection

[electricsound]

I'm a little bit confused.. and what subjects should I take @ A level? thanks for your help ;)

 

[berkeman]

I'm a little bit confused.. and what subjects should I take @ A level? thanks for your help ;)

Do you mean like AP classes in high school? Take all the calculus, physics, and electronics classes you can. In college, I'd recommend starting out in a general engineering/physics track, and deciding which way to go after your 2nd year. Many colleges have tracks where you don't need to decide until your Junior/3rd year, and that gives you time to see what-all interests you the most. There really is is a lot to be said for looking around at subjects in technical depth, to see what really excites you.

 

[robousy]

Gotta remember, not everyone is from the UK and knows what you mean by A-level. It's a bit of a generic question as you are posting here in a physics forum so you could get polarized answers.

First figure out if your wonder is of the natural work, the metahphysical world etc. Physics might be good for you, but then philosophy might be more appropriate. Are you good at, or do you enjoy mathematics? If not then perhaps the biological field is for you. What sort of books do you read for fun?

 

[mal4mac]

Berkeman, if you don't know what A levels are how can you expect a young dude from the UK to know what AP aclasses are? I'm old dude from the UK and have no idea what AP classes are! The advice to "take all the calculus, physics, and electronics classes you can" is confusing. You *have to* take A levels maths and physics, and all the "calculus, physics and electronics" you need to take is contained within those two A levels.

There is no such thing as "a general engineering/physics track". In the UK and you need to decide which way to go while taking your A levels. In your 3rd year at College in the UK you are finishing your BSc degree! That said, you make a good point when you say:

"There really is is a lot to be said for looking around at subjects in technical depth, to see what really excites you."

But in the UK you have to (try to) do this when still at school.

I just re-read C.P. Snow's excellent "Two Cultures" essay and he makes an excellent comparison between the US and UK systems. Shame on both, actually, for not fixing any of the faults in either system in 50 years!

Robousy - these are good questions to ask oneself, UK guys just need grow up fast and start asking them good and early!

 

[robousy]

Robousy - these are good questions to ask oneself, UK guys just need grow up fast and start asking them good and early!

Not contesting that at all. Merely pointing out that a little more info from that chap would be useful.

The Snow books sounds interesting. Having experienced both systems I've enjoyed seeing the flaws (and strengths) in both systems.

rich

 

[mg0stisha]

Mainly for mal4mac - AP classes are university level intro classes in which you learn the curriculum that you would in a college intro course (ex. intro to physics, calc 1) and then at the end of the year you take an exam. With you scores on the exam you can become exempt from classes at a university (ex. if you pass AP physics, you're exempt from intro to physics or the equivalent). However, not all universities accept these AP credits.