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Physics for leaving in one year?

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  • 19-05-2013 11:00am
    #1
    arsenalfh
    Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭


    I picked economics over physics at the start of the year but now I want to do physics as well. Another thing is that I can't stand Irish and English and they're in my top 6 subjects since i'm doing ordinary maths. It's a bit late but I was wondering if you could complete the physics course in one year? I got a B in honours maths and science for the junior cert and physics is a subject I find interesting.


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    #2
    TheJak01
    Registered Users Posts: 61 ✭✭TheJak01


    Doable if you've a strong aptitude for the subject, with a teacher willing to take you through the course within a year, and you're willing to put in the effort. Even then, only just. It's not necessarily the longest subject in the world, but there's enough in it that you'd need to dedicate a large amount of time to it, to the point where you'd probably be better off just focusing on your weaker subjects. Add in that there's tricky elements that may take a bit of time to grasp, I wouldn't recommend it.


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    #3
    Prodigious
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭Prodigious


    Physics is a horrible subject. If I could go back I wouldn't have picked it.


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    #4
    Kingkumar
    Registered Users Posts: 59 ✭✭Kingkumar


    pretty sure you could if u put ur mind to it. It all depends on how much time ur willing to devote to it. If u plan on doing it on ur own it might be a bit difficult to understand all the concepts without some1 explaining them to you. The only thing that will be difficult are all the experiments as you prob wont be able to do them it will be hard for you to remember everything about them by just reading about them( unless u have a really good memory :) ) Finally all the maths part of phys arent hard it just about ordinary level maths
    so yeah hope this helps


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    #5
    kingcobra
    Registered Users Posts: 835 ✭✭✭kingcobra


    The physics course isn't too bad and I reckon it is doable in a year; getting at least a C is fairly easy and as you get to the Modern Physics chapters, most of the sums are just find the correct formula and just put it in the values. I find the Modern Physics really interesting as well so that kind of helps! :D


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    #6
    Just Like Heaven
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,132 ✭✭✭Just Like Heaven


    When I did it I completely left out the honours mechanics. I found those chapters okay in the book, but when I went to do the papers (Q6 if I remember correctly?) I never got anything right. I also left out loads of the electricity bar a good few of the experiments. I'm not saying you should not study somethings at least once, but I knew light, waves, the option and the modern stuff well so I was able to pick and choose what I wanted to leave out from the mechanics and electricity.

    It's definitely possible, I took it up Christmas of sixth year and got an A1 in HL. But I really enjoyed it and I was pretty good at Chemistry, which is a massive advantage. Being good at Maths isn't really that important (I did pass), you just have to be comfortable moving figures back and forth over an equation, but studying chemistry is an advantage.


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    #7
    arsenalfh
    Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭arsenalfh


    fewtinsoffroth wrote: »
    When I did it I completely left out the honours mechanics. I found those chapters okay in the book, but when I went to do the papers (Q6 if I remember correctly?) I never got anything right. I also left out loads of the electricity bar a good few of the experiments. I'm not saying you should not study somethings at least once, but I knew light, waves, the option and the modern stuff well so I was able to pick and choose what I wanted to leave out from the mechanics and electricity.

    It's definitely possible, I took it up Christmas of sixth year and got an A1 in HL. But I really enjoyed it and I was pretty good at Chemistry, which is a massive advantage. Being good at Maths isn't really that important (I did pass), you just have to be comfortable moving figures back and forth over an equation, but studying chemistry is an advantage.

    Good to hear. Did you teach it yourself or get grinds?


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    #8
    Peregrine
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 26,399 Mod ✭✭✭✭Peregrine


    Prodigious wrote: »
    Physics is a horrible subject.

    I respectfully disagree.

    It's one of the easiest subjects to get an A1 in if you have any interest in it. The marking schemes are also really generous.

    It's doable in one year if you put your back into it. It's more than doable if you do a bit of work over the summer.


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    #9
    arsenalfh
    Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭arsenalfh


    If I do decide to pick it up I'll definitely be working over the summer.

    Thing is I just can't see myself doing much for English and Irish, same thing happened for the junior cert but I can apply myself for other subjects. Even if I start physics from scratch I have an interest in it so I'll end up doing a good bit of work and probably can get better results than in Irish and English.


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    #10
    Just Like Heaven
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,132 ✭✭✭Just Like Heaven


    arsenalfh wrote: »
    Good to hear. Did you teach it yourself or get grinds?

    I did it myself. I used the exam edge book and the marking schemes loads. For example, I used anki and rote learned off every answer to every part of Q5 that's been asked in the last 10 years, as well as every question that's ever come up in the particle physics option, they tend to repeat themselves. Especially in the option, there's only so much they can ask. So I sort of 'hacked' the paper in that sense.

    All that being said, I made a point of understanding all the concepts really well and stuff like that (again I think being good at/liking Chemistry was a huge advantage looking back). When you're learning and trying to get your head around them write them out again in your own words or pretend you're explaining them out loud to a four year old or something :p


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    #11
    arsenalfh
    Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭arsenalfh


    fewtinsoffroth wrote: »
    I did it myself. I used the exam edge book and the marking schemes loads. For example, I used anki and rote learned off every answer to every part of Q5 that's been asked in the last 10 years, as well as every question that's ever come up in the particle physics option, they tend to repeat themselves. Especially in the option, there's only so much they can ask. So I sort of 'hacked' the paper in that sense.

    All that being said, I made a point of understanding all the concepts really well and stuff like that (again I think being good at/liking Chemistry was a huge advantage looking back). When you're learning and trying to get your head around them write them out again in your own words or pretend you're explaining them out loud to a four year old or something :p

    Thanks for the help, I'm going to give it a shot.


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    #12
    Just Like Heaven
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,132 ✭✭✭Just Like Heaven


    Good luck and enjoy it, it's a fascinating subject.


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    #13
    Peregrine
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 26,399 Mod ✭✭✭✭Peregrine


    fewtinsoffroth wrote: »
    Good luck and enjoy it, it's a fascinating subject.

    It is indeed.

    Good luck OP. If you ever need any help, post it here or in the 5th year off topic(LC next year) and myself and a few others would be happy to help.


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    #14
    TheChosenOne
    Registered Users Posts: 71 ✭✭TheChosenOne


    My friend did it, all on his own, and it looks like he's managing quite well. I tried doing biology on my own, but I found it to be extremely hard to actually get down and study on your own. So it kind of depends on you, will you be able to motivate yourself to study, with no teachers behind your shoulder?

    In general, physics is a nice subject. There's a lot of choice on the paper as well. You can leave out a lot of stuff if you don't like it. If you do applied maths, then the mechanics question will be really easy as well. And some questions like modern physics and the option are quite easy to learn, and they're always asked.

    So once again, if you're the type of person who can just sit down and study something, without constantly checking the followed threads on boards.ie or FB, then go ahead and do physics :)


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    #15
    Student007
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 53 ✭✭Student007


    Prodigious wrote: »
    Physics is a horrible subject. If I could go back I wouldn't have picked it.

    It has a lot of maths to it, but once you understand the experiments, they should be easy to relate to...


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    #16
    arsenalfh
    Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭arsenalfh


    Nimrod 7 wrote: »
    It is indeed.

    Good luck OP. If you ever need any help, post it here or in the 5th year off topic(LC next year) and myself and a few others would be happy to help.

    Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.


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    #17
    arsenalfh
    Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭arsenalfh


    TheChosenOne wrote: »
    My friend did it, all on his own, and it looks like he's managing quite well. I tried doing biology on my own, but I found it to be extremely hard to actually get down and study on your own. So it kind of depends on you, will you be able to motivate yourself to study, with no teachers behind your shoulder?

    In general, physics is a nice subject. There's a lot of choice on the paper as well. You can leave out a lot of stuff if you don't like it. If you do applied maths, then the mechanics question will be really easy as well. And some questions like modern physics and the option are quite easy to learn, and they're always asked.

    So once again, if you're the type of person who can just sit down and study something, without constantly checking the followed threads on boards.ie or FB, then go ahead and do physics :)

    Yeah, the careers teacher said a good few people do the physics course in a year so it's doable. What I'll do is try and catch up over the summer by studying myself and if it goes well I'll continue with the help of the physics teacher in my school, if not I'll try to get some grinds or something of the like which are hopefully not too expensive.


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    #18
    cassie2013
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭cassie2013


    If your looking to do another science subject and are debating physics, I'd seriously recommend looking at phys-chem. it's physics and chemistry combined but it's the easiest chapters from both. There are only 13 chapters in the entire course, I picked it up in Feb of this year and am looking for a minimum b2. Only about 400 students in the country do it so the marking scheme isn't as strict as say Biology .. And There's A good bit of choice on the paper! It's extremely difficult to find a book as they don't write them anymore because there isn't enough demand ie printing 300 books = 0 profit for publishing co's BUT I did get a copy of a book and have some really good notes so if you were interested if be happy to sell the book on and if photocopy the notes for you


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    #19
    arsenalfh
    Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭arsenalfh


    Really glad I took up the subject in the end. Got 74% in a mock over easter and that's without all that modern physics which I find easier and more interesting. Just revising the modern stuff now and that will be the whole course done except some magnetism.

    Would definitely recommend physics to anyone who has an interest in science or technology and there isn't a whole lot of material to get through if you want to get it done in a year. The maths is fairly straight forward for the most part and except for bits of light and sound and learning experiments without actually doing them it was far more enjoyable any of my other subjects except maybe bio.


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    #20
    kingcobra
    Registered Users Posts: 835 ✭✭✭kingcobra


    arsenalfh wrote: »
    Really glad I took up the subject in the end. Got 74% in a mock over easter and that's without all that modern physics which I find easier and more interesting. Just revising the modern stuff now and that will be the whole course done except some magnetism.

    Would definitely recommend physics to anyone who has an interest in science or technology and there isn't a whole lot of material to get through if you want to get it done in a year. The maths is fairly straight forward for the most part and except for bits of light and sound and learning experiments without actually doing them it was far more enjoyable any of my other subjects except maybe bio.

    That's a really good result for the mock paper, considering you didn't do modern physics. You'll be well able to get the A1! :D


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    #21
    Tesco TripleChicken
    Registered Users Posts: 164 ✭✭Tesco TripleChicken


    Study Mechanics, Particle Physics (both easy chapters) and learn all the experiments (especially the electricity ones, as it comes up every year)
    Then go through the rest of the chapters but I'd recommend leaving out electricity and magnetism as it's very long and can be hard to grasp and you won't need it for the exam (although it does come up every year). You also won't have time to cover everything else properly if you study these chapters.
    Get a revision book like Revise Wise and try to know everything in it and I'd say you'd at least get a C. If you know basic maths like cross multiplying then you'll have no problem, it's just subbing into formulas in the log tables.
    You could pass the paper just by learning all experiments, mechanics, and particle physics. Also helps to watch youtube videos so you can see real demonstrations of certain concepts.

    Also, I'd say if you're putting in work over the summer then you'll have no problem with the course.


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    #22
    arsenalfh
    Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭arsenalfh


    kingcobra wrote: »
    That's a really good result for the mock paper, considering you didn't do modern physics. You'll be well able to get the A1! :D

    I'm not going for an A1 thankfully haha. I was originally going for a B2 but I think I can do better if I put the work in over the next few days. Geo and bio went really well but English P1 was a bit dodgy and I probably will end up with a C1 or so in French. That means I'm going to need to do a bit better in physics and economics but everything should be grand.


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    #23
    Isitthough?
    Registered Users Posts: 192 ✭✭Isitthough?


    Yeah you'll be fine. You can even leave out Mechanics which is a big chuck of the exam but If you want more choice on the day do it. Its the shortest science subject too. Use this website http://www.thephysicsteacher.ie/leavingcertphysicshome.html Has everything you need plus exam questions and solutions also explains things nicely. Id say go for it You should be fine and the maths isnt horribe and you said your good at maths so bonus :p


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