Hi, I'm in Year 10 this year and in the process of choosing what subjects I am going to do for VCE.
So I'm considering doing Physics but I want to get an idea of what it is like as a subject and what sort of skills work well with it. Year 7-10 science has felt pretty basic to me and most of it felt just like remembering facts, and I coasted with 80-90% doing little work. Physics is probably the science that appeals to me the most, I just want to make sure it is the sort of thing I would like and be good at.
I would say Maths is my favourite and strongest subject, I'm doing 1/2 methods this year and am planning on doing Specialist, so anything maths-based I will enjoy and nothing overly wordy or grey-area ambiguity sort of thing (one reason why Biology doesn't really appeal to me that much).
Based on this, would you recommend Physics to me or do you think I would be good at it? Any advice about the subject would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Hey!
As a physics student, I am so happy to hear you are considering to study physics!
Just like you, I did methods 1/2 in year 10 and I'm currently in methods 3/4. All the skills I have learnt from methods have really helped me. I find the subject relatively easier than some people that I know because in methods you get used to rearranging formulas and applying mathematics in real life problems/situations. Considering you said physics appeals to you, I would say do it! As soon as I realised that I liked physics the most out of all the sciences, it became my favourite. I perform the best in physics out of all my subjects as well. I don't do spesh, but I've heard from students who do, you will find that kinematics and vectors is used in both subjects. So doing physics will give you a chance to consolidate your knowledge.
The jump from year 10 to year 11 physics wasn't too big for me. Although, as I am in a composite class, sometimes keeping up can be a bit difficult, but it's doable! In year 12, the first topic I think usually is motion, so instead of doing thermodynamics which most year 11's do, we're doing motion from unit 2. It's also a good idea to have a read of the study design, but what I noticed was that a lot of the year 11 motion (at least what I was taught) was in the year 10 content. The only thing I didn't do in year 10 was SUVAT equations, but they're not too difficult!
It's also really important to consider if you need physics as a pre-req for your course. For example, it's recommended that you do physics for courses like engineering. I met an aerospace engineer who told me they regretted not taking vce physics, so just double check before you make any decisions!
If you have any questions about physics 1/2, feel free to message me!
Best of luck with year 10 and methods! I'm sure you'll smash it!