Should I have taken Physics as one of my A-Levels????

I've been onto the websites of a few different Universities and the Engineering courses always say that you should preferrably have taken Physics as one your A-Levels.
Im taking As Bio,Chem,Maths and Psychology.
The grades I think I'll come out with at the end of A2 are:
A in Maths, A/B in Chem and a B in Biology, im not trying to get into the top Universities if you're wondering but im worried that the Universities I apply for will choose people who have taken Physics over me.
I love Maths and I really want to take up a course in any type of Engineering; what do you think the chances of me getting into a good course are and if I do get into one will i find it hard because of the fact I haven't taken physics?
Thanks in advance!

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Reply 1

dotty_but_good

Original post by Yasin-Ali

You could always take up physics in the U6 if you haven't got that far.
I don't think it will hold you back as much as you seem to be concerned about.

Reply 2

Yasin-Ali

Original post by dotty_but_good

You could always take up physics in the U6 if you haven't got that far.
I don't think it will hold you back as much as you seem to be concerned about.

Im still in my first year of AS levels.
What is U6?

Reply 3

dotty_but_good

Original post by Yasin-Ali

Im still in my first year of AS levels.
What is U6?

Second year of sixth form

Reply 4

Yasin-Ali

Original post by dotty_but_good

Second year of sixth form

Err I'd rather not.. I don't think i'd be able to take on another A level without dying.

Did you do engineering in Uni? if yes- which subject do you think was more useful to you: physics or maths?

Reply 5

dotty_but_good

Original post by Yasin-Ali

Err I'd rather not.. I don't think i'd be able to take on another A level without dying.

Did you do engineering in Uni? if yes- which subject do you think was more useful to you: physics or maths?

I haven't started yet, I am currently on my gap year but from friends who have, they say maths is more useful.

Reply 6

Smack

Volunteer Team

Original post by Yasin-Ali

Err I'd rather not.. I don't think i'd be able to take on another A level without dying.

Did you do engineering in Uni? if yes- which subject do you think was more useful to you: physics or maths?

I do engineering and maths is a lot more useful. Physics is too dumbed down, particularly mechanics. Maths teaches problem solving skills much better and the level of equations used will much better prepare you for university engineering.

Reply 7

helenlouise123

some say its preferable but as long as you have maths you'll be fine.
just try and do as many mechanics modules as possible, and in my opinion the mechanics is maths is of a higher standard than the mechanics you do in physics.

Reply 8

patricko

I depends where you apply really. A lot of universities seem to look for it. Check with places you would like to go. No point shooting yourself in the foot at this stage of the game

Reply 9

Yasin-Ali

Original post by Smack

But i'll still find the course much harder than people who have had a headstart with physics then?

Reply 10

Yasin-Ali

Original post by helenlouise123

Idk..Isn't mechanics supposed to be much harder than statistics? especially seeing as im not taking physics?

Reply 11

IBK

Drop psychology and take up physics? Physics does help at the end of the day if you are going foe engineering

Reply 12

saajan_92

Physics isn't essential but it is VERY USEFUL for engineering.. If you can start physics at a'level, it would be easier than starting uni without, as the step up in work between school and uni is enough to deal with without being behind with physics.

I would suggest doing as many mechanics modules as possible (the stats is only considered easier because it's so prescribed - there's a set method and you apply it without thinking too much - the mechanics isnt actually too bad).

Also theres a lot of overlap between mechanics in maths & physics, so maybe if you do mostly mechanics modules, then you will know half the physics course, making it easier to add physics to your a'levels (I would drop one of the others)

If you can't do the full alevel, consider just the as?

Reply 13

Smack

Volunteer Team

Original post by Yasin-Ali

But i'll still find the course much harder than people who have had a headstart with physics then?

Depends on how the course is set up, really. If you can do calculus and trigonometry then I don't think it'd be too difficult to pick up the basic physics concepts that people who have previously done physics will have already been exposed to. University engineering is essentially just applied maths, just like physics at high school.

If you just rote learn physics, like a lot of people do, then it won't be much use at all as the type of problems are very different.

Reply 14

Peel

Yeah, unfortunately I think not having physics will limit your application. Entrance to universities are competitive, and although a lot of the material in physics isn't that useful it does help hence it is used as a discriminator. If I remember correctly quite a few universities do specify physics, so it's really in your own interest to take it up.

Reply 15

helenlouise123

Original post by Yasin-Ali

Idk..Isn't mechanics supposed to be much harder than statistics? especially seeing as im not taking physics?

if youre thinking of doing engineering then mechanics is going to be a lot more relevant.
and i dont think mechanics is any harder than stats, and if it is its much more worthwhile and gives you better skills than plugging a load of numbers into formulae :smile:

Reply 16

Yasin-Ali

Original post by helenlouise123

This is a harcore choice...
I know I should pick mechanics but I don't want to risk getting a lower grade than I can with statistics..
I've seen people do mechanics and tbh it brings back bad memories of physics at school- a subject I hated at school; I wasn't bad at it (got an A* in it) but didn't enjoy it.
I'll forget about Engineering-I'll do something else.
Do you know if Chemical Engineering requires physics?? I don't think it does..why would anything to do with chemistry require physics.
Does it?

Reply 17

Peel

Original post by Yasin-Ali

Chem eng is perhaps 10% chemistry, the rest is math and physics. At the end of the day any engineering will be predominantly maths and physics with limited knowledge of other subjects thrown in.

I don't want to sound harsh but there's absolutely no point taking statistics over mechanics to get a better grade, if that better grade gets you into a course that is entirely mechanics. If I were you, I'd take mechanics - it's a lot more interesting than stats and is a pretty easy module once you understand it.

Reply 18

Yasin-Ali

Original post by Peel

Is mechanics really going to provide me with enough physics xp to put me on par with these guys who have taken 2 years worth of physics..

What im trying to say is: I don't want to have that hopeless feeling when you think everyone gets something and you don't and you know you're struggling, It's happened to me before and I don't want University to be like that.

So do you think it is right of me to abandon Engineering and try and find some other course that's predominantly Chemistry and Maths??

Reply 19

TwilightKnight

So... wait...

You aren't doing Physics and you aren't doing ANY Mechanics modules?

It would be the latter part you should be worried about, to be perfectly honest.

The stuff relevant to Engineering from Physics at A Level is covered in (and more detail in) M1 and M2 (some little tid-bits in M3). When people say Maths for Engineering, they're predominantly talking about Mechanics - sure, you learn about Calculus and Trig in Maths, but it's really how they're applied that is useful, and that's what you learn in Mechanics. Maths with Stats isn't going to be useless for Engineering, but without Physics, they would expect you to be doing some Mechanics elsewhere, and that would usually be in Maths.

If the reason you aren't doing Mechanics is because it's 'harder' and you might not get a good grade in it, I would ask if you really want to do (Chemical) Engineering. Pretty much 90% of any Engineering course is (Mechanical) Maths.