Regretting my decision to drop physics (what should I do)?

I'm in Year 12 and my subject choices are Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Spanish (independently) and Welsh Baccalaureate. I'm also doing French A2, having done AS last year (and got an A).

I have just made the decision to drop Physics now (and told my teacher and Head of Sixth Form on Friday), for the following reasons:
- Stress
- Physics not being relevant to the degree I want to do (linguistics or MFL)
- I originally chose Physics because I thought I wanted to study Maths at university, but I've since changed
- Not wanting to waste any more time on something which will be pretty irrelevant to my future (and that I enjoy the least).

I want to apply to a top university - York and Lancaster seem good (I'll probably apply to Cambridge too, but I don't know if it's for me). However, I cannot seem to come to terms with the decision I have made, having wasted so many hours of my life in physics lessons and doing homework that eventually came to nothing. I'd say about 35% of the work we've done so far overlaps directly with either M1 (Y12 Maths) or M2 (Y13 Maths), however I value my time pretty highly and really want to prevent myself from getting any more concerned about this. I've been stressed about my A-level options several times and always come to TSR for help.

The decision was encouraged by both my parents and my Head of Sixth Form. Does anyone have any advice?

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1

Kevin De Bruyne

Original post by armyoctopus

Eventually you'll get over it and hopefully see a difference in your actual work, because to be honest your workload is bound to drive you crazy, and it sounds cliched but if you do it right you will see better results in 4 subjects than if you were to do 5.

It may seem like wasted time but mulling it over won't help or positively impact your grades - could lead to the opposite!

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 2

armyoctopus

So do you think it's a better decision to accept it and move on, or to talk to the school and see if I can take it up again (which I think I could do, it'd just be a little embarrassing)...?

Reply 3

username2911200

Original post by armyoctopus

So do you think it's a better decision to accept it and move on, or to talk to the school and see if I can take it up again (which I think I could do, it'd just be a little embarrassing)...?

You're making a mountain out of absolutely nothing. It's been two days, that's it. Today, write a plan about how you'll cope with physics, a revision timetable for all your subjects and a plan what to tell the head of sixth form tomorrow. Explain that it was a rash decision and you want to change your mind.

They'll put you back into physics, you haven't actually missed any classes, as it's been the weekend. Teenagers make rash decisions all the time, the school knows how to deal with that. The worst that will happen is they will ask you if you really want to do physics and if you can cope with it, that's it.

Reply 4

armyoctopus

My main worry in all of this is that my time isn't being used wisely -
- If I continue as I was, dropping physics, I'll have wasted the time I spent on it previously
- If I continue with physics, I'll be spending time doing something that doesn't interest me and will be of little/no value to me in the future, which I could be spending doing other work (making everything less stressful) and actually having a life, which is something I have deprived myself of for the last 2 years

Reply 5

username2911200

Original post by armyoctopus

If you change your mind again and want to study maths at a top university, you'd be a fool to not have physics. If you want to get into a top university and learning doesn't come as easy to you as other people, then 'having no life' is something you'll have to bare in order to get what you want. Life isn't easy and every year top courses at top universities get more and more competitive. Ask yourself where you want to be; if you want to go to a middling university then fine, drop whatever. If not, get in gear and do the work.

How can physics not interest you even slightly if you're doing further maths? Physics is applied maths and should come naturally to you if you're any good at maths at all. Grit your teeth and bare it.

Reply 6

armyoctopus

If you change your mind again and want to study maths at a top university, you'd be a fool to not have physics

I'm sure I don't want to study maths. I'm good at it and enjoy it, but I'm better at languages/linguistics, and enjoy that more.

learning doesn't come as easy to you as other people

I got 11A* at GCSE and an A in AS- French (without going to any lessons).

Ask yourself where you want to be; if you want to go to a middling university then fine, drop whatever. If not, get in gear and do the work.

I want to be happy. I don't want to be work-obsessed.

How can physics not interest you even slightly if you're doing further maths? Physics is applied maths and should come naturally to you if you're any good at maths at all. Grit your teeth and bare it.

The mathematical side interests me, but the science doesn't as much. I want to puke as soon as anyone says the word 'experiment' or 'practical'.

Reply 7

armyoctopus

Plus if I took it, I'd definitely drop it after AS.

Reply 8

TheMightyAugur

When I started Year 12 I did physics because I wanted to study physics at university but after a lesson I knew I was going to spend two years hating it. A week of mechanics and I was in tears because I found it so stressful and panicked about not understanding something (but I do think I was slightly overwhelmed/hate college in general at the time).

You're probably expecting me to say I persevered with it and that it was the best decision I ever made but no I dropped it two weeks into AS and swapped it for Media Studies.

Yeah, I dropped physics for media studies. Somehow that happened.

The two really don't compare on any level at all but the point is I dropped something I had really wanted to study to postgraduate level on an impulse and replaced it with something I had no interest in at all purely because I felt it was easy. That was a far more severe decision I'm sure than for you because you don't intend to study physics and however bad that decision feels, the problem will inevitably seem much bigger in your head than it is in reality. You've not closed any doors to your future.

Ironically, I came out with a B in media and As in psychology, maths and English language which I've carried on into Year 13. Now I'm studying psychology at Lancaster in the autumn. Funny how life works...

Only advice I'd have is don't needlessly stress or worry about something you can't change. The past is gone, focus on the subjects you do still study and make the most of them

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