Why do so many people hate physics?
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1) It’s hard
2) It’s boring
2) It’s boring
Original post by Nihilisticb*tch
Before I begin, please don't comment something along the lines of: "people have different opinions" or "people are different". I am fully aware that people are different and have different opinions but usually there is an underlying reason behind someone's opinion and that is what I'm asking for.
The first reason is perhaps that people find it difficult. However people were saying this at GCSE and I can't understand how GCSE physics is any more difficult than GCSE chemistry or biology. People seem to have a perception that physics is hard even at levels when it's not hard if that makes sense. I understand people saying a degree in physics is hard but that is besides my point.
Secondly, people say that it's boring but again people said this at GCSE but I don't see how it is any more boring than chemistry or biology. Even at gcse I found physics way more interesting than the other sciences so why do so many people find it boring? I can understand how people would be more interested in biology as it seems more relevant because plants and animals are things that we can see but I don't understand how physics is more boring than chemistry when both deal with things that we cannot see necessarily. In fact, physics at gcse teaches you basic mechanics and newtons laws which are things that you can most definitely see in effect in the real world.
Anyway, I'll stop rambling on but yeah I want to know why people hate physics. I am currently at A level and after reading loads of books about physics I have decided I want to do it as my degree. When I took A level physics lots of my friends were saying like "why on earth would you take physics" and "I would rather die than take physics" which is a bit dramatic.
The first reason is perhaps that people find it difficult. However people were saying this at GCSE and I can't understand how GCSE physics is any more difficult than GCSE chemistry or biology. People seem to have a perception that physics is hard even at levels when it's not hard if that makes sense. I understand people saying a degree in physics is hard but that is besides my point.
Secondly, people say that it's boring but again people said this at GCSE but I don't see how it is any more boring than chemistry or biology. Even at gcse I found physics way more interesting than the other sciences so why do so many people find it boring? I can understand how people would be more interested in biology as it seems more relevant because plants and animals are things that we can see but I don't understand how physics is more boring than chemistry when both deal with things that we cannot see necessarily. In fact, physics at gcse teaches you basic mechanics and newtons laws which are things that you can most definitely see in effect in the real world.
Anyway, I'll stop rambling on but yeah I want to know why people hate physics. I am currently at A level and after reading loads of books about physics I have decided I want to do it as my degree. When I took A level physics lots of my friends were saying like "why on earth would you take physics" and "I would rather die than take physics" which is a bit dramatic.
Ayy, same. I want to do a physics degree.
Tbh I think because chem and bio requires mostly memorisation and knowing how to answer the question based on the marksheme whereas physics requires an understanding of the concepts which many people struggle with.Original post by Serenity-M
Ayy, same. I want to do a physics degree. Tbh I think because chem and bio requires mostly memorisation and knowing how to answer the question based on the marksheme whereas physics requires an understanding of the concepts which many people struggle with.
Tbh I think because chem and bio requires mostly memorisation and knowing how to answer the question based on the marksheme whereas physics requires an understanding of the concepts which many people struggle with.That's a good point and I think it's true to some extent. I never found physics hard to understand so I didnt notice that difference but now I think about it I think it's true. In biology you literally just have to memorize stuff and write it down in the exam, there is some application but compared to physics it is minimal. In chemistry there's a lot of memorization but there is a bit more understanding. Come to think of it, there isn't that much to remember in physics at all and it is mostly about application and understanding so yeah I think that explains why so many people find it hard. I think also if you struggle with maths then you will find physics hard whereas in biology and chemistry you can get away with being bad at maths.
Original post by Y12_FurtherMaths
1) It’s hard
2) It’s boring
2) It’s boring
But how is it hard and boring?
Original post by Nihilisticb*tch
But how is it hard and boring?
Because a lot of the topics are really tricky to understand and grasp the concept. And it’s boring because I never enjoyed lessons and just never found a liking to physics so never had an interest in it
Original post by Nihilisticb*tch
That's a good point and I think it's true to some extent. I never found physics hard to understand so I didnt notice that difference but now I think about it I think it's true. In biology you literally just have to memorize stuff and write it down in the exam, there is some application but compared to physics it is minimal. In chemistry there's a lot of memorization but there is a bit more understanding. Come to think of it, there isn't that much to remember in physics at all and it is mostly about application and understanding so yeah I think that explains why so many people find it hard. I think also if you struggle with maths then you will find physics hard whereas in biology and chemistry you can get away with being bad at maths.
There is understanding required in the other two sciences but not to the same extent. Yeah, it's a lot like maths, you need to understand a concept in order to answer the question. Otherwise you don't know what equation applies. Also many people cba to remember all the equations and therefore find it difficult. Yeah, there that much memorisation except for that whole chapter on particles.
Sooo much to learn. 
Original post by Serenity-M
There is understanding required in the other two sciences but not to the same extent. Yeah, it's a lot like maths, you need to understand a concept in order to answer the question. Otherwise you don't know what equation applies. Also many people cba to remember all the equations and therefore find it difficult. Yeah, there that much memorisation except for that whole chapter on particles. Sooo much to learn.
Sooo much to learn. Ikr but other than that it's mostly understanding. I do A level Biology and Chemistry and Biology is a lot of content to remember. You have to remember all the structures of different molecules such as glucose, cellulose etc and the names of different things, it's practically just a memory game. Chemistry is partly about understanding and there is some maths but it has some memorization as well.
Original post by Y12_FurtherMaths
Because a lot of the topics are really tricky to understand and grasp the concept. And it’s boring because I never enjoyed lessons and just never found a liking to physics so never had an interest in it
Fair enough. I suppose people have different brains and understand things differently so some people might find physics difficult to understand. And by consequence if you can't understand it then you won't find it interesting or enjoy it.
Original post by Nihilisticb*tch
Ikr but other than that it's mostly understanding. I do A level Biology and Chemistry and Biology is a lot of content to remember. You have to remember all the structures of different molecules such as glucose, cellulose etc and the names of different things, it's practically just a memory game. Chemistry is partly about understanding and there is some maths but it has some memorization as well.
Mm. Where are you thinking of applying to for physics? Or do you not know?
Original post by the bear
There’s more than one book 😱
Original post by Serenity-M
Mm. Where are you thinking of applying to for physics? Or do you not know?
I want to for definite apply for oxford and durham but I'm not sure about other places. I want to apply mainly for universities in the north and Midlands because they will be nearer to home and more convenient.
Original post by Nihilisticb*tch
I want to for definite apply for oxford and durham but I'm not sure about other places. I want to apply mainly for universities in the north and Midlands because they will be nearer to home and more convenient.
Those are great unis. What grades are you aiming for?
Original post by Serenity-M
Those are great unis. What grades are you aiming for?
Ideally 4 A*s but I'm fine with an A* and two As
don't really know, to be honest. i like maths and i'm doing it for a-level but physics never really interested me, despite it being maths based etc.
partly down to the triad of awful teachers i had for it and the fact that it didn't interest/excite me much. i found chemistry really interesting at gcse and loved learning new stuff. physics i just found super difficult and boring; didn't really like the maths side of it either.
lots of people will like/dislike each subject so
partly down to the triad of awful teachers i had for it and the fact that it didn't interest/excite me much. i found chemistry really interesting at gcse and loved learning new stuff. physics i just found super difficult and boring; didn't really like the maths side of it either.
lots of people will like/dislike each subject so
Concepts are too difficult to grasp
Original post by entertainmyfaith
don't really know, to be honest. i like maths and i'm doing it for a-level but physics never really interested me, despite it being maths based etc.
partly down to the triad of awful teachers i had for it and the fact that it didn't interest/excite me much. i found chemistry really interesting at gcse and loved learning new stuff. physics i just found super difficult and boring; didn't really like the maths side of it either.
lots of people will like/dislike each subject so
partly down to the triad of awful teachers i had for it and the fact that it didn't interest/excite me much. i found chemistry really interesting at gcse and loved learning new stuff. physics i just found super difficult and boring; didn't really like the maths side of it either.
lots of people will like/dislike each subject so
From speaking to people on here I think the reason that lots of people find it difficult is because unlike biology and chemistry, it isn't very much about memorization but is a lot about understanding. So that's why lots of people find it difficult.
It also probably has something to do with teaching. I always had fairly good teachers in physics. In chemistry I had a couple of bad teachers which made me dislike the subject although now at A level i like it. It's difficult to understand something if you're not taught it very well. There's a severe lack of physics and maths teachers so a lot of people will end up with either no teacher (and just a stream of supplies) or a rubbish teacher. The reason for this is mainly because teachers don't get paid very much at all and you can earn a lot more money elsewhere with a physics degree.
Original post by Nihilisticb*tch
Chemicals are cheap so chemistry isn't that limited in its practicals. But yeah when we talk about the theory i don't see how chemistry is more interesting than physics.
Um no, we have done practicals involving silver precipitates and limonene, and those are really expensive.
Physics is really hard to be interesting, challenging or meaningful without maths but GCSE and A Level don't include any maths because at GCSE maths is too hard for everyone and at A Level you can't be assumed to be doing A Level maths. I don't understand why anyone would take physics A Level without maths, though, it just makes it so much harder if you can't just derive everything in the exam and have to actually remember things.
Also physics at A Level requires far more memorisation than chemistry. In chemistry you have to remember the 6 mark question you can get asked about the Kekulé model of benzene and nothing else. I don't know where this misconception comes from, maybe it's because it initially seems like you have to remember all these reactions and mechanisms and things but trust me you can forget about all of them by the end of A2 and still get an A* in the exam.
Being "bad at maths" and doing chemistry A Level is not a good idea. Isn't it like 30-40% of the marks for mathematics now?
The physics GCSE and A level are both harder to get marks in than their contemporaries, grade boundaries are usually among the lowest in each series. Perhaps it just makes everyone feel stupid when teachers who don't quite get this mark past papers as 70% being an B even though getting that mark on that paper would get you an A*. However this would also apply to biology but there must be people who hate that too because I know I do.
Also physics at A Level requires far more memorisation than chemistry. In chemistry you have to remember the 6 mark question you can get asked about the Kekulé model of benzene and nothing else. I don't know where this misconception comes from, maybe it's because it initially seems like you have to remember all these reactions and mechanisms and things but trust me you can forget about all of them by the end of A2 and still get an A* in the exam.
Being "bad at maths" and doing chemistry A Level is not a good idea. Isn't it like 30-40% of the marks for mathematics now?
The physics GCSE and A level are both harder to get marks in than their contemporaries, grade boundaries are usually among the lowest in each series. Perhaps it just makes everyone feel stupid when teachers who don't quite get this mark past papers as 70% being an B even though getting that mark on that paper would get you an A*. However this would also apply to biology but there must be people who hate that too because I know I do.
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by Nihilisticb*tch
"people are different"
You have answered the question yourself. Some people are geared more towards physics and some aren't.
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