Advanced Placement (AP) courses are designed to completely immerse students in a college-level environment in which there is a final exam at the end of each school year that determines if students will get college credit for the particular AP class.
AP Physics as a whole consists of several classes. Mr. Luther Richardson, teacher of AP Physics courses at CHS elaborated on this: "Columbus High offers all of the different AP Physics classes. AP Physics 1 is a version that focuses on concepts and some algebra-based problem-solving. It is intended for non-engineering/science majors looking for science credit. AP Physics C is for engineering and science majors and has two parts. The first part is AP Physics C Mechanics which uses Calculus to explain some physical phenomena so Calculus needs to at least be a pre-requisite."
Each course, however, is similar; they all provide an evolved view of topics related to Physics while using mathematics skills students can be provided with throughout their high school career. In addition to this, the courses are renowned for their intensive rigor, but some students at CHS see that the pros outweigh the cons.
"AP Physics is certainly difficult to get through, but it provided me with invaluable skills that I will have to use in college." Ishaan Busireddy, a senior at CHS stated.
Another senior at CHS, Joshua Keene said, "I really enjoyed AP Physics 1. It widened my view on the application of Physics to many different fields in science!"
According to Mr. Richardson, students should approach AP Physics with open minds, the willingness to ask questions, and, most of all, the hunger to explore. AP Physics provides challenging coursework, but through determination and grit, students at CHS can get prepared for Physics, engineering, and the application of science.
