New NCSSM applicants beware DON'T TAKE PHYSICS (currently)

Hey new potential NCSSM students/family, when we say the physics department at NCSSM hates you, we're not joking. NCSSM Physics content is really really easy to self study (They removed 1/2 of Physics 1 from Mechanics and 2/3 of Physics 2 from they're "Physics 2 ish": E@M which is a course btw)

Mechanics = Physics 1 minus rotational motion, oscillations, fluids

E@M = just the E@M section of Physics 2

You will undergo hell on Earth if you decide to take mechanics or E@M regardless if you have or haven't learned physics beforehand. The average test grade is probably somewhere down there in the 60ish range (Because of showing work, not because of knowledge of the content), so expect around half of your classmates to be retaking tests/quizess. Teachers have different ways they want you to show your work, so you arn't really learning much when they teach.

If you think you have good enough basic knowledge, and would like to skip, you better skip to one of the advanced classes outside of the traditional physics schedules like Quantum, otherwise as you won't have fun in Physics C if you don't already basically know how to do the things in Physics C (The Physics C teacher can be fun, but doesn't teach/explain very well imo).

Not only this, but NCSSM has made both mechanics and E@M harder (more work and absurdly long tests that didn't seem to be reviewed beforehand) THIS YEAR while also INCREASING the grade required to get an A.

Seriously, new applicants, start self studying for the basic physics courses as you will SUFFER currently. Don't take Physics first year unless you really want to do an advanced course and can skip to it. Wait till your senior year and hope things get better. Remember that the placement exists so you can place out of taking physics as a whole.

Warning: If you choose to take a basic physics course (mech, E@M, C), Chances are that you'd be better off self studying as I guarenttee you'll learn much more if you do so.

tldr: Physics at NCSSM doesn't teach much and is very hard, better off self studying at the moment.