Thread: A-level Physics

Just in curiosity, but what age recommendation is required for taking physics A-level, or any other A-level subjects generally around the world?
IM CURRENTLY a Year 11 student taking IGCSE course, can you take A-level after IGCSE in prior to taking IB ?
it would be great of you guys, if you could give me some idea thank you

Originally Posted by Heinsbergrelatz

Just in curiosity, but what age recommendation is required for taking physics A-level, or any other A-level subjects generally around the world?
IM CURRENTLY a Year 11 student taking IGCSE course, can you take A-level after IGCSE in prior to taking IB ?
it would be great of you guys, if you could give me some idea thank you

Your terminology sounds as though you in the British school system. That may impose some constraints. I am not familiar with the details.

My opinion is that age is, within reason, irrelevant, and what counts is the attitude and capability of the student. I have the same attitude with respect to many "prerequisites".

It is simply a matter of the individual and what that particular individual can handle. If you are Don Zagier and are 16 years oild you completed a BS and MS at MIT and went off to study algebraic geometry under Hirzebruch. If you are the fullback on my high school football team then you didn't get out of high school until you were 21 and could barely count your fingers even then.

Originally Posted by Heinsbergrelatz

Just in curiosity, but what age recommendation is required for taking physics A-level, or any other A-level subjects generally around the world?
IM CURRENTLY a Year 11 student taking IGCSE course, can you take A-level after IGCSE in prior to taking IB ?
it would be great of you guys, if you could give me some idea thank you

It would be helpful to know what you are talking about. What is an A-level? What does such a course comprise? What is IGCSE? What is IB? Year 11 student, I suppose, means school and not college or university?

yes it is indeed a british cirriculum
it goes year 8, year 9 , IGCSE-year 10, and 11
year 12, 13 =IB league
after that is your Uni. A-level is advanced level
But in between there is something called the A-level, i just wanted to ask if its necessary to take A-level, or just go on straight to IB, if you know anything about this could you please give me some suggestions and informations
thankyou

Originally Posted by Heinsbergrelatz

yes it is indeed a british cirriculum
it goes year 8, year 9 , IGCSE-year 10, and 11
year 12, 13 =IB league
after that is your Uni. A-level is advanced level
But in between there is something called the A-level, i just wanted to ask if its necessary to take A-level, or just go on straight to IB, if you know anything about this could you please give me some suggestions and informations than you

as you may have guessed most people on this website are obviously american!!

I'm from britain but carn't help as I was educated abroad - i did take my a-levels in the UK but don't know enough about the education system - have you asked at your school?? i'm sure a teacher will help you but i understand if you may not want to ask them..............

in the end there might not be an appropriate age recommendation much like Mr Don Zagier found but rather knowledge base and skill so you might say it depends on the person.

if you are interested in the subject the earlier you start researching the better you will be for it and closer to being able to take your exams when you want...........

Well, I have only experienced the German school system. Primary school lasts for four years, starting at an age of six. During these years, there is only a broad education on all sorts of empirical and natural sciences.

After that, the German system is diverse. There are four different ways to choose:
1. "Hauptschule" = secondary school: very basic level, four to six years
2. "Realschule" = secondary school at a higher level, six years, mainly preparing for medium qualified business
3. "Gymnasium" = grammar school: high quality secondary school, six to eight years leading to qualification for university
4. "Gesamtschule" = combination of all three

The level of physics education is very different in these alternatives, the highest being at the "gymnasium". Physics is taught there from the very beginning. It is compulsory for all pupils and covers all disciplines. The last two years are used for specialising on a few subjects. Two are selected to be on a more intensive level with twice the lessons a week than the others. Physics education there can touch even advanced topics like gravitational theory or quantum physics. But it strongly depends on the engagement of the teacher.

so it seems the education systems spread throughout the world go in different ideas and directions but all lead in the same spot, as long as you are committed to that subject and spiritful about it, am i correct?
e.g. if you want to be a physicist, no matter what country you are in, as long as you are devoted to that subject, and really be passionate about it, you will get there some how.

Originally Posted by Heinsbergrelatz

so it seems the education systems spread throughout the world go in different ideas and directions but all lead in the same spot, as long as you are committed to that subject and spiritful about it, am i correct?
e.g. if you want to be a physicist, no matter what country you are in, as long as you are devoted to that subject, and really be passionate about it, you will get there some how.

I would agree. I even omitted physics entirely during the last few years (it was still three years for me, and I enjoyed a much better physics education in chemistry), but still studied physics at the university. My experience tells me that passion and engagement are much more important than anything else.

Originally Posted by Heinsbergrelatz

so it seems the education systems spread throughout the world go in different ideas and directions but all lead in the same spot, as long as you are committed to that subject and spiritful about it, am i correct?
e.g. if you want to be a physicist, no matter what country you are in, as long as you are devoted to that subject, and really be passionate about it, you will get there some how.

That statement is probably correct if you limit yourself to developed nations with a good school system. I think it would be pretty hard, perhaps not iimpossible but extraordinarily difficult, to become a research physicist if one's education were limited to only schooling in third-world countries.