The AP Physics 1/Regents Hybrid program is double-band elective that is the equivalent to a one-semester, algebra-based, college-level physics course. It blends Regents and AP Course material, giving students tougher questions that demand more problem-solving skills than Regents level classes.
Principal Brian Condon said he came up with the course because requiring kids to have to take the regents Physics course before they were able to enroll in the AP Physics course acted as a barrier for some students.
Mr. Condon also said his goal was to also cut back on prerequisites. He felt that, similar to how students take both the global history regents and AP exam in the same year, it was also possible for Physics classes. He said “for the kids who just feel they could go right to AP, why not let them go right to AP and take the Regents anyway? It just seemed like a more efficient use of resources, and it seemed fairer to kids. So there’s less prerequisites.”
Many students who enroll in the AP Physics 1/Regents Hybrid program find the class appealing because of its challenging nature. Sophomore Sydney Zhang said,“I chose AP Physics [Hybrid] because I wanted to challenge myself, but it’s also because I wasn’t interested in the other science electives.”
Junior Alessio Volpe said, “AP Physics Hybrid is for anyone who wants a challenge and is willing to work hard. In this class, you need to put in the extra work to not fall behind and lose focus because missing one day of class can be catastrophic.”
Alessio added that AP Physics Hybrid was convenient because of “timing.” Complications with his schedules prevented him from taking the Regents class earlier in his high school career, so he felt that AP Physics Hybrid would help him “catch up” with his peers.
Similarly, sophomore Leah Dennis said, “it’d be more efficient to get both the Regents and AP level done in a year rather than two.”
Although AP Physics Hybrid students may have very different reasons for taking the class, most of them share a common thought: the class is hard, but manageable if dealt with properly.
AP Physics Hybrid teacher David Stern said, “a big part of physics is learning how to understand and model complex systems. Anyone who is adept at that is a competitive candidate in almost any technical/professional field. Physics knowledge is used in traditional science roles like engineering and research, but also in areas like data science, software development, quantitative finance, quantum computing, etc. I would recommend the Hybrid class to anyone who is passionate about learning how the laws of nature help us understand the world around us.”
“This class is without doubt the hardest class I’m currently taking. I imagine a lot of people think the math is the hardest aspect, but in my opinion, it’s the concepts that make the class difficult. I find physics to be more unpredictable and complicated in comparison.” She also said that “the material is difficult to grasp at first, but it isn’t impossible to understand. It all comes with patience and constant practice,” Leah said.
Sydney shared similar views, she said that “AP Physics Hybrid is definitely my hardest class since there are so many concepts that you have to understand. It’s not just memorization but you really have to know the concepts and equations in physics to apply them to whatever scenarios you’re given.”
Mr. Stern acknowledged that in physics, making mistakes is inevitable, but still one of the best ways to learn. He said that “I can’t stress how important it is that students collaborate with each other and be willing to make mistakes. You don’t know what you don’t know until you try explaining it to someone else. I think success in this class is less about pre/co-requisite knowledge and more about having a willingness to try.”
The course also prepares students for later physics courses. Current AP Physics C students like junior Johnson Liu and senior Anthony Lin said that the AP Physics Hybrid class prepared them well for AP Physics C class.
Johnson said, “many people say the class requires a lot of work, but that is generally true for any AP class. You just have to be willing to put in the effort.” He also said, “AP Physics Hybrid not only deepened my understanding of physics but also taught me a systematic approach to solving problems.”
Anthony chose to take AP Physics Hybrid because he was interested in Aerospace Engineering and felt that the class would be helpful for that. Anthony explained that the class has been helpful in other ways, too: “It has helped me understand some concepts in calculus more conceptually … and it has also helped in some of my STEM-based extracurriculars.” He said he would recommend taking AP Physics Hybrid “if you want to go into STEM and are willing to handle the coursework.
