With the release of House Bill 5, several changes were made to the graduation requirements. One of these changes is that students no longer have to take physics and chemistry courses.

At Bowie, chemistry is a prerequisite for the advanced sciences, so most students take it anyway. However, physics is only required for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students, as it is needed to fulfill their endorsement.

This decision has many students wondering if they should bother taking physics or not. I believe all students should take it regardless of endorsement or future career choice.

If you plan on majoring in a STEM field, physics should definitely be taken. Most students wonder if they should take it even if they know for sure they aren’t going into a STEM field, and I think they should consider it.

Most colleges prefer applicants who have taken it, so taking it helps a student be more competitive. Even if you’re not planning on majoring in a STEM field or other competitive fields, physics is still applicable to everyday life.

Physics is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a science that deals with matter and energy and its interactions”. It is considered one of the three major sciences, alongside biology and chemistry, and having basic understanding of physics helps out greatly.

Physics is much more than just a math based science. It helps us understand everything from how we walk, how force works, and to how cars work. All of this is useful knowledge for everyone to learn at some point in their life. To those who only ever want to learn the fundamentals, I think it makes more sense to take it for free in high school than to pay for it in college.

If there’s another science class that interests you a lot more, then I’d encourage you to take that class, but don’t brush off physics just because you don’t want to do the work. It may not be a required class anymore, but students should still consider it.