To think that it's a mistake to do A Level Physics if you don't love maths?

[Moomin8]

Dd is in year 11. She is quite an academic all rounder and is also a talented artist. She wants to be an interior designer and has told me that she's going to choose two art subjects plus physics for A level.

My problem with this is that she doesn't love maths, physics GCSE is very different from physics A level (a lot more maths and far more difficult I should imagine). She is pretty good at maths but it isn't her best subject.

She is saying I'm being unsupportive but I've seen many people doing science A levels and really regretting it! I don't want her to end up stressed if she doesn't need to.

I think that unless you love maths then physics A level is going to be a grind.

Or could I be wrong?

I was in the bottom foundation level for maths and I did physics and got a grade 1 for it the maths is totally different and I found it much easier than maths and more interesting

My A Level Physics teacher practically insisted that anyone who took her subject also took Maths. For good reason.

Support her while she's doing it. If she finds it's not right, she can change.

I'm 26, just started university and have 0 a levels. I was a top student in school. It took me a long time to figure out what I liked, I tried many different things before finally committing.
I think as long as you're supportive, she will be fine

Definitely check with the college though, no point in supporting her if college won't allow it.

I did Physics A level without A level Maths - one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Without calculus etc. I struggled fotr the whole 2 years and did badly. My brother teaches physics at university level and they spend ages on remedial maths.

Ok, I can see that maybe I'm not in the best position to know since I firmly parked maths after GCSE was over. Her dad thinks she's capable of it but he himself did maths & physics together at A level as people are saying. Maybe I will mention this to him. I guess I do need to let her make her own decisions. I just don't want her to be stressing about a subject which then takes her time and energy away from her other grades. Thanks for replies.

YANBU - but I would more approach it that understanding the Physics A-level syllabus requires you to be skilled at around 50% of the Maths A-level syllabus anyway, so if you do Physics without Maths then you are effectively throwing away half an A-level's worth of work without a qualification to show for it. I would suggest she does 4 A-levels, being Maths, Physics and the 2 arts subjects - the workload won't be a huge amount more than the planned Physics plus 2 arts.

She needs to be good at Maths but it is not necessary to really love it. The Maths involved in A’level Physics is pretty basic but ,as others have suggested, she should really discuss this with her Physics teacher and others in her school who are studying the subject at this level.