AP Physics C (Mech and/or E&M) Full Year or Single Semester Reviews

AP Physics C: Mechanics (Shreya C)

1. Did you feel this class prepared you for the AP exam?

I took the full-year AP Physics C: Mechanics course with Dr. Kernion. This class definitely prepared me for the AP Physics C: Mechanics exam. The meetings and online lectures, practice problems, and in-depth lab procedures helped deepen my knowledge of the concepts we were learning. I’m very thankful for the support Dr. Kernion gave us throughout the year—I felt very confident during the exam and am really pleased with the outcome!

2. Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

I found the test prep pacing guide Dr. Kernion provided us invaluable as I prepared during the months leading up to the AP Physics C: Mechanics exam. It contained several multiple choice and free response practice problems that tested our understanding of specific units in the course. The full-length AP practice tests were also very helpful. Along with the lectures and practice problems Dr. Kernion gave us, these resources definitely helped me prepare for exam day.

3. Did this class enhance your interest in the subject?

Having taken Dr. Kernion’s AP Physics 1 and 2 classes earlier, I really enjoyed gaining a greater appreciation for the calculus-oriented side of physics and its diverse applications in engineering in this course. This class definitely enhanced my interest in engineering, which I’ll be pursuing in college!

~Shreya C

Fabulous Courses!

Thank you for your courses!  My son has greatly enjoyed working with you over the last two years.  He took the full year Mech and E&M course and learned a lot.  He will be studying engineering at university in the fall, and he feels very ready to begin with this fabulous background.

The course is extremely organized, easy to follow, and able to be completely with no parental assistance.  I recommend all of Dr. Kernion's courses to everyone I know looking 

Physics C Mechanics and Physics C E&M

Physics C Mechanics and C E&M:

These two courses prepared me extremely well for the AP tests.  The information covered throughout the year was above and beyond the information on the AP tests.  All the concepts were extremely well organized, which made it both easier to learn and to review.  The concepts were presented in videos with wonderful power point slides which aided in the visualization of the material.  These concepts were then solidified by practice problems, challenge problems, and lab reports.  I learned how to do lab reports in Dr. Kernion's classes last year, and the lab report structure for these courses is similar.  Learning how to do lab reports like this, will greatly aid in my college lab reports.  The quizzes and tests were reflective of the material and were a great measure of how well one was learning the material.  

I had taken both of Dr. Kernion's other classes last year, the AP Physics Mechanics, and the AP physics E&M, both without Calculus.  These calculus-based classes further enhanced my understanding of the physical world with the most powerful tool of calculus.  If wondering which class to start in, the calculus-based physics or the regular, I would suggest only starting the calculus-based physics if the student is in calculus 2 or is good at math and is in Calculus 1.  Having taken all four Physics courses, I found the second calculus-based physics to be easier than the first two, as the information is similar just with a deeper level of understanding with the Calculus.  If a student has not taken the previous physics courses, however, these courses could be very challenging.

Overall, these courses are amazing!  They prepared me extremely well for AP tests and college work.  More importantly, however, these courses helped me find my love for engineering and my future.  These were my favorite courses in high school.  Huge thanks to Dr. Kernion and all he does for physics students!!!!

Stephen Berg

Excellent Course!

This AP Physics C course was exceptional! Dr. Kernion goes above and beyond in his classes and recorded lectures especially. Instead of simply preparing us for the exam, he dives deeper into the material so that we can gain an even greater understanding, which made me like physics even more. Also, he explains the concepts in a manner that is easily grasped, and he ensures that we understand the principles behind problems, not just how to solve them. Finally, the labs were well chosen and allowed me to learn more about the subjects that we were covering. I am well prepared to get a 5 on both Mech and E&M!

Great AP prep for students that are willing to work hard

This course is well structured and it is clear what assignments are supposed to be completed each day. There are pacing guides which recommend specific days to complete assignments, although students can go as far ahead as they like. I would highly recommend this course for students that are hard workers and are benefitted by structured coursework. As a student who has taken 8 AP classes and a college class, I would say this is the hardest class I have taken, but since it is really two classes, (Mech and E/M) that makes sense. I spent about 7-10 hours per week on this course, but depending on the kind of student you are it could easily take more. Taking just the Mech course would obviously require much less work, although still a decent amount. The discussion board was very useful for answering any questions you might have about concepts, assignments, deadlines, etc., and the labs provided a neat hands-on element to the concepts. Although this is true for any course, I would emphasize that in AP Physics C, you will get out of it what you put into it. None of the quizzes or tests will require any knowledge outside of the provided lectures, but without doing practice problems and taking notes it is unlikely you will do well. The course is structured around the AP test and there will be AP-style problems from the beginning of the course until the end. Since there is only a live session once every two weeks, I would not recommend this course to a student who needs face-to-face interaction on a consistent basis. Also, if you prefer to work at your own pace, I would not recommend the Mech & E/M option because the course moves very quickly. For such students, the Mech-only option might be a better choice. I would recommend this course if you are a student who is willing to put in a significant amount of work and are trying to maximize your score on the AP exam. No matter what, I can guarantee that in this course you will be surrounded by driven and intelligent peers. This class is the most intelligent group of students I have been apart of.

- Wesley, age 18, AP Mech and E&M student

Loved the Course

I always enjoyed learning physics, and this class just peaked my interest in this subject even more. From learning to find the center of mass with integrals to discovering the orbital mechanics of planets, I loved every part of this course. Dr. Kernion is an excellent teacher too. He breaks down difficult subjects into smaller components to help students understand them better, and he is always ready to answer students' questions with patience. Not only that, he knows how to prepare his students for the AP test. Admittedly, AP Physics Mechanics require a lot of time commitment, but if you follow through, this class should well-prepare you for any curveballs the AP test may throw at you!

Best online AP Physics class

I chose this class because of the wonderful review in the homeschool community. I am also impressed by Dr. Kernion's bio. He has a heart of teaching and he is good at it. My daughter said she has learned so much from the course. She often shares to me and her friends about her learning and making connections of different concepts. Sometimes she jumps up during dinner when she has an aha moment of things that she has learned earlier. This is the hardest AP among all the science subjects. But Dr. Kernion makes it easily understood. The hw and test prepared the students well for AP. I have faith that my daughter has gained a solid foundation in Physics. I recommend this course with no hesitation. 

Great Class!

I took Dr. Kernion's AP Physics C Mech Full Year course and can confidently say that it prepared me for the AP exam. With the right balance of labs, lectures, practice problems, quizzes and tests, I was doing physics work each weekday for 1-2 hrs and was regularly reinforcing the concepts that I was learning through live sessions. While there were hard deadlines for labs, quizzes, and tests, the course was relatively self paced so technically you could organize your time any way you wanted. However Dr. Kernion provided a great pacing guide which helped me organize my time efficiently. Be advised that a big component of this course is self-grading. For most of your day to day practice problems, YOU are the one looking at the solutions and assessing your work. Hence, you can't be passive when you get something wrong or don't understand a concept, but have to pursue your questions either through posting on the online discussion board, emailing Dr. Kernion, or asking a question in the live session. This course has definitely enhanced my interest in Physics, and even has made me think about pursuing engineering in the future. I the loved the labs and interesting bonus problems (like why does it take 42 minutes to fall through the earth!) and would definitely recommend this class to any student who is willing to work hard!

Great preparation for AP!

This was definitely my most challenging yet enjoyable class this year. Anyone is fortunate to have Dr. Kernion as a teacher. I LOVE Physics as a result of the class! Looking back, the amount of material that we learned each semester seemed like a lot. However, because it was paced so well, I still had time to fully understand each concept. The main way to learn the concepts in the class is through Dr. Kernion's video lectures. These videos walked through the derivation of each equation while going through example problems. While Dr. Kernion does provide an online textbook, I prefer learning through watching videos than reading textbooks so I really enjoyed the structure of this course. Overall, because of the videos, I rarely needed to refer to the textbook. Grading comes from 2 lab reports per unit, quizzes, and exams. However, the other labs and countless practice problems he provides which are not graded are also carefully crafted to really develop your understanding of each concept. So I would suggest taking a lot of time to work through each lab and practice problem. Each in person class is also very nicely paced with specific questions from previous APs that really help us understand the concepts. I think the most helpful part of the class was the final review sessions/study guides. We were left with around a month to carefully review each concept before the AP. Dr. Kernion provided us with amazing study guides and problems that really summarized and solidified my understanding of each concept. Since we learned so much in a year, those final review questions were definitely the most valuable thing I needed to prepare for the AP. I had a great time this year and would definitely recommend this physics class!

Kernion AP Physics C

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

This course will prepare you extremely well for the AP exam. There is ample review, but I suggest supplementing the curriculum during the year with practice AP questions. 

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I spent around 10 hours per week. I will say I did not find this course as time consuming as others have claimed. I was always able to finish the labs in a timely manner.

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Definitely! I was very interested in physics before the course, but I had zero background in it, excluding a long-forgotten middle school class. This class took me from knowing nothing to wanting to delve further into the wonders of electromagnetism.

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

I personally did not use the forum feature extensively, but that is more due to my own learning environment. I believe others found it to be very valuable. 

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

A math-inclined student will do well in this course. Science is math, and math is science. I would absolutely not recommend this class to someone who does not enjoy math.

Excellent class

I took both Physics C Mechanics and Physics C E&M with Dr. Kernion this year. The video lectures were fun and quite clear, and it's great that he hosted live classes every other week. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend them regularly due to a time conflict, so I ended up watching the recording later. I did get to drop in once or twice. It was great!

AP scores were just released - I got a '5' in both! There were a lot of concepts to learn, but Dr. Kernion's pacing for the course made it so that the final exam for the E&M course was about a month or more before the AP test. That left a lot of time for review, and the course provided lots of materials (previous year's MCQs, FRQs) which were very useful. I prepared for the AP exams by reading through my notes, using Dr. Kernion's review materials, and working through practice problems in Barron's test prep. It worked!

Overall, this course was wonderful!  The class is very rigorous--I took the semester long Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism courses and found I spent at least 12+ hours a week on assignments. But the material is presented in an approachable manner and the topics covered are very interesting.  This course does strongly use calculus, and it would be beneficial for students to have already taken calculus.  However, I took a calculus class concurrently with this course and found that it wasn't too difficult to keep up with the math.  The live class sessions with Dr. Kernion were very well run and informative--Dr. Kernion is a great teacher!  The classes were also a great way to interact with my fellow students.  

This course is not for the faint-hearted.  It prepares students very well for the AP test, but the students must be willing to put in a lot of effort to succeed.  But even though the workload is high, taking this course is definitely worth it!  As a student, I have learned so much about physics and science- Now, I can't look books lying on a table anymore without also thinking about their corresponding free-body diagrams :)  (Thanks a lot Dr. Kernion! Haha) I would definitely suggest this course to any student who has a strong background in math, is willing to work hard, and is passionate about science.      

Best Courses I've Ever Taken

This is the third course I've taken with Dr. Kernion, having taken AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 prior, and I can wholeheartedly say that Dr. Kernion is the best teacher I have ever had for any STEM subject and is the reason that I am currently looking to major in Physics. Dr. Kernion explains every subject carefully and in an extremely interesting manner, and I am never left feeling like there is anything unanswered in his lectures. 

This course, in particular, does require some work but not more than one would expect from an AP class, and even when I took both Physics 1 and 2 in the same year, I never felt overwhelmed by the workload - and, come the AP exam, I have always felt that I was extremely prepared. The review time allotted by the course is also enormously helpful and is yet another thing that Dr. Kernion's courses do brilliantly.

Overall, I would recommend this course (and any other taught by Dr. Kernion) to everybody!

Highly Recommend

I highly recommend the full year Mechanics class with Dr. Kernion. It is a great class for someone who enjoys physics and wants some experience in applying calculus. I spent about 12 hours a week. The message board was very active- I didn't use it much, but it's good in case you want to discuss and get help on problems. I found the biweekly meetings with the class very beneficial. 

Dr. Kernion is an excellent teacher. His videos really explain the material well. I liked that the questions on the homework, quizzes and tests were not designed to trick you, but to help you learn the material. I felt well prepared for the AP test, and I would highly recommend this class and teacher.

Difficult, but Fun Course

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Yes, Dr. Kernion gave us more than enough resources to prepare for the exam. But I wish we could allocate more time for the test prep.

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I spent about 7 hours each week on this course.

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Yes. This course is very organized and fairly manageable, and the content is interesting. Dr. Kernion does an awesome job explaining them all too. And although I have many many questions, each time Dr. Kernion explains them to me in a way that I can understand exactly what I did wrong.

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

Students who are willing to work hard and do their best would do well in this course. It would also help if the student is interested in Physics or any STEM subject in the first place.

Great class

We highly recommend this class. AP classes come with a heavy worload but not all of them prepare you well for the exam. This was not the case with Mr. Kernion's class.  My son just took the AP Exam and he felt very well prepared for it. He also enjoyed the class. As a parent, I was very happy with my communication with Dr Kernion and the fact that my son received a solid education and not just prep for a test. 

Excellent homeschooling option for strong students

Over the course of 4 years, three of my home-schooled high schoolers have taken Dr. Kernion's AP Physics C (both Mechanics and E&M) courses.

I would recommend his courses to any hardworking advanced student for the following reasons:

• My students' mastery of the material has been excellent.
• They have been happy with the tone and pace of the course.
• They received excellent personalized feedback and encouragement from Dr. Kernion.
• In addition, the video lessons which he prepares are very clear and are engaging.

Finally, Dr. Kernion maintains and open line of communication with both his students and their parents, and always responds promptly and fully to our queries.

AP Physics C Course Review

Dr. Kernion's AP Physics C course is an intensive course that requires dedication and hard work, but undoubtedly pays off big dividends to students who commit themselves to it. Personally, Dr. Kernion prepared me very well for both exams, laying out the courses in a careful, organized, systematic manner that made it easy to follow and learn. His regular live meetings and quick responses on our class discussion board greatly help answer questions, correct misunderstandings, and stay connected to us as a student group. While mostly self-paced, Dr. Kernion provides comprehensive reviews and plenty of material, in both lectures, notes, and practice problems. This has been one of the most challenging but rewarding classes I have ever taken, and I am all the better for having done it.

One of my favorite classes ever! Well worth the effort

I'm not going to lie, this class was a handful at first. Keeping up with the pacing, especially when I combined Physics 1 and 2 and certainly with the Physics C semester portions, was difficult to manage at the beginning, but definitely was well worth the effort. I wouldn't recommend this class to someone with a lot of major AP classes at the same time from experience (I took AP Physics 1/2 alongside AP Calc BC and AP Chem my sophomore year and AP Physics C with AP Biology, AP European History, AP Spanish Language, and AP English Language my junior year which proved to be a lot to during review time). But, if you're ready to work and at least learn to be efficient- multi-tasking became my new best friend- it is definitely within your reach. I'd say the amount of time required to put into this course per week greatly fluctuates with the student, and how they organize their schedule, but is on the lengthier side for most students. Many of the daily assignments weren't very long, consisting of a 20-30 minute video and a practice problem set, but the days with laboratory assignments were very long (a few hours for me), so, in hindsight, spacing them out during the week instead of just pushing them back until the due date would have been a better idea. Thankfully, Dr. Kernion and his class setup were very flexible, which was a lifesaver when it came to my weekly workload of homework. I always knew what my homework would be for his class (his schedule has the whole year of school organized from day 1), so I could work ahead if I knew I had to take a few days off. This allowed me to keep up a more flexible lifestyle, and proved necessary with my other teacher's homework loads randomly fluctuating from barely anything to complete-all-this-by-next-week and my daily swim team practices. 

This class is definitely fast-paced and requires special attention to keep up with all the assignments, but the results were worth all the time and effort. First, his classes prepared me very well for the AP exam: I got 5s on both of my AP Physics C exams, even when studying for my four other AP tests that year. But second, his class made Physics one of my favorite subjects! His enthusiasm spread to everyone in the class, and my classmates and I had some great live sessions learning Physics together. This class was fairly "social" for an online course, which was useful and made the class a lot more fun. There were live sessions where Dr. Kernion explained concepts more in-depth and worked through problems with us; an online chat group that was extremely useful (and encouraged a lot of student participation asking and answering peer questions); and his main mode of teaching was videos of very detailed power point presentations that he narrated. His videos were a nice change-up from my other AP classes, being more conversational, as if he were there with you, instead of consisting of reading another textbook like in my other AP classes. This one-on-one format and the frequent clips of Dr. Kernion doing experiments himself really grew my love for Physics and showed me how applicable it was, bringing complex problems out of the abstract and making the concepts easier to grasp and more exciting in action. I HIGHLY recommend this class to anyone that loves science and has, or is going to have, a good understanding of Calculus (I've seen it taken at the same time as this class or before this class, both successfully). Dr. Kernion was also very approachable, and super organized, answering most of my emails the same day I sent them, and always being open to answering questions and modifying the due dates to fit my schedule. He was definitely my favorite AP teacher in high school, and was dedicated to imparting his love of Physics on his students and preparing us for the AP exam.

a lot of work

I took the Mechanics portion of this class as a senior. Having initially started taking Mechanics and Electro Magnetism in one year, I quickly decided I wanted to have a life outside of doing physics. Even just doing the Mechanics class, however, I still found it consumed a lot of time. I wasn't on top of this class unlike seemingly so many others, but If I had been, I would've had to put in easily 3 hours of work a day or so. If you're taking Electro and Mechanics in one year, it will easily take 6 hours a day - and I consider myself pretty decent at math! The pacing just feels insane. If you truly enjoy doing physics though, I would recommend this class. The coursework is organized and clear.

In Dr. Kernion's presentations, he uses division signs like a calculator: 1/2. It's all horizontal so it's really annoying to read quickly. It's a minor thing, but it irritated me.

I didn't do well on the AP exam - I didn't have the time nor intrinsic motivation to throughly review all the material or follow Dr. Kernion's insane review pacing guide. Thus, while I might've eventually figured out the answers to some of the problems, I quickly ran out of time.

My bit of advice is that this course is well put together and engaging enough; however, you have to understand that it will take a lot of time especially if you're taking the double-paced course. Dr. Kernion is also a very encouraging teacher, and can help you through problems on the discussion forum.

AP Physics 2 Class Review

This class definitely prepared me for the AP exam. It stressed the basics and fundamentals of the physics 2 material as well as linking it to the previously learned physics 1 material in a non-overwhelming way.  I generally spent around 12-15 hours a week on this class, and it was well worth it.  AP Physics 2 contains a lot of material and this class will prepare you for the AP exam very well.  I found presentation videos on new concepts as well as the labs in this class very enjoyable and interesting to learn.  I would definitely recommend this class to others, it prepared me well and if others are willing to spend a good amount of time on the workload, they will do well in the subject.

My AP Physics C Mechanics experience in Dr.Kernion's class

The course is definitely one of the best courses that I have took so far with PA Homeschoolers. Dr.Kernion is a great teacher who understands and teaches the complex material very well. He prepared us very well for the AP Physics C Mech test by providing many practice AP tests and by going through the material in depth throughout the year.  I generally spent about 7 hrs a week on the class. I found that the practice AP tests provided in the review unit for the AP were invaluable in my preparation for the AP Exam. I went into the test feeling confident that I wouldn't see any type of question that I hadn't seen before. The course definitely enhanced my interest in Physics and I learned lots of new material that I hadn't learned before particularly in the area of orbits. This is a calculus based course so it was interesting for me to see how calculus and physics converged. Dr. Kernion's live sessions were also extremely useful. If you want to get a 4 or 5 on the AP Physics C Mech test, I highly recommend that you take this course.

This class was more stressful than all my other classes combined

This course will definitely prepare you for the AP exams. There is a lot of material covered on the exam, and I found that this course made me well-prepared to face it, especially for Mechanics. However, I was only prepared for E&M because I had a full two weeks to prepare for the exam. My E&M final was almost 6 weeks before my exam, which felt really early to me.

I didn't have any particularly favorite assignments. The labs were interesting and enjoyable, but they were also a lot of work.

The course didn't enhance my interest in physics. I love math and I'm planning to major in it, so a lot of people told me that I'd enjoy physics. I didn't find this to be the case at all, despite the course being heavily calculus-based. Math is necessary to succeed in this class, but certainly not sufficient.

There wasn't very much communication with other students, but the discussion forums were active. Dr. Kernion was very prompt with responding to people's questions, as were the other students. There isn't a big social aspect to the class, but other students will happily help you out if you want it.

I'd recommend this course to other students under a few conditions. Firstly, you really want to have a solid understanding of Calculus BC before you start the course. Especially in the E&M class, integral calculus is a, well, integral part of the course! If I didn't already have a strong familiarity with integration, the course would've been a lot harder for me. I also recommend making sure you're not taking any other very work-intensive classes along with Physics C, because both Mechanics and E&M are full APs crammed into a single semester, giving each one a very heavy workload. I also recommend getting a taste of physics before committing to taking this course. I can confirm from personal experience that if you don't like physics, you won't have a good time with this class.

Warnings aside, this is a very good course which prepares you thoroughly for the exam. I felt quite confident and well-prepared for both the Mechanics and the E&M exams, and I'm sure anybody who makes it through this challenging course will feel the same on their exam day.

Personally, I'd recommend taking Mechanics and E&M over two years. You could take them both in the same year, but reviewing for both of them at the same time is very very challenging. I think it's better to spread out the work and the stress, especially if you have other AP classes or commitments.

This course will dominate your existence for a year, so proceed with caution.

Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Yes--the course material is definitely sufficient to prepare one for the AP exam. I will note that the AP Physics C exams are incredibly difficult to study for, but this course did a great job of teaching main concepts that questions were based off of on the exam.

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

On light weeks, I spent 20 hours a week on this course. During more challenging weeks, I spent easily 25+ hours on this course. Warning: these are brutal courses. I am not scientifically inclined, and nothing came easily for me, and since the volume and difficulty are both ridiculously high, it makes for a pretty long slog. Despite my massive time investment, I barely scraped an A in Electricity & Magnetism in the spring semester. If you like physics and have strong physics background, you probably won't struggle as much as I did.

Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

The labs were the best part of the course, and if I had to be completely honest, I leaned primarily on my lab experience on exam day. Kernion assigns many, many "inquiry-based labs," which encourage real scientific thought. We often had to design the experiment to accomplish several goals in addition to actually performing the lab and writing the report, and although the whole process was often frustrating and time-consuming, it strengthened my physics abilities the most.

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

This course actually convinced me to avoid physics at all costs. I was not prepared to survive the onslaught of high volume, high intensity, and high difficulty day-to-day work. Most people thought I would be fine in the course, because I am very fluent in calculus, but my knowledge of calculus barely helped me, and many times the "calculus" felt entirely foreign to any calculus I had done in past courses. I am definitely more pure-math and education minded, and a lot of the work was absolutely confounding. I will admit that it's nice to understand mechanical, electrical, and magnetic phenomena in everyday life circumstances, but it's hard to share with other people, because nobody cares. All that being said, for students who enjoy physics, I can imagine this course would be increase their interest in the subject.

Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Compared to other PAH courses I've taken, I didn't really have much discussion with the other students. The discussion forums were nice, but it was mainly just a place to go when all was lost and desperation was in full. There was one independent study group that formed in the spring semester that was helpful, but I ended up just being a drain on all the other students' time, because I was never able to keep up mentally.

What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

Well, I would say that "students who work hard will do well" but, to be completely honest, that would be kind of a lie. I worked harder than I have ever worked in my life, and I barely succeeded (and I mean that as literally as possible for E&M). The AP Physics C courses are supposed to be hard--they're the hardest pair of courses that College Board ever designed for high schoolers to take. Students with very strong backgrounds in physics, high level applied mathematics, and an ability to master large volumes of very abstract and challenging concepts in very short time periods would do well in this course. I don't think I would recommend this course to other students, who wouldn't be able to keep up. It's mentally, emotionally, and psychologically draining, exhausting, and straining. The pacing is just so insane--I would only recommend this course to students who are willing to partially lose their minds, lose all weekends and breaks, and study endlessly to keep up. Of course, for students who are highly proficient and have prior experience with physics, the experience might not be so bad, but for average AP students like myself, this was the largest academic challenge I've ever tackled.

Great Course, Better Teacher

Taking Physics C with Dr. Kernion changed the way I think about the world. I learned about intriguing phenomena like the precession of a bicycle wheel and electromagnetic induction. At the same time, the course strengthened my mathematical skills, making Calculus BC a breeze. And I couldn't have asked for a better teacher. Any time I had a question, I emailed Dr. Kernion. He would quickly send me a detailed response that almost always cleared up my confusion. Dr. Kernion isn't one of those teachers that discourages debate, either. He is perfectly willing to exchange 4 or 5 emails with a student who is (like I so often was) convinced that he or she is right. All of this is to say that Dr. Kernion works hard to get to know all of his students individually. 

The structure of the course, too, is excellent. Dr. Kernion has created quality video presentations on every topic in the course, complete with animations and many worked examples. These presentations range in length from roughly 20 to 50 minutes, and are organized for ease of note taking. I often paused the presentation to ponder a concept or work an example problem before Dr. Kernion explained it. This helped me to really internalize the big ideas of Physics C. Every presentation is accompanied by practice problems (with solutions provided). These are not graded, but are essential to gaining a better understanding of the material. Lab activities are scattered throughout the course, some conducted in a virtual simulation and others at home. All of these activities are fun and useful.

On a different note, I felt well-prepared for the AP Exam. Dr. Kernion's extensive, month-long review made the exam feel routine, almost ho-hum. This course definitely enhanced my interest in physics. I'm taking Physics 3 concurrently at my local university next fall, and I know that I'm ready after taking Dr. Kernion's courses. I'm now planning on majoring in physics. 

Excellent course with an excellent professor!

First of all, let me say that I am scared of Physics and was hesitant to take this course! However, I wanted to challenge myself and develop new skills (and my dad practically signed me up haha). But I know so much more about Physics now and cannot tell you how much I appreciated this course!

Yes, this course definitely prepared me for the AP exam. Even though the AP exams were online this year, I still felt confident only doing FRQs. Dr. Kernion regularly gave us example free-response and multiple-choice questions from past AP exams. I went from thinking I would get a 1 on the exam to receiving a 4. 

I would say I put in around 10-15 hours a week for this course. But be prepared to put in more if needed! My biggest advice: don't get behind. Follow his schedule, work hard, and you'll be just fine!

I enjoyed doing the hands-on labs because they, more than anything else, deepened my understanding of Physics. 

A student who is willing to WORK HARD would do well in this course. I started the class thinking I could do well without trying particularly hard even though I strongly disliked Physics. But it wasn't until I started getting behind and struggling to get a good grade that I began pushing myself to spend extra time and seek help. Hard work will get you very far and so will trying to understand the concepts rather than memorizing the formulas. I learned those both the hard way, so don't be like me :)

Dr. Kernion is truly a wonderful professor. He reached out to me when I was struggling and even met with me to see how I could improve moving forward. He wants you to succeed!! He emailed me every time I received a good grade and was so encouraging. You won't regret taking this class! 5 stars all around!

A Must Take

If you have had, or are taking calculus, this is a must take course. Dr. Kernion is an excellent teacher and the course is extremely well organized with engaging lectures and live sessions. The EM portion of the class has been my most favorite class yet. The classes do a great job in thoroughly preparing you for the AP exam. I felt confident going into the exams and got 5's for both classes. He has an excellent pacing guide that keeps you on track for exam preparation. The workload is moderate, but for a dedicated student staying on schedule is manageable. 

An Amazing Teacher!

The course was structured very well, and the pacing guides were super helpful. Due to having a stressful course load last year (4 APs, 7 classes in total), I definitely felt myself slipping when it came to the schedules and deadlines; however, I still managed to complete the course with a solid understanding of the two fields in Physics (Mech and E&M), and an A in both sections. This was mainly due to having Dr. Kernion as a teacher since he was extremely helpful when it came to answering questions and more -- he was definitely the highlight of this course.

It's a hard AP, no doubt about that. You're basically cramming two subjects into one year, so the workload is heavy; however, if you're committed to taking AP Physics C (Mech and E&M), I would highly recommend this specific course from PA homeschoolers, due to the structure and engagement of the class (through the discussion forum and live sessions), but also because of the teacher! 

Mechanics & EM Course

The courses and instructor Dr. Kernion were both incredible. Dr. Kernion prioritized conceptual knowledge and a deeper understanding as opposed to simply cramming information. I took the 2020 exam, where almost all the questions were conceptual and while I heard many students were struggling, I felt Dr. Kernion had perfectly prepared me. The course definitely goes deeper than most and it leads to a much greater knowledge of Physics, and I never once felt confused or worried about a topic. I would definitely recommend the course. 

Great class, fantastic teacher!

Let me put this first. Dr. Kernion is an incredible teacher, one of the best I've had! He is great at guiding students towards understanding, and teaches with a passion for the subject. Because of this passion, each presentation is engaging. The last presentation of the course--Maxwell's equations--was amazing. I was on the edge of my seat at several points out of excitement for the topic presented! Look forward to Maxwell's equations when you take the class!

I didn't take the AP exam due to several factors in 2020 for me, but I feel that I would have done well given how thoroughly we covered the exam in live sessions and with the available worksheets and tools.

I probably put in an hour or two of work a day for this class. Be ready to do the work. If you do, you shouldn't have any issues. I highly recommend taking any bonus point opportunities; they were very helpful and not too difficult.

I don't remember any assignments that really stood out from the rest, but the all the labs are really well done. Most are done online using lab simulators, all offer great opportunities to see real applications and get a good feel for the concepts.

I'm definitely more interested in physics after taking Dr. Kernion's courses. I've decided to do engineering in college, but I'm very excited for my physics courses, and I hope to incorporate lots of physics in my future studies. I feel the class has prepared me very well for my future!

It was very useful to be able to talk with other students online. There would often be breakout rooms in the live sessions, so we could discuss problems in small groups with classmates. On top of this, the discussion forum was very active with many questions asked and other students often jumping in to offer help. Finally, several students organized a skype study group, so it's definitely possible to learn a lot from your classmates in this course.

Anyone who is interested in physics and is excited to learn, you'll do well! Be ready to study hard, learn from your mistakes, and continue growing in your understanding of the material. I had gotten a poor test score at one point, but was able to rebound by continuing to strive for understanding, and not giving up on a topic even if the test had finished. Dr. Kernion was very willing to answer any questions and offer tips and encouragement, so if you ever struggle, you'll have plenty of resources! I highly recommend any of Dr. Kernion's classes. As someone who took and loved physics C with Dr. Kernion, I can't recommend it highly enough!

Highly Recommended

Physics C Mechanics and E&M was one of the most rewarding classes of my high school career. I chose to take both classes with Dr. Kernion because his course organization, lectures, labs, and other materials.

Organization:

Dr. Kernion has refined this course into a well optimized machine to get motivated students a 5 on the AP test while also gaining fundamental physics knowledge for engineering in college. He divides the course into units and has a pacing guide for each. I never had a pacing guide before, but in this class it is a must because of its fast-paced nature. The pacing guide tells students what they should be doing on a daily level. The course is organized almost like a college course because due dates are around every two to three weeks, and you can have work pile up. But as long as you are diligent about getting the work done close to the schedule if not exactly on schedule, you will have a good time.

Lectures:

I was able to preview what some of Dr. Kernion's lectures would look like by going through Unit 1 of both courses, which are made available for free. I liked his style because he would explain concepts to just the right level for me. And if I didn't get something, I could pause the video and ponder for as long as I want. I would also usually pause for important diagrams so that I could get them into my notes. While physics involves a lot of math, diagrams were super helpful to get visual representations of concepts like Gauss's Law and manual integration.

Labs:

Doing a scientific lab based course may sound strange to be done at home, but in practice it works out. Dr Kernion has us perform 2 labs each unit. Some of them are virtual labs and some are physical labs. Don't be worried that you won't have the materials for the physical labs because most of them are common items you can find around your house. If you don't have them, they are usually inexpensive to buy. The mechanics part of the course had more physical labs because the materials are easier to acquire and no expensive equipment is necessary to take measurements. The E&M labs were mostly virtual. My favorite lab was when we built circuits with lightbulbs and observed how changing the connections had an effect on the brightness of the lightbulbs.

Other materials:

Dr. Kernion fosters a lively discussion board. There were always interesting conversations going on, even on topics outside of the class but related to what we were learning. If I could go back, I would have spent more time contributing to the discussion board. Contributing helps out your fellow students and if you can explain a concept to someone, you are practicing the concept yourself. Win-win.

I really liked the organization of his website. The units are clearly organized, the problems are right below the accompanying video, and quiz/test multiple choice are input into a google form so you can get your results instantly. If the practice problems aren't enough for you, he has extra practice problems that can be found in the free online textbook for the course. Personally, I used the textbook when reviewing for the midterm and the final. While the textbook did have solutions to the odd-numbered questions, they had no explanation. I would suggest having a strong grasp of the material before trying out the textbook so that you can diagnose where you made a mistake. Going back and doing practice problems again is also a good way to get practice.

His live-meetings happened every two weeks and they were super helpful to go over concepts that most students struggle with. They are all recorded but I would suggest going to them live. I didn't do this, but I always watched the recorded session.

Each unit Dr. Kernion has a review section where there are some practice tests for the unit. I would highly suggest doing these to make sure you understand the big topics.

My experience:

I had previous calculus experience coming into the course, and I would say this helped a lot with understanding. I didn't have to worry about calculus and could focus all my energy on understanding the physics. I learned a lot of calculus techniques in this course which weren't heavily emphasized in my calculus courses. It was especially rewarding to do the integration by hand to find the center of mass, electric field, electric potential, and rotational inertia. You can get by without calculus knowledge, but you may have to work a decent bit harder and spend more time on calculus concepts.

The overall workload was moderate to heavy. Some weeks there wasn't that much, but others had me working four hours a day on this class. I would put in around sixteen hours of serious work into this course on average. You may need more or less depending on how comfortable you are with the concepts because Dr. Kernion gives a good amount of practice problems, but then it is on you to do more if you still don't understand the concepts.

Working with the coronavirus wasn't that difficult as a homeschooled student. Dr. Kernion made sure the transition to a new testing format was smooth. I think I was well prepared for the test, and I'm crossing my fingers for 5s in July.

Reach out to me at a@b.com (trying to prevent bots lol) if you have any questions.

a = benscar3

b = gmail

Excellent Class-Highly Recommend

I had an amazing experience taking AP Physics C Mechanics and E&M with Dr. Kernion this year! The material was full of challenging concepts, but what sets this course apart from many of the other challenging science classes I've taken is the structure and thoroughness of Dr. Kernion's explanations. For each unit, Dr. Kernion provides a day-by-day "pacing guide" of the assignments, tests, or quizzes to be completed. Because the syllabus was so well organized, I could plan ahead, complete assignments, and arrive prepared for the weekly live sessions. For each topic, Dr. Kernion has helpful video lectures where he demonstrated experiments, walked through the calculations, and explained in depth some of the more challenging topics like rotations, electro-magnetic fields, and oscillations. The videos really complemented the readings from the textbook!

Dr. Kernion is always super responsive. Whenever there was a challenging concept, I would pose a question, and Dr. Kernion would provide insightful explanations. By the time the AP exams rolled along, I felt quite prepared because built into the pacing schedule are some weeks of dedicated review time where we discussed past tests. As the AP exams neared, I formed a study group with my fellow classmates where we worked through FRQs together. This is something I highly recommend: the material may be challenging, but when I explained and debated concepts with my peers, I gained a better understanding. I also appreciate Dr. Kernion's flexibility in adapting the course material and providing resources as the school year progressed. This year took a turn none of us expected. Dr. Kernion was able to pivot quickly and help us prepare for the new exam format. I highly recommend this course to any student who is prepared for a challenging course load!

I want to thank Dr. Kernion and my fellow classmates for a great year!

An Exceptional AP Physics Teacher

Hi everyone! I'm sure you are reading through these course reviews to get a better feel for what Dr. Kernion is like and how good his classes are. Well let me start by addressing that topic directly: Dr. Kernion is amazing!!! I have taken all my homeschool courses online for the past seven years, and Dr. K is hands down the best online teacher I have ever taken from. He might seem like any other physics teacher based on his bio and course description, but I assure you he is everything but that. I liked him so much that I took Physics 1, Physics 2, Mechanics, and E&M all from him in high school, if that's any indication of the quality of his courses. Many other students have described the courses themselves, so definitely check out their comments. In this brief post, I want to focus specifically on Dr. Kernion himself. I could provide a number of reasons why I would highly recommend Dr. Kernion, but let me share two in particular:

1. Dr. Kernion is very knowledgeable and well grounded in physics. It's true... we've all had "that teacher" who taught a subject as if they had no clue what they were teaching. That's not Dr. Kernion. Having watched a couple hundred of his video lectures over the years, I have been incredibly impressed by his depth of understanding. He teaches so clearly, so passionately, and so accurately. Although his presentations cover very complex material at times, he carefully and methodically breaks it down into manageable parts and really helps to the student to *get it*. I have never even once had to consult the internet or other external sources because I could not understand what he was teaching. He presents the material better than any other teacher or any other source that I know.

2. Dr. Kernion makes every effort to help his students succeed. Although he teaches very well, it is inevitable that some of the complex material might go over your head. That happened to me plenty of times. But that was no problem when all I had to do was put my question in an email and send it off. I would always be promptly met with a clear and helpful response. Dr. K is so good at answering questions and helping students understand confusing concepts. He also does an excellent job preparing students for the AP Physics exams. I can't be more grateful for the way he helped my class adjust to all the major changes that occurred with the AP exams this year. He was on top of everything, even when the confusion and anxiety were greatest. I am happy to report that the AP Physics exams went excellently, not only for me, but for many of my classmates as well. If you want an incredibly caring and supportive teacher that fosters diligence and a strong work ethic, you've come to the right one.

Thanks in large part to Dr. Kernion's excellent teaching, I am headed to Wake Forest University this fall to major in (you guessed it) physics. Dr Kernion laid the foundation for what I hope will be a long and exciting journey in physics. I eagerly invite you to follow my path, to give one of Dr. Kernion's physics courses a try. I promise you will not regret it. And even if physics isn't for you, there is still so much you will take away from the course. Yes, you will learn physics principles, but you will also learn motivation, perseverance, dedication, collaboration, ingenuity, scientific practice and argumentation, problem solving, and so much more. Approach this course with eagerness and an open and mind and I assure you your efforts will pay off. Physics with Dr. Kernion will set you up to succeed in any academic area. I would feel personally honored if you were to take from Dr. Kernion. He has meant ever so much to me over the years, and I know he can do the same for you. 

Thank you so much for reading this, and for considering Dr. K to be your AP Physics teacher :)

AP Physics C Mechanics and E/M with Dr. Kernion

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Yes!  The exam really reminded me of the practice tests that Dr. Kernion assigned, and I felt thoroughly prepared on exam day.  Dr. Kernion taught the "Big Ideas," which really stuck once I learned them, so the AP exam was just a matter of bringing out those ideas.

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I typically spent 1 to 2 hours per day working on physics.  I took both the mechanics and E/M classes, as opposed to the full-year mechanics class, and the faster pace required me to work on some weekends in the first semester.  Since I enjoyed the class and I wasn't too busy on weekends, this wasn't a problem for me, but may be a concern for someone who has an extremely busy weekend schedule.  Throughout the year, I felt like my time was being well spent learning, rather than being doing busywork.

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

My favorite assignment was the very last one in the E/M class, the one on Maxwell's equations.  Maxwell's equations helped me get a more complete picture of electromagnetic phenomena.

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Definitely!  I found myself being much more interested in physics than I was before.  One of the reasons for this was that Dr. Kernion's Big Ideas, along with the use of calculus, gave me a full understanding of some facts that I had previously learned by rote. 

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Yes, I did enjoy discussing problems with my classmates.  It really helped me organize my thoughts when I communicated my physics ideas to others.

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

To succeed in this class, one would need to know how to differentiate and integrate functions using u-substitution.  The topics covered in AP Calculus BC but not in AB, like integration by parts and infinite series, are not needed in Physics C.  A knowledge of physics would be very helpful, but not absolutely essential.  I feel this way because I had forgotten some of what I learned in my previous physics class before I came to Dr. Kernion's class and I had to relearn some topics, but I was still able to succeed in the class.

I found Dr. Kernion's class to be very high quality and thorough, and I would definitely recommend it!  Dr. Kernion's live Zoom meetings every other week and willingness to answer questions really show how much he cares about his students' learning.  I really appreciated all he did to help me and my classmates succeed.

Physics E&M review

I just took the second semester E&M course, not the first term mechanics course. It was a great course, I really enjoyed it.

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

This course prepared me well for the exam. Dr. Kernion had plenty of help sessions and videos that I could review, which I found to be super helpful.

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I put about 7 hours a week into this course. It was very well paced. The video lectures explained topics thoroughly and gave plenty of examples, so I never felt lost.

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

I didn't have any favorite assignments.

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

This course enhanced my interest in physics, and clearly showed me how closely integrated physics and calculus are. It was well structured, and I feel like I have a much better understanding of physics now rather than when I went in.

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Although I was unable to attend many of the live lectures (due to my schedule), I did find that the other students were very active in setting up study groups and helping solve tech problems. I was able to watch the recorded lectures later.

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

I would recommend this course to anyone who is looking to do well at the AP Physics C E&M exam and has a strong foundation in calculus.

RECOMMEND - great, challenging course!

-Did I feel the course prepared me for the AP exam?

Yes.  I felt well prepared for the exam, and believe I did well on it.  Physics Mech is a very challenging course, but if you put in the work that Dr. Kernion suggests, you will have a solid understanding of the major concepts (which he emphasizes heavily).

-How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?
I generally spent anywhere from 13 to 18 hours a week, depending on if there were labs (which I found took a while, 2-4 hours including the write-up).  I found the course challenging, and so I ended up putting in a lot of time.

-Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

While they were time-consuming, I think the labs were enjoyable to actually perform, and they helped illustrate some concepts that otherwise may have been difficult to conceptualize.  Considering the heavy weight on the AP test this year in particular on lab work, I'd say these assignments were all the more valuable.  

-Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

Absolutely.  Dr. Kernion had two ways that we could interact with other students - one, the online class board, where you could post questions (that students or Dr. Kernion would answer quite expediently), and two, the bi-weekly meeting that Dr. Kernion held to go into depth about the current topic being covered.  These chats were held on Zoom, so the entire class could ask questions and talk about the material along with Dr. Kernion, which was very useful. 

Dr. Kernion was also very open to answering direct emails about course content.  Whenever I sent him such an email, he responded expediently and answered my question very thoroughly.

-What sort of student would do well in this course?  Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

Working hard and long is exactly what you need to do well in this course.  It is very challenging, but hard work pays off in the end.  Dr. Kernion has designed his program with the content and support that you need to do well in AP Physics Mech.  I definitely recommend this course to other students if you have those traits and you want a very solid understanding of the workings of Physics Mechanics with calculus.  

Amazing teacher and great course material!

Both Dr. Kernion's AP Physics C Mechanics and AP Physics C E/M courses were very well taught. I feel like they both prepared me in the best possible way for the AP Exams. While the course was rigorous (I spent 1.5 to 2 hours a day on it), I was never overwhelmed by the amount of course material. While taking the course, I especially liked the lab components, as they allowed me to see firsthand physics in action. I believe that taking this course has really made me excited about physics!

While I was not very active myself on the discussion forums, I really enjoyed the accessibility of the professor. Every time I had a question, he would respond within a few hours. I have taken several online classes through various sources and Dr. Kernion was the most accessible (and the best!) teacher I have had. Even when I had a question about physics not directly related to his course, he responded with an in-depth explanation to my question!

To succeed in Dr. Kernion's AP classes, students must be willing to work hard, take notes, and always strive to be a better student. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone interested in learning more about physics (or hoping to get a 5 on the AP exam!)

A wonderful online AP class with a fantastic teacher

Mr. Kernion is an amazing and kind teacher who was very accomodating of my difficult schedule in my senior year.  I ended up spending about an average of four hours per week on the course and I felt well prepared for the AP exam.  The practice questions are especially helpful because they are very closely related to the questions that are on the AP exam and this allows you to study for the test all year long.  I would definetly recommend this course to a student who has the discipline to get work done even if it starts to pile up.

AP Physics C Mechanics and E&M

I took both Mr. Kernions ap physics C mechanics and E&M course. The course was helpful and prepared me for the AP test. It is very well organized; I knew what I had to do and when. After taking the courses I became more interested in physics. Furthermore, it helped me decide what I wanted to major in college.

I would recomend this course to anyone who likes science and is self-motivated.   

Two Great Classes!!

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

100%. I took both the mechanics and E&M courses, and while I had heard that Physics C is really difficult, I found it to be very doable. The classes covered all the important topics for the AP Exams in sufficient detail, and we had several old AP Exams to hone our skills on.

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

I think I put about 10 hours a week. I found the mechanics course to be easier, but ironically I spent more time on it as there were more assignments. 

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

The course was split into units which usually took 2-3 weeks to cover. In each unit, there were two quizzes and an exam to take and labs to complete. Everything in a unit was due a week after we were supposed to have completed the unit, which allowed for plenty of breathing room for catching up.

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Definitely! Before the class, my knowledge of physics was more or less minimal, and I learned so much!

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

We had an email discussion forum where students could post questions, and Mr. Kernion was fairly quick to reply. We also had live sessions every two weeks to discuss the course material and go over a few practice problems, which was valuable.

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

I'd recommend that you have a solid grounding in math, especially in calculus, before taking this class. I took AP Calculus BC last year, and I think it'd be really difficult to be applying calculus when you haven't fully learned it yet. Having taken previous physics courses would help, but I think being good at math is more important.

If you're not sure if you want to take mechanics and E&M or just mechanics, you have until mid-November to switch from half year mechanics to full year mechanics if you find the pacing to be too intense. I know several students did switch. 

AP Physics C Mechanics and E&M

I took both mechanics (first semester) and E&M (second semester). First of all, Mr. Kernion is an excellent teacher. He explains thing very well in both the recorded presentations and the live sessions, and he is great at answering any questions that you might have. I will say that this class is quite intense and time consuming. Among all the APs I've taken, including AP Bio, AP Chem, and AP Calc BC, Physics C was by far the most difficult. That being said, Mr. Kernion definitely does a good job of preparing you for the AP exam.

I spent on average 10-12 hours a week on this class, more if there was a time consuming lab. When it came time for the end of year review, I probably spent at least 3 hours a day reviewing including weekends. I'm sure some people could get the work done faster. I personally needed to go over material multiple times to truly grasp it.

I definitely learned a lot in this course. I have a new appreciation for the laws of physics that govern our world, and I would say that this course enhanced my interest in the subject.

Anyone who wants to do well in this course needs to be commited and diligent. Particularly if you take both Mechanics and E&M in the same year, the workload is intense and if you fall behind it's nearly impossible to catch up. It would also help if you have a strong math background. Previous physics experience is somewhat helpful but not super important; good math skills are a must. I would recommend this course to anyone who has an aptitude for physics or is a very diligent worker, preferably both.

AP Physics C Mech/E&M with Mr. Kernion

Before I actually write the body of my review, I just want to say that I highly recommend this class. The few issues I had were related to me and my personal difficulty with the material. The teaching quality is excellent, Mr. Kernion answers questions within a couple hours of them having been posted, and the lab activities are superb. 

I waited to write this review until after I got my AP scores because *cough* I thought I did really badly on both exams. However, I ended up getting a 4 on both (by the skin of my teeth, I'm sure), which is still better than I was expecting. 

That being said: this was the most difficult course I have ever taken. Calc BC was worlds easier. And, I had already taken a HS physics course prior to this. I am hesitant to say that the course material itself is super hard because there were many (very smart) people in my class who had a vastly better understanding of it than I did, and I was coming from a background where I hadn't ever taken a class that was particularly hard, up to this point.

All this to say, if you are not a physics person, I would recommend doing as many extra problems as you can. It takes a while but the more you do, the better your understanding will be. Mr. Kernion emphasizes this for a very good reason. The lab activities are also your friend here. They are even better than the problems for reinforcing the concepts, in my opinion, and play the same role that discussion does in a history or other humanities course.

Did I feel the course prepared me for the AP exam?    Yes. It did. I would have liked to have started the timed AP tests from previous years back during Mechanics, and I do think that the test-specific prep (e.g. FRQs and MCQs from previous years) should be backed up and spread out over the entire course year, but an intensive review works for many people. I just prefer to start practicing the test material as soon as I possibly can so it is easier to identify my weak areas well in advance of the exam.

How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?     This is the one course for which I consistently worked on weekends. I put in 15-18 hours of work per week-- which was a lot more time than I am used to.

Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?    Actually, it did the opposite, and was just as valuable for that. I thought i wanted to do STEM when I started my Jr. year-- specifically mechanical engineering. After the difficulty I had with this course, I intend to pursue my interests in the humanities instead, at least until further notice.

What sort of student would do well in this course?     Well, judging by my possibly abnormal experience, you need to either be a very hard worker or brilliant, to be perfectly frank. I am neither (sadly). I guess it would also depend on how much of a science person you are. If you love physics and have an aptitude for it you'll probably breeze right through. Expect to work at this course if you aren't, though.

Finally, I want to re-emphasize that my experience with this course is solely due to my difficulty with the material. The pacing, Mr. Kernion, the labs, and everything else about this course are excellent. If I had tried to do this course on my own I have no doubt that I would have gotten a 1 or 2 on the exam. All in all, I am happy to have done this course. It was a valuable use of my time (the knowledge that engineering is probably not my thing is worth the purchase price of the course alone), and it greatly furthered my general physics knowledge. 

AP Physics C Mechanics and E&M

I took both of these classes in the same year (Mechanics first semester and then E&M second semester). The work load is high if you choose this option. Be prepared to have lessons almost every day and to be taking quizzes and tests on the weekend. The lessons generally require 1-1.5 hours of work, the quizzes 1 hour, and the tests 3 hours (including studying). Be sure you are keeping up with AP practice problems as well throughout each course depending on how important the exams are to you. The class is rigorous (it pushed me way harder than any other high school class has) and a great preparetion for anyone looking to major in STEM fileds. Overall, it is a great class nad Mr. Kernion does a great job with it. He is very responsive and has a good community with which to discuss and answer questions.

Difficult, but Super Satisfying

I took full-year Mechanics, and absolutely recommend Mr. Kernion's course. While this class was never easy, working through it was an extremely valuable experience and it greatly increased my interest in physics.

The biggest reason for this is that Mr. Kernion teaches with immense style and skill. A wealth of information is packed into each lecture, but in a way that is surprisingly easy to understand. When I had difficulty with a unit, just watching the Wednesday lecture would quickly get me back on track.

Make sure to take advantage of all this course has to offer. For me, doing this meant a huge improvement in my knowledge and skills in physics.

Highly recommend

Note: I took AP Physics C Electricity and Magnetism only (not Mechanics) with Mr. Kernion.

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?

Yes. Although the exam was difficult, I had a strong understanding of the material covered. Mr. Kernion tailors the course to the topics expected by the College Board, and he provides many practice tests during the last few weeks of review.

• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?

About 8 hours per week, sometimes more if there were time-consuming labs. In the ~3 weeks of review leading up to the exam, I spent much more time on the course (including doing FRQs beyond those Mr. Kernion required), maybe about 15 hours/week.

• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?

The quizzes (roughly weekly) were very helpful for assessing my comprehension of the material.

• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?

Definitely. I hadn't previously taken any physics beyond an extremely basic middle school class, and this course made for a fascinating introduction to physics.

• Did you find your communications with other students to be interesting or valuable?

The live sessions (once every two weeks) provided a valuable opportunity to discuss the material with like-minded peers.

• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?

Students need a fairly strong math background, but it isn't necessary to have previously taken physics to do well.

Excellent AP Physics class!

Students learn by reading the textbook and watching videos made by Mr. Kernion. Mr. Kernion is a great teacher who understands all the important things students need to know for the AP exams. In his videos, he utilizes many graphs, drawings, labs, and pictures to help explain difficult concepts.

The class is very organized, and the website instructions are very easy to follow. You learn each concept, complete some virtual activities, and practice questions provided by Mr. Kernion and from the textbook. I also appreciate the live sessions Mr. Kernion provides every other week. Even though the time conflicted with my math class, I was able to watch the recordings. Mr. Kernion is also very responsive to our questions and understanding when I occasionally need an extension. I enjoyed taking the class and learned a lot about Physics!

AP Physics C Review

I really enjoyed this class! I did feel prepared for the AP exam, but you have to put in a lot of work, especially in the weeks leading up to the exam. I generally would spend 1-2 hours a day on this class, but sometimes more before tests. Mr. Kernion's presentations are extremely thorough and well done, and the content is very well organized. If you liked calculus, I think you will definitely enjoy this class! 

Great course if you're motivated

This course was thorough and covered all the material you need to know on the APs. I would definitely recommend it if you're motivated! It's primarily self-paced, and the work load is pretty heavy if you're doing both Mechanics and E&M in a single year. At a minimum, expect to spend 1-2 hours on it a day, but it can take longer if you're struggling with a concept.

If you like to have a little more independence and are willing to put in the effort, this is a great class!

Definitely a class to consider if you are up to the challenge!

Mr. Kernion does a great job at presenting each key concept of the class in detail as well as supplementing his presentations with practice problems, labs, and class-time discussion. This helped to engrain the concepts into my mind and helped on test day where I felt very prepared.

This was one of my most time-consuming classes I have taken in my high-school education but well worth it for someone who wants to go into engineering and other Physics-based careers.

I encourage any prospective students to be active in the live sessions and glean wisdom from both Mr. Kernion and their fellow classmates.

AP Physics C

This course does prepare the student for the exam. As with most ap courses one must put in a significant amount of study time before the exam. I had already taken AP Calculus BC and  High School phyisics courses before taking this class. Not taking these before this class could make it more difficult, but I still think that it would be very doable. The course is designed with the assumption that you have not taken calculus or physics before. Depending on how much experience in physics and calculus you have you may be able to skip some lecture videos. I skipped most of the homework (which was not graded), but can usually get with that because of the way I learn. I do not know how much time I spent on the course, but the description said 10-12 houres a week which is probably about right when you do both Mechanics and Electricity and Magnetism. For me the labs took the most time. I have always liked physics and always will, so I can not say the course enhanced my interest in physics, but it is a very fun course. The students who take AP Physics C are some of the more advanced students which is really neat. The type of student that would do well in this course is one who is wants to do this course. If you are going to do this course just to look good on your transcript, or have to do it in college but just want to get it out of the way, than it is probably not the best idea at this point. This is a freshman to sophmore college level course and requires commitment. That level of commitment is not difficult at all if you enjoy physics. If you have not taken a physics course before, research what the course is about before signing up. I think that anybody that enjoys calculus would do well in this course. The AP Physics C test is harder than AP Calculus, but there is a generous curve. If you are interested in physics I highly recommend Mr. Kernion's phyics class, he is an experienced teacher and knows what he is doing. If you like physics and want to get a deep knowledge in it than this class is for you. Most likely if you are reading this than this class is for you. It is not an easy class, but doing something challenging is very rewarding. This was one of my favorite high school classes.

Testimonials from former students

Since this is my first year on the faculty of PA Homeschoolers, I thought I might post a few testimonials from former students.

"Mr. Kernion is truly an amazing physics instructor! He makes usually difficult concepts seem very straightforward with many examples and practice problems."
-Former student, Lily Z., Harvard University

"Mr. Kernion promotes a deep comprehension of the subject material through his incredibly detailed lessons. His teachings gave me a genuine appreciation of physics as well as fives on both AP Physics C tests! He is a master teacher whose passion for physics has helped his students succeed on the AP tests for over a decade.
-Former student, Nick S., University of Pittsburgh

"Many physics instructors lose the big picture by getting tangled up in calculations, but Mr. Kernion maintains his focus on the important aspects that make physics so essential. I was lucky enough to have Mr. Kernion as a teacher, and his website conveys the same enthusiasm and insight that he brought to the classroom every day. The road to physics success is never totally frictionless, yet Physics Prep is an ideal way to undertake the journey."
-Former student, Tommy M., Yale University

"This course is a detailed and engaging instruction that provides the methodology for answering any AP Physics test question. Because of Mr. Kernion's extensive knowledge of physics and superb grasp on language and technology, the class left me with a deep, long-lasting understanding of the big ideas in physics so that no cramming was necessary to be successful on the AP test and that stayed with me in college classes."
Former student, Katie S., Penn State Honors

"We had Mr. Kernion for AP Physics C our senior year, and we can't imagine a better teacher! He made difficult concepts easy to understand with his clear explanations and interesting analogies. The way he organizes his lectures makes it so easy to take good notes that are easy to review during test time. What's also really nice is that Mr. Kernion has a genuine passion for physics, and he always manages to transfer that enthusiasm to his students. Tests are very fair, and his course prepared us very well for both the AP test and college physics courses. We were very lucky to have a physics teacher like Mr. Kernion!"
-Former students, Anjali P., CalTech and Carol W.,The University of Pennsylvania

"Mr. Kernion's ability to present difficult concepts in an accessible way gave me a very solid foundation in physics over my two years in his classes. He is able to instill deep understanding of topics through clear explanation, contextual information, and abundant examples. A large portion of the credit for my three AP 5's goes to Mr. Kernion's class."
Former student, Michael M., from Carnegie Mellon University

I really think that this course will be able to help a lot of students prepare for the AP Physics exams, whether they use it as the primary source for the course or as a supplement to traditional schooling.
-Former student, Mike B., from Penn State Honors