h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I learned it when I was 14 or so...maybe even 13...

The same for me, ... as I said, around '74.

I wonder at what age they're teaching introductory physics and chemistry now?

In Holland at 13 or 14...I'm way past that stage now...1st year of molecular science.

In the States, first year of physics was at 14 and first year of chemistry is this year, at 15 (almost 16!). You have the option to take a second year, but you don't have to.

I started Physics at 14, basic science at 12

wait physics before chemistry? Never heard that one before... I took Chemistry at the age of 10 and dropped out of Physics and Triginometry at the age of 12 :P

im 16, and we started learning chemistry physics and biolgly at 11. This is complosery till you reach the age of 17. Then you can carry it on for A level (im carrying on with bilogly and chemistry)

My school was pretty poor- we all had to take Life Science at 14, Earth Science at 15, had a choice of Life Science, Biology, or Technology at 16. After that, it was Chemistry, Biology II, Physics, and some other tech classes.

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My district changed it recently: we used to have biology, then chemistry, then physics. But I think it's fair enough the way it is right now: the chemistry can help set you up for biology.

From kindergarten onward our classes are all supposed to have some sort of science component, but in primary school, unless your teacher is of a scientific bent to begin with, you generally don't get much science. In my school district (it varies), it's not until you're 12, in grade 7, that you get dedicated science classes.

I had biology with a teensy bit of physics thrown in at about...8 or so, but that's just your basic animal stuff. Then we had serious biology that starts at 12, with more information and things like that, then we had combined chemistry and physics at 13, but that was more physics than chemistry, and at 16 you could either drop the lot, or choose to follow up on it.

We had all three (Chemistry, Biology and Physics) thrown at us in 7th grade, I think. It was their way of introducing the subject. For 3 years you have to suffer in silence in order to decide whether or not you want to keep studying it for another 3 years. I was quite tempted by Biology, but ended up studying Film, Theatre and Literature in Highschool.

We had all three from the fifth year, and after 2 years, had to specialise and drop one. We were always recommended to drop biology. I think I was happy with that because there were more boys doing physics and chemistry. It wouldh have been nice to carry on with chemistry, which I loved, but I chose an Arts stream in the 5th year, and mainly by the art of persuasion known only to 6th form girls, I managed to be allowed to include maths A level.

Basically I think that 11 and 12 year olds could take a lot more subjects - at that age they are able and willing to work harder and to absorb more.

I hate the German system where they are molly-coddled and kept away from so much (history, science, 2nd foreign language) until they are 13, at which point they are in hormonal and emotional turmoil and then they are completely overburdened with new subjects, having more active social lives and less time to cope with school work - plus which, at that age they are starting to rebel and if you don't grab their interest straight away, that's history/politics/physics/chemistry/languages ruined for them for life.

- - hope that was coherent.

'recomended to drop biology' sounds like my old physics teacher...always taking the p*ss out of biology students.

I wonder what's wrong with Biology. I think it may be down to it being slightly more easy to understand than the other two, especially if you're 'mathematically challenged'. Like me.
I always hated Physics, and was happy to drop it as soon as I could.
But I do think that you can't study EVERYTHING, and age doesn't matter, really. If you want to study - you will at any age. Not having the option to study a second foreign language is a shame, though.

Sorry - I got the German and old English school systems confused up there.

If anyone's interested, it was really like this:

1st form - 11 years - we had biology, chemistry and physics
3rd form - 13 years - we had to drop one of the three and took the other 2 to "O" level
at the end of the 5th form we chose our "A" level subjects and it wasn't possible to mix sciences and arts, but it wasn't recommended to take physics, chemistry and biology either. Biology was still strictly a "girl's subject"

Biology is a girl's subject, untill it gets to the point where you study the actual mechanisms of the body. To understand the way a cell converts carbohydrates into energy and how it builds proteïns, and how proteïns do their work you need a very firm grounding in chemistry.

Since when does that mean it's a 'girls'' subject? Aren't girls just as capable of being good scientists? I know quite a few who are more capable than boys, in fact.

I wish we could specialise... but no, we have to take all the core subjects right through high school.

I Hated Physics and couldn't wait to drop it in the 4th year, I liked chemistry and Biology enough to carry on, I got my only O'Level in biology

I had to get back to Chemistry in University, 1st year Nursing. It was awful. I couldn't understand a word of it. Cell Biology, on the other hand, went quite well for me, and thanks to my tutor- so did basic Physics.

Sorry, I should have put girl's subject between quotes. I know plenty of girls who are veritable mathematical geniuses, in fact, I know one who finished college with a 100% score for physics.