Do I really need physics?

I got this from my father, only it was mathematics in his case. Sure, it opened doors for him, because he was good at that subject and wanted to be an engineer. A subject only "opens doors" for a person if they really want to go through those doors. In my case, I was much more interested in languages and literature, which my father despised as "soft" subjects. You have to identify for yourself the doors that you want to open, and also what you want to do when you have passed through them. Physics can open doors for a person talented in that subject, and motivated to use it to found a career, however concentrating on a subject that you are weak in, just because a parent orders it can be a damaging choice, because you will be encountering frustration and difficulty, which are demotivating, whereas success in a subject you love is motivating and empowering. You should seek the advice of a teacher or career adviser that you trust, and possibly get them to help you make your case to your parents.

Physics doesn't particularly open doors if you want to be an artist, a writer, a linguist, a musician, a journalist, in fact it would be a waste of time. It probably isn't essential if you want to concentrate on biology. You should consult the admission requirements for courses you wish to take that can lead to identifiable realistic career paths, and this is not necessarily something that parents are good at helping with.

richard feynman was an accomplished watercolorist and he opened dialogues in the pre TED years about the interdependence of the arts and sciences.

If you are going into a scientific career, including biology, then yes, you need physics. Science is about using mathematics to model and predict things in nature. You are learning this in physics class. And physics is the science behind many things you will learn in biology from mechanics to fluid dynamics to electric charges.

If you are not going into a science career, then I don't think the study of physics is very important in the grand scheme of things (I say this as a former physics teacher).

Richard Feynman was a true polymath; they are rather rare. He was an expert safe cracker

At your young age, it's difficult to know what you want to do in life and what you'll eventually end up doing. I took calculus-based Physics as an undergraduate in college. I hated it primarily because the textbook was terrible. Later in life, I took another course in calculus-based Physics, and found that I loved Physics, primarily because the textbook was well written and was even exciting.

As far as a career in Biology today, perhaps you may be thinking along the lines of medical or nursing school or even pharmacy. All three of these areas do require that you understand some very basic principles of Physics. Some related to concepts in Physiology are :fluid dynamics, pressure/vol relations, mechanics, tension, friction...etc.

Depending on the teacher and the text, Physics can be very exciting.

As far as Biology today is concerned, much emphasis is placed on biochemistry, molecular biology, molecular genetics, developmental biology, analytical biochemistry and various aspects of physiology and biophysics. These are all areas that in one way or the other do require a knowledge of Physics.

Your interests will change as you age. As a kid in college I hated English, because I was interested in a career in science. Now as an adult, I love poetry, literature and various aspects of scientific writing.

One other point to remember, the careers of today, may not be available 10-25 years down the road. You may have to change careers at the age of 40+ and to do so, you will need to have an education that not only covers basic science, but also covers many aspects of the liberal arts and humanities.

One last thing about Physics, if you think about it , isn't Physics important to many ( if not all ) ballet movements?

Actually Feynman was a n ot a unique or rare commodity. Louis Fuertes, Beatrix Potter, Leonardo, Brian May, Stephen Gould, Robt Oppenheimer, etc etc. Im just off the toppa my heading here.

Is this a riddle? Were they all safecrackers?

If our student drops out of Physics now, and then decides later in life that she wants to pursue a career that requires the study of Physics, she can always go back. Humans aren't static... what she doesn't learn not she can learn when she needs it.

I spent nearly a decade studying Physics. This didn't give me even the slightest bit of ability in ballet. I don't think you are correct to make this connection.

Yeggs.

Physics and the art of dance:

http://www.amazon.com/Physics-Art-Dance-Understanding-Movement/dp/0195341015

You need to work on your English.