Skills Definition and 214 Threads

Hello physics forums. I've been reading old threads for hours but would love to get input on my specific situation. I graduated from a state school in May 2023 with a BA in physics and a 3.3 GPA. I was a good student until college, where I suffered from debilitating mental health issues and was...

My HS senior son is taking AP Calc this year and struggled with the first quiz, which was a review of some more difficult algebra - factoring higher degree polynomials, simplifying complicated fractions etc. Ordered him Schaum’s Int algebra for practice problems, but curious about any advice...

@StatGuy2000 said in another topic this part quoted here: The name of the topic was "From math PhD to space industry-possible?" The listing of what was suggested for the PhD student to learn looks like a large amount. Four different programming languages, although he did not say to what level...

I'm a PhD student in high-energy theory and this is one point I have been struggling with for a while. When I study a paper what is the most efficient way to do so? For example, should I try to rederive everything following the author's reasoning? Should I try to take notes, and if so how to...

Hello, I would like to ask if it's possible to send assignments from book that I'm reading: Ten Essential Skills for Electrical EngineersThis book is quite interesting , sometimes i solve its assignments but i find it quite challenging. Can I send regularly and discuss about it? I'm an...

I have a test coming, any good book for understand and getting good at these kinds of questions would be great :) (From the Australian Math Contest)

This is the article. This is not the usual sort of study I read but given the last 16 months, I thought I would post and see what pf guys thought of the method and conclusions. The line of best fit in the results seemed a bit random to me but let's see what you make of it...

I am currently learning to code by auditing Harvard's CS50 course on edx. I am mainly interested in pursuing a theoretical physics major in the future. What I would like to know which scientific computing software/language (as in OCTAVE, SCILAB, FORTRAN, JULIA, etc ) can I learn alongside which...

Are there any good websites or tutorials in PDF format out there that helps to improve mathematics from basics ?

Hello all, So I am looking for advice on what my next move should be after graduating with my bachelors in physics this May. I have quality engineering internship experience but every job I’ve applied to only wants to hire people with actually engineering experience and not entry level type...

Hello all, I remember a story from late 2014, when I watched a gameshow "Who is he/she?" This gameshow requires panel judges (often composed of celebrities) to guess which is the fake person with specific occupation (such as barber) out of three possible candidates present to them. In an...

As the title indicates, what are some soft skills needed (math/programming/cfd softwares) do I need if I wish to pursue a masters degree in plasma/fusion physics? Also, how do you think I should go about learning them? Thank you.

Hi Physics Forums community. Let me briefly explain my current state of affairs. Next season, if every goes as planned, I will begin my Master's in Physics. I have, what I call, a positive problem; I like lots of branches of Physics (I study Physics because of pure passion and not because I...

I got a chemistry degree a few years ago bit I didn't use it to get a job since I've been doing other things. I love working in the lab and would really love to build up my skills but I don't see myself getting a paid chemistry job any time soon so looking for another way to gain lab experience...

Summarized: Which mathematical fields should you focus on if your goal is to gain a better understanding of relativity and related subjects? (My apologies if there are already other threads asking this question, but 'math' and 'relativity' aren't really useful search terms on this forum.) Hi...

Hi, thank you for reading. Since pattern recognition skill is (I'm assuming) highly important to a career in physics, I'm just curious how poorly suited I am for studying physics given my complete lack of natural skill in this area. I am a high schooler with only basic mathematics training, so...

Hi, I need help with study methods for the CompTIA Server+ certification. Let's just say that I'm not very detail-oriented. I recently purchased the textbook from amazon.com for the comptia server+ SK0-004 certification exam. The exam is already scheduled. I bought a very outdated server+ course...

I'm going to return to college starting Fall, 2019 as a physics major. In preparation, I've been going though various textbooks, studying the material and working the problems. The concepts I understand reasonably well. The problem? I'm horrible at drawing. I see some problems, especially in...

Do electrical engineers actually use stuff that is taught in Circuit Analysis classes like Node Voltage Method, Mesh Current Method, Kirchhoff Voltage/Current Law, Source Transformation. All these usually only involve resistors. Are they somewhat altered in a way to analyze circuits with other...

Hi everybody! I've just finished my 4th year of physics degree (1st year of the masters degree, to be more exact) and I feel that I've spent most of my time reading theory and studying proofs and very few time on actual problem solving. In order to change that, I decided this summer go through...

Amazing ! Dedicated to @berkeman :smile:Dave

I'm looking for volunteers with technical skills in 3D animation and rigging with programs like nifskope, to help me get this Blender 3D model into an equippable/usable item the PC video game Fallout 4. Read the description for better information...

Homework Statement Please could someone help me with how raw data should be dealt with when using a human operated stop watch. I have attached the information we were given and it makes little sense to me. Homework Equations See attachement The Attempt at a Solution We are constantly reminded...

I'm looking to compile a list of skills that people have used on their grad school applications that looked good, such as programming and research experience

An interesting article on cognitive differences between age groups: http://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/at-what-age-are-you-the-smartest which kind of reminds me of this clip from Fried Green Tomatoes:

So some skills are best developed early. For example, its better to learn a language while young than old. So what type of cognitive skills should be developed, say, before someones 30s? What can be pushed off until later?

How are the problem solving skills you gain from majoring in Physics and majoring in Engineering different? I have noticed that a lot of people think you get better at problem solving by majoring in Physics when compared to engineering, and I don't understand why. I mean, they both study the...

Hello everyone, I want to give some brief background info about myself before asking; I am a junior/senior undergraduate living in Southern California studying mechanical engineering, and leaning towards the thermo/fluids side of mechanical engineering. However, when it comes to "my true...

What are the problems facing engineers with communicating information

I'd like to build my own reliable alarm clock, but I don't have any knowledge in electronics and no fancy equipment, only some humble C programming experience. What do I need and what do I need to know to build one myself. Thanks very much.

Hello, I'm new here so forgive me for my ignorance. I am currently a freshman majoring in Physics. I am having trouble trying to understand the concepts in my physics class. In high school I took precalculus and regular physics. My physics teacher was good, but had some trouble expressing his...

I would like to know what are some transferable skills a mechanical engineer working in the aerospace industry for some years could bring to other engineering areas (like renewable energies, oil and gas, structures, manufacture...). Preferably, areas of expertise in the field of fluid...

Hello, I am in my first semester of graduate school after 4 years being out of school. I brushed up on calculus but some essentials are gone. I was doing kinetic problems and had to find concentrations. I automatically knew to get rid of ln x I need to use an exponential. My mind went blank when...

Is there a website that anyone can suggest to practice Algebra, and/ or Calculus?

Hello everyone, this is my first post since I joined last year around this time, I've been watching from far but I thought you guys are awesome and you probably can help me out :smile: I am in my junior year at Michigan State University, my current major is physics, but I spent 2 year...

Hello PF. So many people online and in books are trying to eliminate the idea of following your passion when choosing a career path instead they are saying that you should build on your own skills to make a successful career and they are saying that every one of us have a special set of skills...

I would love to learn math and become a great mechanical / aerospace engineer, but there is one huge problem! I dropped my math classes in the 10th grade because I was an idiot. Years ago I didn't want to learn math, I hated it but now I love learning. I love challenges, learning is truly my...

Hi, everyone: I'll be transferring from community college to a four-year university next Fall and am wondering if my math background is sufficient and proficient enough to do well. I haven't decided on a major(s) yet, although I listed philosophy (very provisional - I had to list something -...

I am going for an internship at a national laboratory and I think I have a pretty good chance but I am wanting to make my CV a little bit better. I won't know until I get the internship what I will be doing so I don't know what skills to include. I'm a senior in Chemistry and Math, I have...

I recently got a bachelors degree from out of US, and now i live in NYC. Even though i was extremely interested in mechanical engineering, the collage that i attended was not that great, and didn't teach me any technical skills. So i lost interest in school and only Got passing grades (2.6 GPA)...

Got this for Christmas and its quite interesting to read: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0321942043/?tag=pfamazon01-20 The basic premise of the book is to explore the principles of generic programming, optimization and the mathematical concept of abstraction using traditional mathematical...

Hi I am new at the mathematica software i would like to find way to improve my skils

Engineering Programs differ from school to school and from country to country. What are some skills every engineering student must have? More specifically, Electrical Engineering students. And what are some things I can do during my studies to boost my profile as a fresh engineering graduate.

Currently I am studying IB HL physics, however I am not that great at math and constantly find myself struggling when it comes to the mathematical concepts. Are there anyways i can improve my skills? Thanks.

I want to become an inventor and an innovator changing the world basically. However my skills in mathematics are a little poor, However I really do love math like I'm obsessed with it. My problem is where I am right now I'm taking grade 12 university prep courses and math and physics are kicking...

I am a rising college junior with major in the mathematics and an aspiring mathematician in the theoretical computer science and analysis. I wrote this post because I have been suffering from a problem regarding to my time management and planning skills. I have been using the planner and...

Studies have found that girls do better at computational math (arithmetic) and boys excel at reasoning. However, I had always thought that computation was a branch of reasoning. Can someone explain to me how this finding could be that girls are better at computation and boys at reasoning...

Can learning of programming languages like C, Python, Fortran or mathematical packages like Matlab or Mathematica be helpful in developing mathematical thinking in high school students? Logically I tend to answer positively, but have no direct experience with that. Has anyone seen boosting...

Hi, I once considered myself enough to be decent enough to solve some problems but lately I'm thinking to revisit and start solving problems again. I would like to know whether there is a book good which has problems (starting from basic to tough ones) for practicing free body diagrams. The book...

OK, ever since I was young I was well aware of my inability to draw. I had a friend who really could draw, and he did it so effortlessly. When I tried to draw, I had to erase erase and erase! I am asking this because I am a math major, and I would like to know if drawing is a talent that...