- #1
marksyncm
- 100
- 5
Hi everyone, Mark here from Poland (please excuse any grammar errors).
I've spent the last 10 years building and running a business, and now at 31 I'm financially retired, in the sense that I never have to work for money again and have some money that I would like invest into something that does not necessarily have to turn a monetary profit. Ever since I can remember I've been very interested in physics, and my gut sense tells me that whatever I should be doing next will probably be closely related to that.
I am however unsure as to how to proceed from here. I see two options:
1) Study physics at the physics department in Warsaw, learn as much as I can and try to make connections there that could maybe lead to some endeavour in the future.
2) Self-study math and physics while simultaneously broadening my horizons, reading a lot, and waiting for "an idea" to come to me in the process.
I believe I am a good self-study, but have no way of proving it or of objectively stating what "good" means: I can only say that, having not studied any math since high school where the most advanced topics I remember are basic trigonometry, I started studying math 7 weeks ago and in that time went over Algebra I/II, Trig, Calc I and Calc II, to the point where I feel I am very comfortable with the fundamental theories behind derivatives and integrals and can solve problems like the ones presented here (http://math.feld.cvut.cz/mt/exd/eed3.htm). I realize this probably doesn't say much and that, in the grand scheme of learning physics, what I've learned so far is barely considered "getting started", but it was the only thing I could offer as any sort of gauge of my "self study potential", if you will, so take it for whatever it is please.
My basic dilemma boils down to the following:
- I do NOT plan on pursuing a typical career in academia/research
- I DO want to sort of blend physics with entrepreneurship
- I do NOT want to be "just an investor"; rather, I want to actively participate scientifically, even if to a limited degree, in whatever it is I decide to invest in.
- I can devote 60-70 hours a week to studying.
I realize this is a very strange question, but I don't know where else to turn with it. I'm worried that 5-6 years in uni will be too long and move at way too slow of a pace. On the other hand I realize there are probably many things I won't be able to learn on my own by just self-studying, despite how exceptional access to information and courses is nowadays thanks to the internet. At the same time, since I don't even know what it is I want to do, I'm not sure if I will even need any knowledge that's beyond what one would be doing during their 2nd or 3rd year in physics (which I can most likely self study efficiently, maybe even beyond that).
So yeah, it's a bit of a mess right now. To give you examples of the types of "investments" I was considering (this is only an example of my thought process, it's far from being something I've decided on) would be building a small, specialized telescope in Chile to do some research in a field that I find exciting, and participating / helping in the research to the best of my ability while also learning as much as possible in the process.
I've spent the last 10 years building and running a business, and now at 31 I'm financially retired, in the sense that I never have to work for money again and have some money that I would like invest into something that does not necessarily have to turn a monetary profit. Ever since I can remember I've been very interested in physics, and my gut sense tells me that whatever I should be doing next will probably be closely related to that.
I am however unsure as to how to proceed from here. I see two options:
1) Study physics at the physics department in Warsaw, learn as much as I can and try to make connections there that could maybe lead to some endeavour in the future.
2) Self-study math and physics while simultaneously broadening my horizons, reading a lot, and waiting for "an idea" to come to me in the process.
I believe I am a good self-study, but have no way of proving it or of objectively stating what "good" means: I can only say that, having not studied any math since high school where the most advanced topics I remember are basic trigonometry, I started studying math 7 weeks ago and in that time went over Algebra I/II, Trig, Calc I and Calc II, to the point where I feel I am very comfortable with the fundamental theories behind derivatives and integrals and can solve problems like the ones presented here (http://math.feld.cvut.cz/mt/exd/eed3.htm). I realize this probably doesn't say much and that, in the grand scheme of learning physics, what I've learned so far is barely considered "getting started", but it was the only thing I could offer as any sort of gauge of my "self study potential", if you will, so take it for whatever it is please.
My basic dilemma boils down to the following:
- I do NOT plan on pursuing a typical career in academia/research
- I DO want to sort of blend physics with entrepreneurship
- I do NOT want to be "just an investor"; rather, I want to actively participate scientifically, even if to a limited degree, in whatever it is I decide to invest in.
- I can devote 60-70 hours a week to studying.
I realize this is a very strange question, but I don't know where else to turn with it. I'm worried that 5-6 years in uni will be too long and move at way too slow of a pace. On the other hand I realize there are probably many things I won't be able to learn on my own by just self-studying, despite how exceptional access to information and courses is nowadays thanks to the internet. At the same time, since I don't even know what it is I want to do, I'm not sure if I will even need any knowledge that's beyond what one would be doing during their 2nd or 3rd year in physics (which I can most likely self study efficiently, maybe even beyond that).
So yeah, it's a bit of a mess right now. To give you examples of the types of "investments" I was considering (this is only an example of my thought process, it's far from being something I've decided on) would be building a small, specialized telescope in Chile to do some research in a field that I find exciting, and participating / helping in the research to the best of my ability while also learning as much as possible in the process.