Terrible Freshman year and uncertainty

[Starlit_day]

Hi,
(this is my first post! : D )
I'm a freshman in college. I came in wanting to major in physics and English.
I soon tossed english aside and immersed myself in the sciences(during like the first month). I took Physics 1(general overview course touched upon all topics of physics from general relativity to classical mechanics even did some quantum) first semester and am finishing up physics 2(classical mechanics) this semester(I just have to take my final).
Anyway, I hadn't taken calculus in high school so I took it while taking physics - unfortunately I hadn't taken physics in high school either, so it made things very difficult. Anyway, the class was taught by the chair of the department, and I spoke with him on many occasions, and he seems to think I should keep going with physics, but I didn't do very well in his class (I got a C). And now in classical mechanics I'm doing worse (C-/D+). I am becoming very discouraged by these horrid grades I'm receiving in a subject I'm thinking of majoring in.

The first class I feel like my problem was I was while I was trying to understand derivatives in Calculus classs,and in physics and we were deriving parts of Schrodenger's equation and the spring constant. I also SUCK! at time management.

In this second class, I finally had a handle on the mathematics, but now I sort of just discouraged by it sort of, and I realized how ineffective my study habits were. I never needed to study for anything really it just "came to me" - if that makes any sense (especially the sciences I used to read textbooks in my spare time which granted wasn't much but I would teach myself a lot of biology and chemistry) and I didn't go to a "spectacular" high school.
Anyway, the whole reason why all of this is a problem for me is because I feel like I'm stuck. I feel like I can't "do" the physics all of the time, but I'm drawn to the conceptual aspects(ya know the lay men stuff all of the concepts and pretty pictures with no mathimatics just words and explanations) of it like an alcoholic to whiskey(or beer or whatever it is they drink)>.<. I struggle with putting the concepts to the math sometimes, and yet I absolutely ADORE calculus (once I had completed my first two semesters of it).

So, I started to debate not majoring in physics, but the idea of not discovering the universe and why things are the way they are and why things happen, and just plain answering the question "why" makes me what to cry.XD. I mean I have lots of other interests I could pursue (eg. I love! languages and I love to read Renaissance literature. I like translating Japanese), so I was just wondering if any of you guys out there thinks it would be smart to keep pursuing physics, despite my terrible grades this year and what feels like to me an seeming inability to do physics (most of the time). Also, why are you gals/guys/bodies phycists/ studying physics? Thanks! : )

 

[nobelium102]

just um personal opinion, don't get offended
but geeze if i am getting c and d in major, i would just say you know what, this is something that i may not be good at (obviously we are assuming you have tried your best)
and i would change my major to something i am more good and strong interest in (cuz things like math and physics, if you haven't practiced basic stuff, i could come hard and you might not have time to physically catch up)
Personally, when i do stuff, i am expecting to be the best in that field or at least have done a lot of accomplishment,
now i am no mentor or anybody, so just wait a bit more for other advices
:) good luck

ps you can always keep physics as your hobby

 

[Starlit_day]

just um personal opinion, don't get offended
but geeze if i am getting c and d in major, i would just say you know what, this is something that i may not be good at (obviously we are assuming you have tried your best)
and i would change my major to something i am more good and strong interest in (cuz things like math and physics, if you haven't practiced basic stuff, i could come hard and you might not have time to physically catch up)
Personally, when i do stuff, i am expecting to be the best in that field or at least have done a lot of accomplishment,
now i am no mentor or anybody, so just wait a bit more for other advices
:) good luck

ps you can always keep physics as your hobby

because things like math and physics, if you haven't practiced basic stuff, i could come hard and you might not have time to physically catch up)
Could you clarify that bit some more- your English was a bit off and I want to make sure I got what you were trying to say. Are you essentially saying: If I haven't practiced before it would be difficult and I might not have the time to catch up?
Hm, okay, I'll see what other members have to say about this topic. But what about the other question. Why are you studying physics/ why are you a physicist?
Thanks.

 

[mathwonk]

I got a D- in calc 2 freshman year and finished with an A- in a graduate analysis course by senior year, and obtained a PhD in math eventually. see my post 36 in the thread who wants to be a mathematician. Oh and I also became math guru of the year at Physics forums. SO it depends on whether your problems are study habits, which can be fixed, or something that is harder to fix. Even lack of great talent can probably be overcome by really good study habits.

 

[nobelium102]

nooooooooooo i am not even in university yet don't take me wrong seems like Mathwork has given you good advice
But based on what i have seen, if somebody struggles in math even though effort, it usually means they missed out several years of educations as in like not learning it properly
which means you will have to work extra hard :)
but i believe you can still do it

 

[zif.]

Do you know why you aren't doing well?

You mentioned you 'suck' at time management... Is it just a lack of putting in the required time?

You also mentioned that you never had to study before because things just 'came to you'.

Well yea, me too, and probably most people in the sciences. I graduated high school with honours and I never did homework outside of school hours and I rarely attended class. Public high school in North America is a bit of a joke. If I was running my high school, I never would have graduated.

My point: University is not high school. You need to study. You also need to do all the homework assigned, and some extra problems of your own choice if you still aren't clear. You cannot learn physics by reading, you actually have to work problems. You might be able to cram from the text and 'fake' your way through the first semester, but after that you're going to need to learn it.

How many credits did you take last semester?

Take that number and multiply by three. That's approximately the number of hours (including class time) you should be spending on school *per week*.So, if it's just you not putting in enough time... Continue on, but realize you'll have to be spending much more time on it.

If you just want to read about physics and have interesting things to say at parties about it without understanding the math behind it, just read pop sci books.

If you've spent 60 hours per week grinding through equations and still just can't get it... Then yea. You should probably quit. (And I really doubt someone that adores/does well in calculus is in this category.)Tip: The first step to studying properly is to study in the library or a comparably quiet and private spot. Most definitely not in your room, and surely not with friends.

 

[Starlit_day]

I got a D- in calc 2 freshman year and finished with an A- in a graduate analysis course by senior year, and obtained a PhD in math eventually. see my post 36 in the thread who wants to be a mathematician. Oh and I also became math guru of the year at Physics forums. SO it depends on whether your problems are study habits, which can be fixed, or something that is harder to fix. Even lack of great talent can probably be overcome by really good study habits.

Wow, well that's interesting to hear. So, why did you continue with mathematics- you just liked it? I'll check out the "who wants to be a mathematician" thread. It's an impressive rise.
Thanks for the post. : )

 

[Kevin_Axion]

Don't worry about it. Just get on your feet quickly, study, and push through the courses. Do extra problems, go talk to your professors or TA for help, that's how people get to the top of the class. You don't have to be a genius to do well in physics classes.

 

[Starlit_day]

Do you know why you aren't doing well?

You mentioned you 'suck' at time management... Is it just a lack of putting in the required time?

You also mentioned that you never had to study before because things just 'came to you'.

Well yea, me too, and probably most people in the sciences. I graduated high school with honours and I never did homework outside of school hours and I rarely attended class. Public high school in North America is a bit of a joke. If I was running my high school, I never would have graduated.

My point: University is not high school. You need to study. You also need to do all the homework assigned, and some extra problems of your own choice if you still aren't clear. You cannot learn physics by reading, you actually have to work problems. You might be able to cram from the text and 'fake' your way through the first semester, but after that you're going to need to learn it.

How many credits did you take last semester?

Take that number and multiply by three. That's approximately the number of hours (including class time) you should be spending on school *per week*.


So, if it's just you not putting in enough time... Continue on, but realize you'll have to be spending much more time on it.

If you just want to read about physics and have interesting things to say at parties about it without understanding the math behind it, just read pop sci books.

If you've spent 60 hours per week grinding through equations and still just can't get it... Then yea. You should probably quit. (And I really doubt someone that adores/does well in calculus is in this category.)


Tip: The first step to studying properly is to study in the library or a comparably quiet and private spot. Most definitely not in your room, and surely not with friends.

Hehe, I'm now envisioning myself at a grindstone with my physics problem set. No, admittedly I didn't 60 hours on physics or all of my classes combined. It definitely was a shock to realize "oh gee, they want me to study?" As silly as it sounds. Yeah, I had a 3.9 out of 4.0 when I graduated high school (I could never get an A in APSpanish no matter how hard I tried...) I do read pop science books (and tons of other books as well), but found that they were like eating cookies and cerme brulee when I wanted a burger and fries- not substantial enough. Hmm, I used to study in my room but I have relocated to the libraries recently... interesting advice thanks for the comment!

 

[Stylish]

Starlit, don't worry about it. Like you, I never needed to study in high school and I really, really screwed up in my first semester at college.

I'm a junior now and I'm doing very well. You're going to have invest more time into studying/reading on your own, but as long as you remain interested in physics I think you should stick to it. Because you are interested, you should be more willing to spend some time in order to understand the material.

Finally, if you're questioning your interest in physics, I would still suggest sticking to it (unless you are certain that it's not for you, which again, I feel is not the case with you) until you've taken some more advanced courses, as you may find them more interesting than the courses you are taking now.

In short, do not be discouraged!

 

[Geezer]

Hi,
(this is my first post! : D )
I'm a freshman in college. I came in wanting to major in physics and English.
I soon tossed english aside and immersed myself in the sciences(during like the first month). I took Physics 1(general overview course touched upon all topics of physics from general relativity to classical mechanics even did some quantum) first semester and am finishing up physics 2(classical mechanics) this semester(I just have to take my final).
Anyway, I hadn't taken calculus in high school so I took it while taking physics - unfortunately I hadn't taken physics in high school either, so it made things very difficult. Anyway, the class was taught by the chair of the department, and I spoke with him on many occasions, and he seems to think I should keep going with physics, but I didn't do very well in his class (I got a C). And now in classical mechanics I'm doing worse (C-/D+). I am becoming very discouraged by these horrid grades I'm receiving in a subject I'm thinking of majoring in.

I have a similar story. I graduated high school in 1995 and didn't start my physics studies at the university until 2002. I didn't do any math or science in the interim, so when I started as a physics major, I was waaaaaayyyy behind my peers. And, like you, I took calculus concurrently with physics--I didn't take calc or physics in high school since I graduated early--so that put me behind, too. I spent the entire four years of my undergrad playing catch up.

My grades steadily improved as I went along, but I never had a semester with straight A's . I ended up with an overall GPA of 3.53. I did make it to grad school, but not a top 10 program...

If I could go back, I would have taken calculus before college, and I would have spent time working through the AP curriculum, making sure I knew the stuff before I started getting graded on it in college.

To the OP: I'd seriously spend this summer really learning the material if you want to stay in physics. Work through all those AP Physics study guides--doing each and every problem in the book--and then start working the 3,000 Solved Problems in Physics. After that, start preparing for the Physics GRE.

The goal here on out is to show steady improvement from semester to semester. Make sure your upper division grades are strong, and make sure your Physics GRE score rocks.

 

[Ryker]

Tip: The first step to studying properly is to study in the library or a comparably quiet and private spot. Most definitely not in your room, and surely not with friends.

What's wrong with studying in your own room? I've done that for at least five years with success, so I don't think the OP needs to follow your tip. If he can't focus in his room, then perhaps he should try out the library, but I personally find it much easier to get stuff done at home.

 

[mege]

What's wrong with studying in your own room? I've done that for at least five years with success, so I don't think the OP needs to follow your tip. If he can't focus in his room, then perhaps he should try out the library, but I personally find it much easier to get stuff done at home.

This is a matter of discipline - if you're able to be in 'your surroundings' without distraction, then fine. But if the OP is having problems focusing at home (in dorm, room, whatever), escaping that surrounding to a place with less distraction is a great tip.

 

[Starlit_day]

What's wrong with studying in your own room? I've done that for at least five years with success, so I don't think the OP needs to follow your tip. If he can't focus in his room, then perhaps he should try out the library, but I personally find it much easier to get stuff done at home.

Just wondering, what does OP stand for?

 

[Ryker]

Just wondering, what does OP stand for?

OP = original poster, ie. you

 

[Geezer]

OP = original poster, ie. you

i.e., the apparent noob.