Will my horrible drawing skills hurt me as a physics major?

[Nik_2213]

"or stick with pencil, paper, and eraser."

I'd beg to differ. Like scribbling ideas for stories, then typing them up in a word-processor, I'll often do simple pencil / pen sketches that are barely more than doodles to firm up a notion in my 'Minds Eye'. With this 'sanity check' done, I'll either have enough visualisation to proceed, or need to get out the drawing tools. Solving geometry problems, some can be done with the help of an annotated sketch, and some need careful graphing. With a bit of luck, I'll soon be able to deploy my CAD tools again...

 

[CrysPhys]

"or stick with pencil, paper, and eraser."

I'd beg to differ. Like scribbling ideas for stories, then typing them up in a word-processor, I'll often do simple pencil / pen sketches that are barely more than doodles to firm up a notion in my 'Minds Eye'. With this 'sanity check' done, I'll either have enough visualisation to proceed, or need to get out the drawing tools. Solving geometry problems, some can be done with the help of an annotated sketch, and some need careful graphing. With a bit of luck, I'll soon be able to deploy my CAD tools again...

I never said to use one or the other tool exclusively. I sometimes use pencil and paper, sometimes Visio, and sometimes VCADD, depending on the complexity of the application. So I have a choice. That's better than knowing only pencil and paper. [I jot down my grocery list on a notepad; I don't compose it with a word processor. Note my "non-trivial" qualifier in my post above.]

 

[DaveC426913]

I never said to use one or the other tool exclusively.

Well, neither did anyone else.

 

[CrysPhys]

Well, neither did anyone else.

But others are saying it's essentially a waste of time to learn something else.

 

[DaveC426913]

But others are saying it's essentially a waste of time to learn something else.

Others are addressing the question the OP asked, which is about his poor drawing ability.
The straightforward answer is: it will improve.

 

[CrysPhys]

Others are addressing the question the OP asked, which is about his poor drawing ability.
The straightforward answer is: it will improve.

Again, not necessarily. As I wrote above:

"Figure skating coaches have a favorite saying: "Practicing the same move correctly over and over will make you a better skater; practicing the same move incorrectly over and over will not." Knowing what works and what doesn't requires deliberate, thoughtful effort, analysis, and understanding."

(Over and out)

 

[DaveC426913]

Again, not necessarily. As I wrote above:

"Figure skating coaches have a favorite saying: "Practicing the same move correctly over and over will make you a better skater; practicing the same move incorrectly over and over will not." Knowing what works and what doesn't requires deliberate, thoughtful effort, analysis, and understanding."

(Over and out)

I'm afraid I fail to see how that post applies, or how it furthers your argument.

But I respect your contributions here. I don't disagree with your input, I'm just trying to not second-guess the OP.

 

[symbolipoint]

I never said to use one or the other tool exclusively. I sometimes use pencil and paper, sometimes Visio, and sometimes VCADD, depending on the complexity of the application. So I have a choice. That's better than knowing only pencil and paper. [I jot down my grocery list on a notepad; I don't compose it with a word processor. Note my "non-trivial" qualifier in my post above.]

That ability to make the distinction means that maybe you have the understanding that a few (so very few) of us are trying to explain. A student in the classroom at lecture time, and the student doing routine homework exercises, should use pencil and paper and maybe a small set of other simple very low-technology tools for any figures, sketches, or drawings. In case of some course that by its nature requires more sophisticated technology, then maybe that and software tools would be expected; and always had been. One may want modern sophisticated technology for drawing when one has more time to work with the tool/s, but , depending on the course being studied, probably not during class time.

 

[symbolipoint]

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 classical mechanics, where drawing a sketch of the problem is needed. I'm worried I'm going to miss out on an important detail or concept simply because I can't draw well enough. I know I don't have to draw a Mona Lisa or anything but I have trouble drawing three dimensional figures and I worry that'll be a problem when I'm trying to visualize something in spherical coordinates.

Has anyone else had this issue?

Steven_Scott,

Just how horrible is your drawing skill? Our best guess is that you will learn with either little trouble or you will improve. The shapes and forms which you will need to draw are not really too complicated most of the time. You will often free-handledly sketch or draw lines, circles, triangles, parallel or intersecting lines, parts of circles, graphs, plot points on graphs, approximately draw shapes based on points on graphs either with or without labeled number-line values. So many other often simple things like these.

DID you study Geometry in high school? Did you study the same course in college? If you did, then YOU DREW geometric figures. In some cases you used protractor, straight-edge or ruler, or compass. Did you learn to draw on paper, a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional figure? How was all this for you? Was your drawing effective? If not, did you get the help you needed?