How hard is undergrad physics with no physics background?

[myowncompany]

Hello,

I'll try and keep it short and sweet.

I'm 21, female and left school at 17 due to depression caused by the death of a loved. I did not finish high school. I was bright in English and History related subjects and always excelled but didn't take notice of maths or science until recent years.

I now have a love for space and would love nothing more than to be able to work in the field. I know to be able to do this I will have to firstly complete a degree in Physics. I got accepted as a mature student to top university in my country and have chosen physics as my major along with some mathematics courses.

I start next Monday and this is when the anxiety kicks in. The courses I have are for students who have obviously done high school physics / calculus and here I am with limited knowledge of physics or even calculus for that matter.

Over the past 3 years I've self studied mostly astronomy and some physics but I most definitely only know the very basics of it all. I am extremely prepared to work my a** off to grasp the material but I'm wondering from you guys what your input it?

Have you or anyone you know had absolutely LIMITED knowledge of physics / math and have started physics in college?

I am 100% dedicated to working hard so please take that into account.

Also I'll add that I do a basic knowledge in algebra, trig and geometry but calculus not so much. Thank you all

 

[jedishrfu]

Yes, many times students from more rural or suburban schools that enter the best colleges are overwhelmed with the amount of work and the expectation that they had the proper math background.

This happened to me 40 years ago suburban HS to local well-known college where many of the Physics undergrads came from the famous Brooklyn Technical HS and were light years ahead in math (calculus+diff eqns+linear algebra) and physics (one student I knew had worked his way through Goldstein Classical Mechanics in HS).

I'm sure it still happens today so don't be discouraged. Just remember to be persistent, insistent and consistent in your studies.

https://www.bths.edu/

The profs were understanding though and helped us catch up as the department had 12+ profs and each year had 6 to 12 students to mentor.It was a liberal arts school of 2000 students well-known for engineering and sciences too.

My suggestion is you should focus on the math and the physics stuff will come easier. Also to help with your math:

www.mathispower4u.com

has course videos from pre-algebra to the first-year college (ie calculus 1,2,3 diff equations, linear algebra, and statistics). You can pick and choose videos to bolster your knowledge. It will take a lot of perseverance but PF can help when you get stuck.

 

[myowncompany]

Yes, many times students from more rural or suburban schools that enter the best colleges are overwhelmed with the amount of work and the expectation that they had the proper math background. This happened to me 40 years ago suburban HS to local well-known college where many of the Physics undergrads came from the famous Brooklyn Technical HS and were light years ahead in math (calculus+diff eqns+linear algebra) and physics (one student I knew had worked his way through Goldstein Classical Mechanics in HS)

https://www.bths.edu/

The profs were understanding though and helped us catch up as the department had 12+ profs and each year had 6 to 12 students to mentor.It was a liberal arts school of 2000 students well-known for engineering and sciences too.

My suggestion is you should focus on the math and the physics stuff will come easier. Also to help with your math:

www.mathispower4u.com

has course videos from pre-algebra to first-year college (ie calculus 1,2,3 diff equations, linear algebra, and statistics). You can pick and choose videos to bolster your knowledge. It will tak a lot of perseverance but PF can help when you get stuck.

Very much appreciated. Thank you very much.

 

[jasonRF]

I recommend having a frank conversation with your advisor about your background - especially your math background. They have most likely worked with other students that didn't have the strongest background and will know what class options you have and support resources are available (math tutoring centers, extra support classes that help students improve basic math skills, etc.).

I had a similar experience as jedishrfu, in that my background was certainly below average for the university (in US) I attended to study electrical engineering. I also completely agree with jedishrfu that focusing on math skills can yield a large payoff when it comes to physics. My pre-college physics background was essentially useless, but I had solid algebra/trigonometry/pre-calculus skills and had taken a year of high school calculus. The math skills carried me through my first physics class, which I took my second semester of college so that I would have the necessary college calculus prerequisite. By the way, in my third and fourth years of college I was taking many courses with students that had skipped that first calculus class (or two!), and I was sometimes surprised by how poor some of those same students were at basic calculus. Their superior high school background was no longer a factor, and in some cases their high school classes were definitely not equivalent to the college versions that I took. So don't feel discouraged if you need to take a lower math class than many of your peers to get yourself up to speed.

Finally, if you are working hard and still struggling don't hesitate to speak with your professors and your advisor. It is a safe assumption that your professors want you to learn the material in their classes, and they will be willing to help as long as you are doing your part.

Jason

 

[ZapperZ]

Hello,

I'll try and keep it short and sweet.

I'm 21, female and left school at 17 due to depression caused by the death of a loved. I did not finish high school. I was bright in English and History related subjects and always excelled but didn't take notice of maths or science until recent years.

I now have a love for space and would love nothing more than to be able to work in the field. I know to be able to do this I will have to firstly complete a degree in Physics. I got accepted as a mature student to top university in my country and have chosen physics as my major along with some mathematics courses.

I start next Monday and this is when the anxiety kicks in. The courses I have are for students who have obviously done high school physics / calculus and here I am with limited knowledge of physics or even calculus for that matter.

Over the past 3 years I've self studied mostly astronomy and some physics but I most definitely only know the very basics of it all. I am extremely prepared to work my a** off to grasp the material but I'm wondering from you guys what your input it?

Have you or anyone you know had absolutely LIMITED knowledge of physics / math and have started physics in college?

I am 100% dedicated to working hard so please take that into account.

Also I'll add that I do a basic knowledge in algebra, trig and geometry but calculus not so much.Thank you all

Not knowing in what country you are living in, it is hard to judge what you can do within the academic program there.

The issue of consulting with an academic advisor comes up VERY often on here, i.e. many people who post this type of question often have NOT consulted an academic advisor beforehand. Instead, they'd rather ask a bunch of strangers in an open forum who can only gather superficial information about them. IF you have an academic advisor at your school, ASK HIM/HER this very same question. Not only will this person get a better idea of you and your academic level, but he/she also knows what is expected for the classes that you are about to take! The latter is something we know nothing about!

Here in the US, there is some leeway in "catching up" if you are not fully prepared to go into a program full on. However, in "top schools" (as you stated in your post), students are expected to land on their feet and go almost immediately. Is this what is expected at the school that you've enrolled in? Will you be able to take remedial classes if you find that you are behind in a few subjects? Again, the academic advisor will know! There is no point in any of us recommending that you catch up with your math requirements, etc.. if your program does not give you the chance to do that.

Zz.

 

[SchroedingersLion]

From my experience: Intrinsic motivation and working hard > having Physics in school

The physics at undergraduate school usually starts from zero. However, you should offer high school level maths. If you don't know what a derivative is, it will be hard. But even then, it just means you are going to have a tough start, it is still doable.

 

[myowncompany]

Not knowing in what country you are living in, it is hard to judge what you can do within the academic program there.

The issue of consulting with an academic advisor comes up VERY often on here, i.e. many people who post this type of question often have NOT consulted an academic advisor beforehand. Instead, they'd rather ask a bunch of strangers in an open forum who can only gather superficial information about them. IF you have an academic advisor at your school, ASK HIM/HER this very same question. Not only will this person get a better idea of you and your academic level, but he/she also knows what is expected for the classes that you are about to take! The latter is something we know nothing about!

Here in the US, there is some leeway in "catching up" if you are not fully prepared to go into a program full on. However, in "top schools" (as you stated in your post), students are expected to land on their feet and go almost immediately. Is this what is expected at the school that you've enrolled in? Will you be able to take remedial classes if you find that you are behind in a few subjects? Again, the academic advisor will know! There is no point in any of us recommending that you catch up with your math requirements, etc.. if your program does not give you the chance to do that.

Zz.

Hello.

I have spoken to an academic supervisor and let her know my situation. I told her I don’t have a strong background in either physics or math and she recommended the classes I am enrolled in now. So I guess I have a little faith in her input but also appreciate input here to because a good portion of you are well familiarised with this kind of thing.

I live in New Zealand btw and will attending the University of Auckland.

I will add a link to one of the main physics classes I will be taking this semester. It has a quick overview of what it will contain and so on.

Link to physics course:

https://cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/p...e 1/Stage One/Physics120CourseOutline2015.pdf

 

[jedishrfu]

So you’re starting your fall term in a few weeks, awesome. Go kiwis!

 

[Dr. Courtney]

See how far you can get in the ALEKS precalculus course. 90+% within a few weeks means you should do OK.

 

[myowncompany]

See how far you can get in the ALEKS precalculus course. 90+% within a few weeks means you should do OK.

Thank you.Do you think that whilst doing the course, I could go to sites like Khan Academy and others to help me grasp what I’m learning?

 

[Dr. Courtney]

Thank you.Do you think that whilst doing the course, I could go to sites like Khan Academy and others to help me grasp what I’m learning?

Sure. ALEKS is a great gauge for where you are and what you need to learn. Supplementing with additional resources to accomplish that learning is very helpful.