I've seen a thread similar to this one in here before, but is anyone in here planning to major in physics? Has anyone here already pursued a career in physics? If so, what is your occupation?
-
Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
-
CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.
-
We hope the site problems here are now solved, however,
if you still have any issues, please start a ticket in Contact Us
Majors in Physics
- Thread starter Yamialpha
- Start date
Stellar Vision
Regular Member
- Mar 17, 2004
- 718
- 145
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Atheist
- Marital Status
- Single
- Politics
- US-Others
Yep I'm majoring in physics. My suggestion is, if you can, to take AP level science and math classes in Highscool. That way you'll already have a little bit of a head start when you get to college.
Upvote
0
Iron Sun 254
Insane Genius
- Aug 23, 2004
- 11,546
- 256
- 56
- Faith
- Anglican
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
Upvote
0
My high school doesn't offer any AP classes. I learn the most at home with books and the internet. What do you plan on doing after you graduate?
Ah well these things happen. At least now it's easier to keep up with the progression of physics.
Upvote
0
Deamiter
I just follow Christ.
Physics would be good, but calculus might even be better. I'm graduating in a couple of weeks (finally!) and I think a good math background helped me more than the physics class I took in high school. It's certainly very important to have a good understanding of the basics of physics, but any university's physics program as a general physics course that'll get you through that. If you can get a head start in the math, though, everything will be easier -- especially some of the later courses.
Upvote
0
Deamiter
I just follow Christ.
Oh, to keep up with physics, I'd suggest regularly reading Scientific American and Physics Today. Sci Am is usually more interesting to me as it helps me to relate my physics education to many other areas of science. Physics today is just as easy to read, but it sticks to physics exclusively.
As for after university, I'll be going to grad school for a two-year master's degree in Optical Engineering. I consider it to be a sort of "technical" degree, though obviously more advanced than from a community college. Afterwards, I plan to work for a year or two and then evaluate where I'm going with my life. I tentatively plan to go to a good school for a PhD in Optics at the U of New Mexico or Rochester etc... but that's at least 3-4 years away. Right now, I'm excited for grad school, and I'm trying to get a simple summer job to help pay for all of it.
As for after university, I'll be going to grad school for a two-year master's degree in Optical Engineering. I consider it to be a sort of "technical" degree, though obviously more advanced than from a community college. Afterwards, I plan to work for a year or two and then evaluate where I'm going with my life. I tentatively plan to go to a good school for a PhD in Optics at the U of New Mexico or Rochester etc... but that's at least 3-4 years away. Right now, I'm excited for grad school, and I'm trying to get a simple summer job to help pay for all of it.
Upvote
0
TYVM for the advice Deamiter. Anyone I've talked to about physics says that mathematics, in particular calculus, is extremely important. I've reached the level of calculus in my independent studies, but do you have any good websites you could recommend for learning higher mathematics?
Upvote
0
Illuminatus
Draft the chickenhawks
Deamiter, it sounds like you and I have the same realm of interest. I've been accepted to an honours program in photonics, although I haven't decided on it yet.
Upvote
0
Illuminatus
Draft the chickenhawks
Again, that's not decided either. I could go an engineering route in grad school, or a straight science route. Probably engineering. As is, I'm nowhere near decided on what university to go to, or the program. I'm also highly interested in astronomy, and nanoscience.
Upvote
0
Deamiter
I just follow Christ.
We do sound quite similar! I would recommend a four-year degree in physics, or at least in engineering at a school with an advanced physics program. I've found that the broader background I've received with a B.S. in Physics is very nice.Illuminatus said:
It's very easy to specialize after a B.S. (and in my case, it's only two more years until I'm well qualified to go into industry if that's what I decide to do) but an engineering degree limits your mobility. Of course, you'd be more marketable right after your bachelor's degree, but you're probably going to go for higher education anyway, so why limit yourself?
There are also some really wonderful engineering degrees -- just look for programs that are more physics based than industry based. A first degree in photonics would be VERY interesting to me, but it somewhat limits where you can go afterwards.
Upvote
0
Yamialpha said:
No but I do have a textbook I would highly suggest.
Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences, by Mary L. Boas. If you can complete that text, you have all the math necessary for undergraduate physics. You'll learn more in your classes, but it will be easy with that text behind you.
Upvote
0
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0471044091/qid=1115327516/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/102-9817110-7044136?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
Is my suggestion. That's where I got mine. I got mine from a secondary vendor for about $65.
Is my suggestion. That's where I got mine. I got mine from a secondary vendor for about $65.
Upvote
0
Deamiter
I just follow Christ.
Right now on half.com it's going for $54.00:
http://half.ebay.com/cat/buy/prod.cgi?cpid=1446916&domain_id=1856&meta_id=1
On ebay, there's a version available via buy it now (not an auction) for $35.00:
http://product.ebay.com/Mathematica...ooZ1QQfsopZ3QQfvcsZ1388QQsascsZ2QQsoprZ975152
This is a good time to get text books. End of the school year -- more people looking to sell than those looking to buy.
At the same time, don't be too discouraged if you don't understand it all, or can't bring yourself to concentrate on the whole thing. This math is necessary, but you're going to take the class at some point anyway, and physics would be pointless if it weren't fun!
http://half.ebay.com/cat/buy/prod.cgi?cpid=1446916&domain_id=1856&meta_id=1
On ebay, there's a version available via buy it now (not an auction) for $35.00:
http://product.ebay.com/Mathematica...ooZ1QQfsopZ3QQfvcsZ1388QQsascsZ2QQsoprZ975152
This is a good time to get text books. End of the school year -- more people looking to sell than those looking to buy.
At the same time, don't be too discouraged if you don't understand it all, or can't bring yourself to concentrate on the whole thing. This math is necessary, but you're going to take the class at some point anyway, and physics would be pointless if it weren't fun!
Upvote
0
Illuminatus
Draft the chickenhawks
Deamiter said:
I've considered engineering quite a bit, but in the end, I want the flexibility of a B.Sc instead. The interesting thing about the photonics program, (It's at Wilfrid Laurier, if you feel like looking up the program), is that it's about halfway in between pure science and engineering. It's heavily oriented towards pure physics on the science side, but there's also a large component of digital electronics, as well. Really, my biggest problem is deciding what to go in to - I'm interested in far too many things, and they all seem to require specialization (On the science side, I'm looking primarily at optics/photonics, astrophysics, and nanoscience). In the end, it'll depend on what university offers I get. Universities just got marks last Friday, and I've already received offers from Laurier and McMaster. (Mac has both astrophysics and nanoscience)
Mind if I ask you some questions? You're a Canuck, did you go to school in Canada? And what made you go into optics?
Upvote
0
mnphysicist
Have Courage to Trust God!
- May 11, 2005
- 7,764
- 669
- 61
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Widowed
- Politics
- US-Democrat
but do you have any good websites you could recommend for learning higher mathematics?
Jack Crenshaw, and George E. Hrabovsky do a great job on with web articles. While the columns are short, the concepts they present are powerful. If you google either one of those names, it will lead you to the right places. I do agree with the book recommendation. Often times articles on specific methods without the appropriate background will serve as a source of frustration. At least with a text, you can follow in along from start to finish instead of jumping into the middle.
Ron
Jack Crenshaw, and George E. Hrabovsky do a great job on with web articles. While the columns are short, the concepts they present are powerful. If you google either one of those names, it will lead you to the right places. I do agree with the book recommendation. Often times articles on specific methods without the appropriate background will serve as a source of frustration. At least with a text, you can follow in along from start to finish instead of jumping into the middle.
Ron
Upvote
0
Similar threads
