Do you like physics?
Yes, for several reasons.It is a logic-based subject where you have to memorize very little and not without understanding. It amuses me with its wonderful topics and inventions. Besides, I can't express the joy it brings when I can solve tough mathematical problems of physics myself.I still have a lot to learn. I don't claim any expertise over my peers in this subject, but I have a special passion for it. I wish to pursue higher education in physics, if I remain soundly alive till then.
Do I really like Physics?
I think what you have to realize is that you aren't really "learning physics" unless you learn to solve the problems and do the math. You are learning ABOUT PHYSICS. It would be like if I was really into cars, and read all the magazines and reddit forums about high performance cars, but never once opened the hood of a car with a wrench in my hand. I like CARS and I think they are cool, but I have no desire to WORK with cars. It's ok to like knowing about physics without being interested in DOING physics. But if you want to become a working scientist someday, you need to do both.
How well do you know physics? (If you like physics, try these 10 puzzlers I'll answer if no one else can!)?
Good luck with your homework
Is it normal to like physics but not like math?
Yes, that is very normal, I just give my view on that;Whatever you learn will bring you through 4 development stages:Suppose someone want to learn to play the guitar.He starts very enthusiastically, but without knowledge. Better let him explore a bit.He acquires a bit of knowledge and can already show of his new terminology to friends, but he gets demotivated because it is harder than he thought. This is where he needs help. He does not enjoy playing so much and he needs to study.After having studied he gets some ups and downs, but he sees progress, so overall, moral is going up and he starts to like playing again, still having doubts now and then.He has perfected his playing method and he can now fully enjoy playing the guitarThe same goes for mathematics and science. Unfortunately, now that we went from the Newtonian era to the Einstein era, even the simple concepts of science need some higher concepts of mathematics. So if you did not study mathematics, you are still at level D1. But when you go from level D1 to D2 in science, you need to be at level D3 in mathematics already. This will make you dislike mathematics more than science, because the mathematics are holding you back.But once you are level D3 in both math and science, you will probably like both.
Who has a physics degree and what did you do with it?
Degree? BS in physics, MS in quantum mechanics, PHD in nuclear engineering. Enjoy the courses? Oh yea, they are a definite mind bender. Job offers? Plenty. My job? Calculate the likelihood of a nuclear chain reaction to spontaneously start with fissionable materials of a given mass of a given geometry with several variable moderators. This is done to ensure that no one dies while manufacturing nuclear fuel rods for commercial power plants. Do I enjoy doing my job? Yes, I get great satisfaction knowing that my job keeps people from getting killed. Pay well? Are you kidding?
Why do so many people hate physics?
Physics, to an extent is really based on common sense (althought, in depth) knowledge of how everything in the world operates around you. And I think when people enroll in physics, whether by choice or because they need it for post secondary education, they don't expect to see the difficulty they experience with understanding it. I think people realize that a lot of physics is in fact common sense linked with math, and therefore, they assume it's concepts will be somewhat simple to grasp. When they start into the course, they soon realize this isn't true, and easily become frustrated. I wasn't the greatest at physics because I'll be honest, I didn't give high school my best effort. However, when we came to a subject I found fascinating, I easily understood it and aced every assignment and exam to do with it. People tend to dislike what they cannot understand... the easy courses you took in school you probably enjoyed because of the fact that you were good at them, they were simple to understand, and therefore you got good marks. Physics isn't that class for 99% of the students who take it. But if you have the patience and the time to get the help you need, you will quickly understand the laws of physics, and it will become not only easier for you to do, but you will learn to like it. ps my physics teacher was the most relaxed, outgoing, but amazingly intelligent man i've ever met. and that helped a lot, he related our physics lessons to practical life and that made a huge difference. so yes, i'd say teachers certainly play a role.
Can you be an engineer if you don't love physics?
You don't have to love physics but you should love solving problems. However it is difficult for me to imagine a strong engineer who loves solving problems but doesn't love physics."Engineering" is pretty broad and while there are many branches that do not require a "love" of physics, you'd be hard pressed to find any kind of engineering that does not require you to be very good at math and to have a basic intuition for physical concepts. More importantly, an explicit lack of "love" for physics is potentially symptomatic of a lack of curiosity-- which is a no-no for any engineer.So what can we conclude here: 1) Enjoying physics helps you become better at at physics2) Being good at physics is very helpful for becoming a strong engineer It seems to me that in light of these facts, you have a problem of figuring out how to enjoy physics and as any good engineer you should instead be trying to figure out how to solve that problem rather than trying to figure out how to survive with it :)I encourage you to find what your interests are and what connects with you, to consume voraciously from multiple sources and to try to find some reproducible recipe that gets you hooked on learning and solving physics/related problems. Have a blast while you're at it...just like this guy:
How can I decide if I want to study physics?
There are two ways of answering this: If you have a very strong interest in physics, to where you’re constantly looking up and reading about new developments and discoveries in physics, then by all means you should plan on beginning a dedicated study of the subject. This assumes you might or might not choose physics as a profession. On the other hand, if you’re trying to decide whether you want to make physics a career, then just having an interest is not enough —- you have to be VERY GOOD at mastering physics , and especially the requisite math, to have a reasonable chance at becoming a professional physicist. The competition for jobs is fierce, and typically the pay is not great, the job security is mediocre or poor, and you have to be willing to relocate to secure the next job. I’m talking about academic positions, where a new PhD starts out as a post-doc, then moves up to an assistant professorship or adjunct position (called a soft money position because the job lasts only so long as the funds do), and, after several of these kinds of jobs, you MIGHT get tenure by moving up to full professor. Another route is a federal govt. position, where the pay is about the same but the job security is very good (however it will be R&D work, or applied research and development, not pure research), and a third is private industry, but you’ll probably be in some kind of product development or narrowly-focused directed research at best. So if the profession is what you have in mind, and not just a hobby, be aware that getting a job “doing physics” might be the toughest part, and getting to where you’re qualified to compete for jobs will also be tough, because, for most people, it’s a very difficult subject to learn and requires many years of focused study.