How do you Train in physics when you have LITTLE previouse education!!

leeh27uk

HI,
I'm a 27 year old guy from the u.k, I have little previous education apart from my G.C.S.E's from when i was 16. A few years ago i stumbled across quantum physics and after constant research online i discovered that not only did i love physics as a whole but seemed to be able to understand and remember it fairly easily (to a point obviously). Iv never really found which direction i wanted to go with my life but after finding physics (in many forms) i seemed to find a direction so iv decided to look into open university courses. Iv just signed up to do a short course in Nuclear physics to ease me into the whole thing but after that, were do i start? Wot would the correct course be to take second and is it possible to get a degree in this doing the open university and not having A levels to start?
Thanks

micromass

How is your math?? Before you can even start thinking about physics, you need to know quite a bit of math. Studying calculus and differential equations is absolutely essential.

leeh27uk

ok thanks, that helps! my math isn't great but it isn't terrible either. although saying that i haven't really looked at much or either of those. so if i worked hard on my math then id find the physics courses a lot easier to digest! funnily enough i saw a short course on open uni site today called "maths in science" mmmmm!!

genericusrnme

If you want a rough idea of what more advanced level physics looks like you should check out leonard susskinds lectures on youtube, they're pretty beginner friendly and at the same time show you some of the deeper concepts in physics

leeh27uk

thats great thank you... iv spent the last couple of hours watching one of his lectures of einsteins theory of relativity,considering i have no past experience i understood the majority of it and even managed to follow all the calculus! great advice thank you,and i shall continue to watch and learn it can only help!!!

cristycs

I don't know the relationships bettween A-Levels and Colleges, if there are colleges that accept students without there A-Levels then you can do that, if not, only way I see is try to learn as much as you can about physics and math, and then try sending e-mails to research centers, telling you are willing to be a volunteer and work atleast 4 hours a day to learn, tell them your story tell them what you know, and surely your job opportunitys in physics research will come not at first but give it atleast 6 months or until you prove yourself to them. Peace and good luck