- #1
sg001
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Hi all, so I am 20 years of age and have just started university, I guess I am a little behind most students as they usually enter university at 18 (in Australia anyway). Anyway some background about the situation. I wasnt very educationally ambitious when I was younger and left school before completing my higher school certificate (HSC), but after having a taste of various jobs, and manual labour I decided it wasnt for me. So I decided to complete my higher school certificate last year after reading a few books on physics it really intrigued me and I wanted to learn more. So I studied really hard last year and did physics subjects and have learned as much math as possible in that time.
I am very focused on what I want to become and do not mind spending the hours each day to learn (I actually enjoy it now), but from a lot of what I read most physicist seem like child prodigies who learned calculus at the age of 12!
So... After really applying myself last year I managed to get into the adv. Science course In one of the top Universities in my country. But after going to afew of my first math lectures it seems I have some stiff competition who are ahead of me at the present time.
Any Thoughts on my situation?? past experience??
Do I have a chance of becoming something??
I plan on studying until I have my Ph.D. in physics
I know the job market is stiff ( I think in Australia) for post. doc work
Will I find it impossible, considering I wasnt a Math olympiad when I was 12??
Also, any material worth trying to learn to get ahead??
p.s. I am very inspired by Edward Witten after finding out he was a history and linguistics major before becoming a very prominent physicist in his earlier days until he started working on a endless theory that has no experimental validation to be approved or shunned even after 40 or more years of research, despite having the all the top physicist and resources at one's disposal at hand. But that's another post all together!
Thanks for reading my very long post... in advance!
I am very focused on what I want to become and do not mind spending the hours each day to learn (I actually enjoy it now), but from a lot of what I read most physicist seem like child prodigies who learned calculus at the age of 12!
So... After really applying myself last year I managed to get into the adv. Science course In one of the top Universities in my country. But after going to afew of my first math lectures it seems I have some stiff competition who are ahead of me at the present time.
Any Thoughts on my situation?? past experience??
Do I have a chance of becoming something??
I plan on studying until I have my Ph.D. in physics
I know the job market is stiff ( I think in Australia) for post. doc work
Will I find it impossible, considering I wasnt a Math olympiad when I was 12??
Also, any material worth trying to learn to get ahead??
p.s. I am very inspired by Edward Witten after finding out he was a history and linguistics major before becoming a very prominent physicist in his earlier days until he started working on a endless theory that has no experimental validation to be approved or shunned even after 40 or more years of research, despite having the all the top physicist and resources at one's disposal at hand. But that's another post all together!
Thanks for reading my very long post... in advance!