Advice for a high school student who loves physics

[smartphysicsmonke]

[Note: Thread broken out of a side conversation in the technical Physics forums]

I am in high school and seeing bunch of guys argue about whether QFT or string theory is more accurate is something super rare lol. Any clue how I can build upto understanding these concepts ? I feel like I am about to complete all of physics but whenever I visit this forum I feel like I dont know physics at all. feels like you guys are learning some completely different physics in college. ig its just a jump between 10th and 11th and 12th to college. crazy.

 

[ohwilleke]

Any clue how I can build upto understanding these concepts ? I feel like I am about to complete all of physics but whenever I visit this forum I feel like I dont know physics at all. feels like you guys are learning some completely different physics in college. ig its just a jump between 10th and 11th and 12th to college. crazy.

You need calculus, calculus based probability and statistics, linear algebra, abstract algebra, differential equations, topology, and ideally complex analysis too, as well as familiarity with tensors (sometimes taught in a math class, sometimes in a physics class). You also need quantum mechanics and general relativity. Often, you wouldn't get to a full treatment of some of these topics until your first or second year of graduate school in physics.

"I feel like I am about to complete all of physics but whenever I visit this forum I feel like I dont know physics at all"

This is very encouraging. People who think that they know everything are almost always less knowledgable and unlikely to improve relative to people who feel like they are barely scratching the surface of what is out there to know.

 

[weirdoguy]

Any clue how I can build upto understanding these concepts ?

The shortest path is to study physics in college/university.

 

[smartphysicsmonke]

You need calculus, calculus based probability and statistics, linear algebra, abstract algebra, differential equations, topology, and ideally complex analysis too, as well as familiarity with tensors (sometimes taught in a math class, sometimes in a physics class). You also need quantum mechanics and general relativity. Often, you wouldn't get to a full treatment of some of these topics until your first or second year of graduate school in physics.

"I feel like I am about to complete all of physics but whenever I visit this forum I feel like I dont know physics at all"

This is very encouraging. People who think that they know everything are almost always less knowledgable and unlikely to improve relative to people who feel like they are barely scratching the surface of what is out there to know.

No like I completely agree that where I am right now in terms of my knowledge is not even bare minimum to understand the large picture that most of you people see on this forum but with those topics that you mentioned above I will go deep into those topics. Not going to rush it though. Simply try to grasp it over a reasonable amount of time. Thank you for the help.

 

[jtbell]

ig its just a jump between 10th and 11th and 12th to college. crazy.

Then there's graduate school.

The further I went, the stupider I felt. But I still managed to finish a Ph.D.

 

[CrysPhys]

Simply try to grasp it over a reasonable amount of time.

What do you consider to be "a reasonable amount of time"?

 

[smartphysicsmonke]

What do you consider to be "a reasonable amount of time"?

Like somewhere between 5-10 years is that enough or too much ?

 

[CrysPhys]

Like somewhere between 5-10 years is that enough or too much ?

That's about the right range, starting from after high school. In the US, after high school, it would typically take 4 yrs for an undergrad college degree, followed by 2 - 3 yrs of graduate coursework. There will be variations in other countries. But that rough range is reasonable.

 

[smartphysicsmonke]

That's about the right range, starting from after high school. In the US, after high school, it would typically take 4 yrs for an undergrad college degree, followed by 2 - 3 yrs of graduate coursework. There will be variations in other countries. But that rough range is reasonable.

To be honest you never know I might get through my coursework a bit faster or slower in college so always a chance but again I am not a sheldon smart person just really into the subject and doing it for the thrill of it.

 

[PeroK]

I am not a sheldon smart person ...

That's something to be thankful for!

 

[smartphysicsmonke]

That's something to be thankful for!

Really why ?

 

[PeroK]

Really why ?

The Big Bang Theory is probably the funniest comedy show I've ever seen. But, ultimately, Sheldon is a tragic figure, IMO. Perhaps that's true of a lot of the best comedy.

 

[smartphysicsmonke]

The Big Bang Theory is probably the funniest comedy show I've ever seen. But, ultimately, Sheldon is a tragic figure, IMO. Perhaps that's true of a lot of the best comedy.

Fair enough. His logic based intelligence has caused his eq and other types of intelligence to be stunted

 

[CrysPhys]

The Big Bang Theory is probably the funniest comedy show I've ever seen. But, ultimately, Sheldon is a tragic figure, IMO. Perhaps that's true of a lot of the best comedy.

A secretary once told me that The Big Bang Theory was her favorite comedy. I replied, "Well, I'm a PhD physicist, and I don't find it very funny." She asked me what my favorite comedy was. I said, "Two Broke Girls."
Her comeback, "Well, I'm a broke girl, and I don't find it very funny."

 

[Muu9]

https://knzhou.github.io/writing/Advice.pdf

 

[Muu9]

The Big Bang Theory is probably the funniest comedy show I've ever seen. But, ultimately, Sheldon is a tragic figure, IMO. Perhaps that's true of a lot of the best comedy.

Mr. Bean, the Three Stooges... I guess the reason Sheldon appears more strongly to be a tragic figure is that his character is more believable than that if many other famous comedy characters.

 

[smartphysicsmonke]

Thanks man

 

[gleem]

I am in high school and seeing bunch of guys argue about whether QFT or string theory is more accurate is something super rare lol. Any clue how I can build upto understanding these concepts ? I feel like I am about to complete all of physics but whenever I visit this forum I feel like I dont know physics at all. feels like you guys are learning some completely different physics in college. ig its just a jump between 10th and 11th and 12th to college. crazy.

Just remember the journey of a thousand miles begins with single steps, one after another. Looking at the top of the mountain as you begin a climb may be discouraging. Know your capabilities and set goals you can achieve one at a time until you reach the pinnacle.

 

[smartphysicsmonke]

Yeah I got screwed, I got 35/70 in physics in my school exam lol. Nevermind I will just take commerce ( just a joke, my school grades exams like an egg I will always stick to physics no matter how bad I am. Never gonna give up this stuff. )