At last I became a physics student

[ShayanJ]

Hi all people

I'm writing this post just for saying things that are deep inside my heart and don't now who to tell.

I don't know where it began but a day came that I found myself searching for physics stuff every where.reading,watching and listening anything related to physics.And enjoying every minute of it.

But someday I realized I can't continue it in this amateur way and I love to get into it.then I realized I in order to do that I need to learn advanced math.so I started to gather PDFs.I had a lot of problems in it.

I always said my parents I want to study physics in university.Fundamental sciences are not majors that parents want their children study in university in my country.because they think at last you will have no good source of income as a scientist.So I had struggles with my parents.

Also I had to study hard for university entrance exam.So I had no time for studying the PDFs I gathered.So I tried to forget it and stick to my school lessons.At the end I gave the exam.I should tell that most young people have the same Idea with their parents about fundamental sciences.

In the exam,every one who has higher percentages,is upper.and seats in university majors are filled in order of rank.and because engineering majors are the most famous majors,you need to have a good rank in order to be accepted in them.I had a rank not good enough for being accepted in engineering majors(which I'm thankful to god about)but good enough for physics and At last I became a physics student.

I don't tell I have no problem now but I'm happy that I'm studying physics.

one thing is that I'm feeling stupid(which rightfully I was in some cases).because I thought I can learn physics by myself and now I find myself thinking hard to solve the first term questions.Well I'm not sad about that.But I find a lot of my time wasted because I just know a little piece of some parts of physics.

But to be impartial I now know good things in math that makes me feel I know good things more than others.You know,I have a strang feeling.scared too.

thanks for listening(reading)

 

[The legend]

!Congratulations!

You know what... even i too enjoy physics a lot and that enjoyment has increased considerably joining PF...and i think the same might be applicable to you too!

Actually i think you already were a student of physics if you liked it, learned it, and used it.

 

[ShayanJ]

(WOW That was very fast)
You're really a legend(exaggerated)
yeah I was but as I said I learned almost nothing in phyiscs.Just some starting ideas of some theories like relativity and quantum mechanics and some about cosmology and astrophysics but nothing mathematically but I enjoyed all of it.

 

[aim1732]

Ditto here in India(for a while I thought you were from India.). My parents too are not very supportive as far as my interest in hard sciences is concerned.
You make a good point-physics is not something which we can teach ourselves. Geniuses are different but to truly appreciate its beauty we all need somebody who can show how it is in sync with nature rather than being just another subject in school.

 

[The legend]

hey aim1732... I'm from India too!
looks like the "sync with nature" is taken from 3 idiots...
anyway Shyan is not from India as i checked is profile!

 

[aim1732]

Good to see you! No it isn't exactly from the movie-----don't sound incredulous but I haven't exactly seen the whole of the movie.
Yeah I checked his profile too..

 

[The legend]

oh too bad you haven't seen it fully... gr8 movie!

 

[aim1732]

Everybody tells me that.

 

[ShayanJ]

What are you two indian guys talking about??

 

[mugaliens]

Way to go!

I'm sure English is a second language for you, but since nearly all scientific papers are published in English these days, it's important that you learn to speak, read, and write English well. Thus, if I may, I suggest you take some English and English writing classes as electives, and put as much effort towards acing those as you do your physics classes.

 

[JohnT89]

Dear Shyan,
I am in your same situation: I just became a physics student!
I actually attended three years of engineering already, but I suffered from various problems and didn't complete one single exam, but then, at 21, I made my choice.

The problems here are the same: I live in Italy, the country of Valentino Rossi, Francesco Totti e Silvio Berlusconi. In my country, research does not matter: compared to the other states of Europe, we have the lowest investments in research and istruction (and every year the governments are lowering such funds). The only way for success in Italy is mundanity: football, politics, television.

Consider that
- I will have an hard time finding a job in my country
- Scientists usually study and 'work' for the whole lifetime (but science is more a vocation than a 'work', Physics to me is something that I could do even as a fun hobby)
- My university is 1,5 hours of travel time from home (including 0,6 hours of sea),

Despite such factors, I am quite enthusiast about my choice and I feel I am doing something important and useful for the humanity, even in the (likely) case I won't get any Nobel prize or discover anything useful.

I am the only person I know who made this choice. Want to know how many new Physics students are there every year here? from 10 to 30 students, with 50%+ abandon rates before the second year. Last year, the Physics Graduates here were just 3.

Man, I don't know the situation of your country, but even if you live in a very industrialized and rich state, pursuing sciences takes COURAGE! There are plenty of other ways to get what 99% of humans pursue in life (money, wellness, success, stability) which are simpler. I might be too drastic, but here in Italy a scientist won't get most if not any of those 4 factors.

Its an hard way here and I believe its hard in most part of the world because it is still ruled by the money, not by the science, but have a smile:

We might enjoy a cup of tea or coffee together one day, while discussing some important theory, like Bohr and Einstein did :D
Physicists tend to bond together and they often travel a lot, so its not so unlikely we will meet one day, if both of us will suceed in this career.

Best luck to you, man, I admire your courage and I hope to read about you again.

 

[Hyperspace2]

Dear Shyan,
I actually attended three years of engineering already, but I suffered from various problems and didn't complete one single exam, but then, at 21, I made my choice.

Great story man. What was the reaction from your parents for this.

The problems here are the same: I live in Italy, the country of Valentino Rossi, Francesco Totti e Silvio Berlusconi. In my country, research does not matter: compared to the other states of Europe, we have the lowest investments in research and istruction (and every year the governments are lowering such funds). The only way for success in Italy is mundanity: football, politics, television.

I always supposed Italy is the country for much devotion to science and technology.

Consider that
- I will have an hard time finding a job in my country
- Scientists usually study and 'work' for the whole lifetime (but science is more a vocation than a 'work', Physics to me is something that I could do even as a fun hobby)
- My university is 1,5 hours of travel time from home (including 0,6 hours of sea),.

Preety hard time . But anyway best of luck.

Despite such factors, I am quite enthusiast about my choice and I feel I am doing something important and useful for the humanity, even in the (likely) case I won't get any Nobel prize or discover anything useful.

Best of luck to you . Nobel prize is not great than devotion you make.

I am the only person I know who made this choice. Want to know how many new Physics students are there every year here? from 10 to 30 students, with 50%+ abandon rates before the second year. Last year, the Physics Graduates here were just 3..

Since there are few graduates, you will have better opportunities. Don't worry.


By the way what differences did you find between physics and enginnering.

 

[The legend]

I always supposed Italy is the country for much devotion to science and technology.

Really, so did I...i thought you guys had quite a lot of the 'upper hand' in that field.

Best of luck to both of you guys!

 

[ShayanJ]

Hey john I really enjoyed you're post.specially the part about drinking coffe together.I think the only friends of physicists are pure mathematicians and vice versa.But still talking to a physicist is more fun.(we should confess that we can't love physics without loving math)
well In my country people say if you want to be successful in such majors you should go overseas.well at least I know now that that overseas doesn't mean italy.But is it the same in all the europe?I've heard before that people in Europe alliance(I don't know the right name for it)decided to make traveling in europe easier and removed the need of visa(I think)so maybe you can go somewhere better.Where ever you go,don't forget to tell me your address!
any way,Looks like you people love knowing about physicists problems all over the world.Let me tell you some of them in my country.Here we have people that all the thing that they know about physics is that you can't make good money of it.and about engineering the opposite.but they are ranking majors.You guessed right,their parents.And almost all kids here accept it and their killing themselves to be engineers(physician,dentist and so on)the majors making good money.
yeah that really makes me angry that they say :"Oh of course engineering majors are better that basic sciences.what is the use of basic sciences?how can you make money with them?"And you know such thoughts affect their judgment and you see them talking about intelligence needed for studying engineering and so on.they say every thing that we hate to hear.well I got used to it and don't think about it.But thanks god that now they don't say such things and praise it,I think because they want to forget the bad things they've stuck to it and to remain happy .How is it in your country?(every one)

 

[aim1732]

We are seriously short of good research institutes-even IITs have mediocre facilities considering their elite status and when compared with the best in the world. But I believe with genuine hard work and deliberately being thick-skinned anyone can do anything he wants. You just got to have faith.

 

[JohnT89]

for you all who supposed that Italy was a good place to do research:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2024136,00.html

many of you abroad probably don't know, but in italy we are starting the accademic year with 3 weeks of delay because of university researchers and students on strike. Why?

The Instruction and Research minister, Mariastella Gelmini, further lowered the financial support to Research and University, so the Universities can't now pay a lot of its personnel and tried to compensate for this by raising the student's due taxes. University here is public but costs already a lot and offers an embarassing service.

The cold truth is that Italian researchers are well appreciated, but not in italy.

The good thing is that the 3rd millennium human is actually a world's citizen, despite of its native state, and one can move across the world far more easier than it was possible a century ago.

 

[The legend]

for you all who supposed that Italy was a good place to do research:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2024136,00.html

many of you abroad probably don't know, but in italy we are starting the accademic year with 3 weeks of delay because of university researchers and students on strike. Why?

The Instruction and Research minister, Mariastella Gelmini, further lowered the financial support to Research and University, so the Universities can't now pay a lot of its personnel and tried to compensate for this by raising the student's due taxes. University here is public but costs already a lot and offers an embarassing service.

The cold truth is that Italian researchers are well appreciated, but not in italy.

The good thing is that the 3rd millennium human is actually a world's citizen, despite of its native state, and one can move across the world far more easier than it was possible a century ago.

Thats truly bad...man! ...
I had really felt Italy had a good scope... since you have those nice car companies and stuff.. but i am really dissapointed...

Even then you can still try... Nothing can stop you if you know what you want, like it, and are determined enough...

where there's a will, there's a way.

Good Luck and do well!

 

[ShayanJ]

Hey people.I'm really interested to know the answer of questions below?
1-Where in the world physicists are appreciated?
2-Where in the world physicists are appreciated not because they can help politicians?

 

[Hyperspace2]

Hey people.I'm really interested to know the answer of questions below?
1-Where in the world physicists are appreciated?
2-Where in the world physicists are appreciated not because they can help politicians?

1. USA
2.

 

[JohnT89]

Thats truly bad...man! ...
I had really felt Italy had a good scope... since you have those nice car companies and stuff.. but i am really dissapointed...

F.I.A.T. (our national historical car-producing enterprise) is outsourcing to Serbia and they closed a lot of italian factories, leaving thousands of workers unemployed. Same thing occurred when Alitalia, our national air transportation company, almost failed (it did, when it was a public enterprise, but no one noticed because it was actually privatized).

Italy is outsourcing (in short, transferring abroad their factories and using the foreign's (lower costing) manpower) almost every big factory which made us famous in the glorious past.

Hey people.I'm really interested to know the answer of questions below?
1-Where in the world physicists are appreciated?
2-Where in the world physicists are appreciated not because they can help politicians?

1) Don't ask yourself where in the world, just ask yourself who will appreciate you. Physicists (and most scientists) are imho mostly appreciated by
- other scientists
- other smart people who understand the importance of science

2) Same thing here: there are physicists who work as mercenaries do and sell themselves to the governments for a plethora of purposes (sometimes for evil ones, see nuclear weapon development).

Some physicists are 'forced' to to this because they can't find no other options, but I don't think they are the majority.I think a Physicist shouldn't ask himself who will appreciate him, because the cold truth is that most humans won't and only smarter persons will (wich are the minority).

We want to be physicists because we want to change something and to create new knowledge, because this is the only way to make our race evolve.

Without scientists, without people who loved and pursued science instead of success, the world won't be as technologically advanced as the one we all live in.

I am a different person, I always feel I born in the wrong world and in the wrong time:
I hate the fact that the world is ruled by money: science is only considered when it brings money, this is why lots of potentially revolutionizing NASA missions were canceled and, more generally, why the humans aren't traveling around the galaxy yet.

Think about space exploration: The only missions which are going to be financed are the ones which will bring in money, a lot of. Think about the potential mining of asteroids for metals (a cr*pload of $$$), think about private spaceflight which is developing at a fast rate (again, $$$) and even about the possible 'Hotels on Moon' (even more $$$).

I am not saying that all those missions will actually be done, but in my opinion they are receiving the most attention (just because of the potential massive $$$ return).

Think about a mission about discovering life somewhere else: most people wouldn't care anyway (and no immediate profits are going to be seen).
Welcome to Planet Earth: here we pursue the money and the personal enrichment, while fighting our own brothers.

What if the world was ruled by people like Edward Witten (just to say one name, there are plenty)?

I have the dream that the world will stop being ruled by the money one day and that humanity will stop fighting and pursuing useless things and mere personal success.
The only things which can save our race from an embarassing extinction are science, knowledge and a new view of the world, in which everyone lives to make the world a better place and not just for the personal success. This is the strongest hope I have and the strongest reason for me to stay alive.

 

[aim1732]

Lighten up,people!
There is no need to feel bad about this. Enjoy the disarming beauty of nature and hope to die as loved and rightful people.

 

[ShayanJ]

Hey John I didn't ask that because I want respect.I really wanted to know in which country the important issues are not just political ones.
You know I'm extremely agreed with you.But the way to prevent that to happen is not science.People pursue personal "success"(In the meaning all use)because they think its the only right thing they can do.They think like this because they think the space-time,is the only thing existed.they think human is a smart animal.So the only difference between animals and humans is this that humans gain their requirments through smarter ways than animals.BUT THIS IS EXTREMLY WRONG.They think people live to live.So they devote their lives to keeping themselves alive and healthy.if you ask them why are you living?the things that they say for answer,will mean:to live.whcih is an infinite foolish cycle.
Yes.Its religion which is capable of correcting all these foolishnesses in our world and as I see,there is just a little number of people(maybe less than 1000)in the world that are really believe in the things their religion says.

 

[JohnT89]

So they devote their lives to keeping themselves alive and healthy.if you ask them why are you living?the things that they say for answer,will mean:to live.whcih is an infinite foolish cycle.
Yes.Its religion which is capable of correcting all these foolishnesses in our world and as I see,there is just a little number of people(maybe less than 1000)in the world that are really believe in the things their religion says.

Definitely agree with that.

 

[ShayanJ]

I want to know others' ideas about the things I've said in my last post.

 

[aim1732]

I believe in being good to fellow-beings.Period.