Contemplating dropping out of physics degree due to poor math

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a participant's struggle with calculus, specifically Calc II, and their contemplation of switching majors from physics due to this challenge. The conversation explores the relationship between mathematics and physics education, particularly focusing on the importance of mastering calculus for further studies in physics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a strong passion for physics but feels hindered by difficulties in Calc II, particularly with infinite series and topics following integration.
  • Another participant suggests that the individual should focus on the specific areas of difficulty in Calc II and encourages them to work through those challenges.
  • A different participant shares their own experience of overcoming early struggles in math to achieve success later, implying that initial setbacks should not deter one from pursuing physics.
  • Some participants discuss the content typically covered in Calc II, including integration techniques and series convergence tests, questioning the teaching methods and curriculum.
  • One participant recommends studying Taylor series before retaking Calc II to better understand the application of series.
  • Another participant mentions the importance of collaboration with peers to address specific mathematical difficulties.
  • There is a suggestion that Calc II is not merely a hurdle but essential for understanding advanced physics concepts, such as Maxwell's equations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the challenges of Calc II and its relevance to physics. While some encourage perseverance and emphasize the importance of mastering the material, others question the teaching methods and express confusion about the curriculum. No consensus is reached regarding the best approach to overcoming the difficulties associated with Calc II.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight various aspects of Calc II, including the focus on series and integration techniques, but there is no agreement on the effectiveness of the teaching methods or the specific challenges faced by the original poster.

MillerGenuine
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In need of a little help/guidance.

I have an enormous passion for physics. I took an introductory physics course my 1st semester at a community college, I enjoyed it so much I decided to start my math all over so I could build a good foundation. I started with intermediate algebra, then trig, pre-calc, calc I, then calc II. I passed every one of those classes with an "A"...accept calc II. I received a "D" in calc II, took it over again and dropped it about 6 weeks in. In honesty, I can say that the 1st time i took it I sincerely put effort in, the 2nd time I dropped it cause i was lazy, discouraged and was not putting the necessary time and commitment in.

I took calc based mechanics and did fine, loved the class, loved studying it. As you know calc based ElectroMag requires Calc II as pre-requisite, so i have not gotten there yet. I am now done with community college & transfering to a UC as a Physics major, however I am seriously considering switching majors because of the road block of Calc II.

To be specific, I had no trouble with integration, my troubles came from infinite series and topics after integration.

I love physics, I am stuck in a Calc II roadblock, I put no effort into academics in High School so suffice to say I've only been seriously studying math/physics the past 2 years at community college. How can you tell if your cut out for a physics major?
Thanks
 
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I don't know how anyone could tell whether they are cut out for something unless they gave it a shot. It seems to me that you know what your problem is, you know the specific section of calc II. Why not get to work on that?
 
I got a D on an early stage maths course that I put effort into, but nothing but As and Bs after that, all the way to a good physics degree. As you have an "enormous passion for physics" don't let a little blip like this stop you. By the way, what was your problem with infinite series and 'topics after integration'?
 
MillerGenuine said:
In need of a little help/guidance.

I have an enormous passion for physics. I took an introductory physics course my 1st semester at a community college, I enjoyed it so much I decided to start my math all over so I could build a good foundation. I started with intermediate algebra, then trig, pre-calc, calc I, then calc II. I passed every one of those classes with an "A"...accept calc II. I received a "D" in calc II, took it over again and dropped it about 6 weeks in. In honesty, I can say that the 1st time i took it I sincerely put effort in, the 2nd time I dropped it cause i was lazy, discouraged and was not putting the necessary time and commitment in.

I took calc based mechanics and did fine, loved the class, loved studying it. As you know calc based ElectroMag requires Calc II as pre-requisite, so i have not gotten there yet. I am now done with community college & transfering to a UC as a Physics major, however I am seriously considering switching majors because of the road block of Calc II.

To be specific, I had no trouble with integration, my troubles came from infinite series and topics after integration.

I love physics, I am stuck in a Calc II roadblock, I put no effort into academics in High School so suffice to say I've only been seriously studying math/physics the past 2 years at community college. How can you tell if your cut out for a physics major?
Thanks

I didn't pass calc I or II the first time around and last semester I got an A in partial differential equations; those series will be fairly important later in your physics courses so just buckle down and take the class again.
 
MillerGenuine said:
I took calc based mechanics and did fine, loved the class, loved studying it. As you know calc based ElectroMag requires Calc II as pre-requisite, so i have not gotten there yet.
Calc II is not just another mathematical hoop that people are making you jump through for no reason. To see why, just compare Newton's laws of motion with Maxwell's equations.

Nobody here can tell you whether or not Calc II really is "impossible" for you. What we can tell you is that if you seriously want to go further in physics, you will have to get your head around it one way or another. You don't have to enjoy it, but you have to be able to do it.
 
I'm an ee but I am sure we apply a lot of the same math topics. Well we do a wlot of Fourier analysis and especially the discrete Fourier transform. This requires a lot of the infinite series and of course integration. I actually feel like for me calc 2 (along with linear algebra) is the most important math class I have taken.
 
Mabe you are being turned off by infinite series cause the do all those convergence tests in calc 2. You should study Taylor series before you take calc 2 again. That way you will see where series are applied.
 
This is puzzling. What are they teaching you in Calc 2? It is typically the introduction to Integrals, and more specifically Riemann Integrals.
 
MillerGenuine said:
In need of a little help/guidance.

I have an enormous passion for physics. I took an introductory physics course my 1st semester at a community college, I enjoyed it so much I decided to start my math all over so I could build a good foundation. I started with intermediate algebra, then trig, pre-calc, calc I, then calc II. I passed every one of those classes with an "A"...accept calc II. I received a "D" in calc II, took it over again and dropped it about 6 weeks in. In honesty, I can say that the 1st time i took it I sincerely put effort in, the 2nd time I dropped it cause i was lazy, discouraged and was not putting the necessary time and commitment in.

I took calc based mechanics and did fine, loved the class, loved studying it. As you know calc based ElectroMag requires Calc II as pre-requisite, so i have not gotten there yet. I am now done with community college & transfering to a UC as a Physics major, however I am seriously considering switching majors because of the road block of Calc II.

To be specific, I had no trouble with integration, my troubles came from infinite series and topics after integration.

I love physics, I am stuck in a Calc II roadblock, I put no effort into academics in High School so suffice to say I've only been seriously studying math/physics the past 2 years at community college. How can you tell if your cut out for a physics major?
Thanks

Were you having issues with the convergence/divergence tests, or was it with constructing the Taylor/Maclaurin polynomials? I had more trouble with the former, but some extra practice helped a great deal. Try to get together with someone who understands the topics with which you're having difficulty and see if they'll go through some problems with you.
 
  • #10
Pyrrhus said:
This is puzzling. What are they teaching you in Calc 2? It is typically the introduction to Integrals, and more specifically Riemann Integrals.

In the US calc 2 is usually intro to integral techniques, than introduction to series with tests for convergence and divergence, in the middle there is some geometric analysis (I forgot what it was actually called).
 
  • #11
clope023 said:
In the US calc 2 is usually intro to integral techniques, than introduction to series with tests for convergence and divergence, in the middle there is some geometric analysis (I forgot what it was actually called).

polar functions and conic sections.
 
  • #12
clope023 said:
In the US calc 2 is usually intro to integral techniques, than introduction to series with tests for convergence and divergence, in the middle there is some geometric analysis (I forgot what it was actually called).

Canadian universities also give an intro to first order DEs (separable eqs, euler's method).

The prof explained that calc II used to be just integrals, but the 'client departments' (i.e. biology, chemistry, etc.) wanted their students to know a bit about series' and DEs, but didn't want to make them take full upper level courses in them because they didn't need to know quite *that much* about them.
 
  • #13
zif. said:
Canadian universities also give an intro to first order DEs (separable eqs, euler's method).

The prof explained that calc II used to be just integrals, but the 'client departments' (i.e. biology, chemistry, etc.) wanted their students to know a bit about series' and DEs, but didn't want to make them take full upper level courses in them because they didn't need to know quite *that much* about them.

So that's why calculus texts usually have a chapter on ode's.

Yeah, they spend too much time on those convergence tests. They should breeze over that and focus more on series expansions to represent functions.
 
  • #14
MillerGenuine said:
my troubles came from infinite series...

Banner covers convergence tests really well:

http://press.princeton.edu/video/banner/
 

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