Efficiently Completing Undergrad in Physics: Guide for High School Students

[narayan.rocks]

I am an high school student starting grade 11 this year . I have been interested in physics since class 6 and i have been studying advanced physics since then . IN grade 9 and 10 i have read and solved problems from Resnick,halliday and walker's book ( which i think is a undergrad book isn't it? ) and i completed it .
I learned calculus( integration , differentiation and solving simple differential equations and nothing more) , trigonometry , higher algebra and geometry side by side with physics .

Today i visited a nearby university and took a outline of the BSC(hons) Physics course.
I think i can complete their whole syllabus( except the lab part ) by self study in the next two years of my high school.(my study methods are very efficient and my learning speed is great)
My friend who completed his Bsc(hons) gave his old books to me which consists of
1. Introduction to mechanics Daniel keplenner
2. Griffiths electrodynamics
3. vibrations and waves ap french
4. arfken weber "Mathematical Methods for Physicists"
5. Contemporary optics
6. Enrico fermi thermodynamics
7. Quantum mechanics Chatwal and Anand
8. introduction to real analysis Wiley

Now i have decided to complete their theoritical syllabus in the next two years . and I love physics and math and i am ready to study even 10 hours a day.Guide me on how to proceed and in which order to complete this task.

Another question that i have as in the title of the thread if i manage to complete the syllabus with good amount of problem solving and if i get a good grasp should i still attend 3 years of college or can i get my bachelors in may be 1 year.

 

[Snow-Leopard]

If you want to Replace something then, go this
Griffiths to Purcell (Berkeley Physics Course) for E&M
Enrico to Reif (Berkeley Physics Corse) for Thermodynamics.
And don't go for Analysis, Arfken & Weber is good for Mathematical Methods.

Snow-Leopard.

 

[narayan.rocks]

thanks snow-leopard. but you didnt answer the question about the no.of year i need to attend college

 

[Snow-Leopard]

In India Generally B.Sc Physics course is about 3 years (including Mathematics) and if you want to just do theoretical part without lots of maths then 2 year is perfect. As a outline if you start in APR 2013,
--- to APR'13 complete all Basic Maths, if this already done go for Arfken.
APR'13 to Dec'13, Kleppnar Mechanics [Extra Resnick-Halliday, University Physics & Irodov keep practicing these three books if you want to clear NSEP/APhO in 2013]
Jan'14 to May'14 Purcell E&M.
July'14 to Aug'14 Thermodynamics by Reif.
Sep'14 to Dec'14 Modern Physics by Krane.& Optics.
Jan'15 Start the countdown for IPhO.(do as many Probs in Physics you find)

Never think I going to take NSEP this year so all books must be completed this year, the FOP & UP is also recommended by HBSCE which organise Olympiad in India.

Best Wishes

Snow-Leopard.

 

[narayan.rocks]

No i mean i want to complete the whole syllabus along with math.
Completing math is my priority as i want to pursue a career in mathematical physics.
So i planned on completing Arfken weber in my 11th grade and then do the physics(as much as i can ) in class 12th.
I have IE IRODOV and i have already solved about 200 probs from it.

I am making my question clear about the college years . IF i know the entire syllabus of Bsc(hons) physics is there a way i can complete my bachelors in 1 year may be

 

[ZapperZ]

Another question that i have as in the title of the thread if i manage to complete the syllabus with good amount of problem solving and if i get a good grasp should i still attend 3 years of college or can i get my bachelors in may be 1 year.

1. Where do you intend to go to school? You never mentioned this, and we have no idea which part of the world you are in.

2. Each school has a very clear set of requirements. Here in the US, each school determines the requirement for a degree. Thus, what you may be able to do in one school may not count in another school.

3. There are often ELECTIVES requirement that you must also complete as part of your undergraduate degree. Simply completing what you have listed doesn't necessarily satisfy all of the requirements, and you may need to spend a longer time to do all that.

4. How are you going to show that you have "managed to complete the syllabus"? Many of the higher level courses do not have a way for you to "test out" of them. You simply can't walk up to a class instructor and say "I've done all the problems in the text" and expect to get credit for the class.

Zz.

 

[Travis_King]

Talk with program advisors, but I'll tell you now that almost certainly no university is going to accept your self-study as acceptable criteria for credit.

 

[Choppy]

First, if you've managed to learn each of the topics you've listed as well as you've learned to type... plan on spending a little more time on each of them.

Now for the somewhat more serious advice...

It's great that you want to learn and that you want to learn quickly, but there are no prizes for finishing early. One of the problems with working through things semi-formally like this, is that you have to do it all formally anyway if you want anyone to recognize that you've done the work. As others have said, no school worth its salt is going to give you credit for a course because you say that you've read the book.

Rather, what I would suggest you focus on are the problems that really interest you. Read so that you continue to foster your interest in physics rather than just trying to jump through a set of hoops. And set up your independent learning to help you with the problems you're really interested in. This will help to keep your from burning out as you progress through your formal education.

The other bit of advice is to relax and breathe a little. You're in the 11th grade. I know if I was your age again I certainly wouldn't be spending 10 hours a day studying. I wouldn't avoid studying either - but 10 hours a day is unhealthy.

 

[narayan.rocks]

Ok, Thanks for your replies but the reason why i want to study fast is that i ma really bored with my high school and i want something challenging . So what i have planned is that i will study at my own pace and also attend three years of undergrad . once i get a good grasp of all the things in the syllabus , i will study even more advanced books in my 2nd and 3rd year in undergrad

 

[Travis_King]

Study all you want, learning new things and challenging yourself is great!

But you're not going to rush through school by reading books and doing problems. Go to a university, get involved in research and/or internships, meet professors and advisors, attend seminars that your school may offer, meet other bright minds who may become leaders in they're fields in the future.

University isn't just about paying for a degree.