How Can I Prepare for Physics Before Starting My Electrical Engineering Program?

  • Context: Schools 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Donello
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    College
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around how to prepare for physics before starting an Electrical Engineering program, particularly for someone who has not engaged with college-level material for an extended period. The focus includes recommendations for study materials and the necessity of prior physics knowledge.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses uncertainty about how to prepare for physics after a long break from academic study and seeks book recommendations suitable for a beginner.
  • Another participant suggests a free online physics course offered by Georgia Tech as a potential resource.
  • A different participant questions the urgency of needing physics skills before college, noting that many students start without prior physics experience.
  • Some participants recommend introductory physics books, such as "Physics" by H&K, highlighting that these texts are generally clear and not heavily calculus-based initially.
  • There is a mention that some calculus-based physics courses may require prior knowledge of physics, which could put students at a disadvantage if they lack that background.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the necessity of preparing for physics before starting college. While some believe it is beneficial to study beforehand, others argue that it is not essential as many students begin their courses without prior physics knowledge.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the level of prior knowledge required for different physics courses remain unresolved, as well as the specific needs of the participant based on their future coursework.

Donello
Messages
16
Reaction score
3
Hi,

It has been 2 and a half years since I touched a college-level book and that was due to certain circumstances. However, In October/2016 I am starting my Electrical Engineering program and honestly I have no clue where to start now.

To get a good refreshment for my brain regarding the Math, I have just bought "Pre-Calculus Demystified 2nd edition" By Rhonda Huettenmueller. And where I live now there is a course for Mathematics called "The Bridge course" which is offered by a union of Technical universities among Germany. So pretty much the Math issue is no longer an issue for me as I will get over it pretty soon.

The university also recommends some programming experience although it is not a must, for that matter I got the book "Python Programming: An introduction to Computer Science 2nd edition by John Zelle".

So I could manage it with Math and Intro-Programming but I am clueless about what to do with Physics !

I have almost a year before enrolling and want to fix my Physics-Situation as much and as soon as possible.

Could you please advise and recommend a book taking my Physics-zero skills into consideration ?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Donello said:
Hi,

It has been 2 and a half years since I touched a college-level book and that was due to certain circumstances. However, In October/2016 I am starting my Electrical Engineering program and honestly I have no clue where to start now.

To get a good refreshment for my brain regarding the Math, I have just bought "Pre-Calculus Demystified 2nd edition" By Rhonda Huettenmueller. And where I live now there is a course for Mathematics called "The Bridge course" which is offered by a union of Technical universities among Germany. So pretty much the Math issue is no longer an issue for me as I will get over it pretty soon.

The university also recommends some programming experience although it is not a must, for that matter I got the book "Python Programming: An introduction to Computer Science 2nd edition by John Zelle".

So I could manage it with Math and Intro-Programming but I am clueless about what to do with Physics !

I have almost a year before enrolling and want to fix my Physics-Situation as much and as soon as possible.

Could you please advise and recommend a book taking my Physics-zero skills into consideration ?

Why do you need physics skills at the moment? When you take the first series in college it is assumed most students have never taken a physics class before.

There's nothing wrong with studying up on it before hand, I just don't see it as a "situation that needs fixing" as you put it.

A good intro book is Physics by H&K. Generally clear, and not too much calculus right away since you're still dealing with pre-calculus. You might even want to use an algebra based book instead.
 
Student100 said:
Why do you need physics skills at the moment? When you take the first series in college it is assumed most students have never taken a physics class before.

That really depends on where one is. There are a number of calc based physics courses out there where one will be at a significant disadvantage without having had high school physics or the equivalent.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
4K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Replies
4
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K