How would you go about studying physics outside of university?

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Pursuing a career in physics requires a solid educational foundation, typically necessitating a degree in the field. If the pace of university classes is overwhelming, it's essential to identify the underlying issues affecting performance. This may involve assessing preparedness and seeking academic support, such as counseling or advising services available at the university. If the traditional format of physics education is unappealing, exploring alternative learning environments, like community colleges, could be beneficial. Ultimately, determining the desire to work in physics versus a mere interest in the subject is crucial for guiding the educational approach.
Jaccobtw
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I think I want to pursue physics, but I can't seem to keep up with the pace of a university class. I also don't like the format. How would you go about doing this?
 
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If my goal was to become a physicist then I would say that I am not good enough for the profession. As for not liking the format then that's my problem. Now If I could not live with that prospect I might look a little deeper into my problems to see why I cannot keep up. If it is because I was not as prepared as I should have been then remedying the deficiencies would be my goal and then give it a go. I would suck up the issue with the format for if that's what it takes then that is what I will do.

How bad do you want it?
 
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Jaccobtw said:
I think I want to pursue physics, but I can't seem to keep up with the pace of a university class.
What do you mean by "pursue phyiscs"? Do you want to eventually work in a physics-related professional job? Or are you just interested in the knowledge that studying physics brings?

If you want to work in the field, you will need some level of school degree in physics. You will not earn that by studying physics on your own. If your goal is to work in physics, I agree with @gleem that you should figure out what is blocking you from doing better at university, and work on fixing those issues.

If you are at university now, do they offer academic counseling? If so, that can be a very helpful way to get started in figuring out what to change/improve going forward. If you have an academic advisor, he/she can also be a helpful resource for this process.
 
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Jaccobtw said:
I think I want to pursue physics, but I can't seem to keep up with the pace of a university class. I also don't like the format. How would you go about doing this?
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Try studying at a community college? Decide if you like or do not like the "format" of Physics study. If you really do not like the format, then maybe you do not like the formal study of Physics. How would you prefer each course to be formatted?
 
Hey, I am Andreas from Germany. I am currently 35 years old and I want to relearn math and physics. This is not one of these regular questions when it comes to this matter. So... I am very realistic about it. I know that there are severe contraints when it comes to selfstudy compared to a regular school and/or university (structure, peers, teachers, learning groups, tests, access to papers and so on) . I will never get a job in this field and I will never be taken serious by "real"...
Yesterday, 9/5/2025, when I was surfing, I found an article The Schwarzschild solution contains three problems, which can be easily solved - Journal of King Saud University - Science ABUNDANCE ESTIMATION IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT https://jksus.org/the-schwarzschild-solution-contains-three-problems-which-can-be-easily-solved/ that has the derivation of a line element as a corrected version of the Schwarzschild solution to Einstein’s field equation. This article's date received is 2022-11-15...

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