Im studying a degree in Physics, now I hate it. Advice please

[jamesa00789]

So I enrolled on a BSc Physics degree 2 years ago. It been fine and interesting...but now I think I have made the wrong decision.

Now doing my first Quantum Mechanics module and Statistical Physics module...and I am finding this really hard to get my head around. When I come to study and revise for my exams, normalising a wave function I'm just thinking...whats the point of this. I hate it. I don't want to do this kind of stuff.

I find physics very interesting but damn, now I'm moving onto the more modern stuff...it's hard, I feel demotivated and generally don't like it. I got 10% in a Quantum test a few weeks ago. Always confused and don't really understand much. I have an exam in 14 days! While I do try and study a lot, I'm doing something I don't really enjoy anymore. I want to do well, but every time I get a bad grade I don't really care about it.

So I am just wondering if this is common or am I really screwed. Anyone else got this? Thank you!

 

[rewebster]

You may or may not 'use' everything you are taught, but knowing it is better than not knowing it.



(that almost sounds like a saying out of a fortune cookie)

 

[cronxeh]

Think of the future, where do you see yourself in 10, 20, 50 years? Do you really want to live in a world where you are an accountant and completely clueless? Physics is not hard, its just hard to explain it to you. Perhaps you should take courses that would provide the background for the subject, and try taking the classes again next year. You don't have to finish a BSc in 3-4 years

 

[Jack21222]

Is it too late to switch to an engineering field? If you liked the more classical physics, perhaps mechanical engineering would be a good match.

 

[Chi Meson]

Is it too late to switch to an engineering field? If you liked the more classical physics, perhaps mechanical engineering would be a good match.

I agree with this assessment. I too hit the wall hard with quantum. I found the concepts fascinating, but the classes never taught the concepts. I looked over my notebooks a few years ago (I graduated in '88) and all I saw were integrals, matrices, and other operations I longer recognize. I did not have the persistence at the time that was required to get through the math, and so I waded through those classes with a 20 or 30% average (and that was, of course a "C").

In retrospect, I might have enjoyed engineering more, since that is (primarily) the application of classical mechanics and themodynamics, something I enjoy thoroughly.

You might consider transferring to a different school; sometimes this facilitates the process where backtracking/retaking classes might be necessary.

It is not worth suffering through something if you don't enjoy it. One of my former students began college as a physics major, but graduated with a BBA and is now finishing a PhD in Business, knocking his classmates out of the way.

Just remember, even making it as far as Quantum means you have more capabilities than most. Take advantage of the upcoming semester or term to take a class in something that calls out to your interest.

I'll be 45 next week. You would NOT BELIEVE how much time you have.

Enjoy college, dammit!

 

[Noxide]

I started doing a biochemistry degree 2 years ago and I absolutely hated it. So, I switched to a physics degree. I never want to work in a biology/microbiology lab ever again. The work is tedious and menial, and most medical breakthroughs are a product of hard work rather than ingenuity. Just talking about it pisses me off.

If you don't like physics because you're not doing well, then that doesn't mean you don't like physics. But, if you just hate it then do something you like. It's your life. Do what you want. If it takes you 20 years to get your undergrad, then that's how long it will take.

 

[tiny-tim]

Welcome to PF!

Hi jamesa00789! Welcome to PF!

So I enrolled on a BSc Physics degree 2 years ago.
…
Now doing my first Quantum Mechanics module and Statistical Physics module...and I am finding this really hard to get my head around. When I come to study and revise for my exams, normalising a wave function I'm just thinking...whats the point of this. I hate it. I don't want to do this kind of stuff.

I find physics very interesting but damn, now I'm moving onto the more modern stuff...it's hard, I feel demotivated and generally don't like it. I got 10% in a Quantum test a few weeks ago. Always confused and don't really understand much. …

Do you find QM too mathematical, or not mathematical (or not rigorous) enough?

 

[comp_math]

Some people get into physics due to flawed perception about the field.

 

[yungman]

I started doing a biochemistry degree 2 years ago and I absolutely hated it. So, I switched to a physics degree. I never want to work in a biology/microbiology lab ever again. The work is tedious and menial, and most medical breakthroughs are a product of hard work rather than ingenuity. Just talking about it pisses me off.

If you don't like physics because you're not doing well, then that doesn't mean you don't like physics. But, if you just hate it then do something you like. It's your life. Do what you want. If it takes you 20 years to get your undergrad, then that's how long it will take.

Take the words right out of my mouth. Big difference between not liking it and not doing well at it. If you don't like it, life is too short, but if you are not good at it, study harder, ask question here.

I switched from Bio-Chem to electronic AFTER I got the 4 year degree!

 

[Noxide]

Take the words right out of my mouth. Big difference between not liking it and not doing well at it. If you don't like it, life is too short, but if you are not good at it, study harder, ask question here.

I switched from Bio-Chem to electronic AFTER I got the 4 year degree!

Ouch that sucks lol.

 

[yungman]

Ouch that sucks lol.

You can look at it suck, but also can look at it is the journey to find my calling! I spent close to 30 years in a successful enough career and now that I am not working, I still have the passion studying everyday on the subject.

People said playing cross word puzzle to keep the mind fresh, how can that compare to Electromagnetics, PDE and antenna design??

Only thing I wish is I should have study more math before. Thats why I have been answering a lot of post here and pretty much repeat this over and over again. If you don't know what you want in your career, study math, more math. PDE, real analysis, complex analysis, probability etc. You won't regret this.

People ask whether I use much math in my career of designing all different kinds of circuits, the answer is not really...BUT, BUT, without the foundation of math, you will have a hard time reading and understanding the upper division books and articles published. Math is the language, all the proof, theory are written in calculus, ODE and PDE etc. I got tripped so many times because of that I decided for once study the math! I got A's and all, but math has never been my calling but it is the necessary evil. You can take this to the bank!

 

[Noxide]

I agree. I've done more math than physics, and my math background has always made physics easier.

 

[Shackleford]

I agree. I've done more math than physics, and my math background has always made physics easier.

That's the way I'm playing it with my Physics BS right now. For my physics courses, I will already have under my belt the prerequisite or requisite math courses for the physics courses, e.g. I just finished an ODE course which is a requisite for the Modern Physics I class I'm taking in the Spring. I will always recommend doing this to anyone.

 

[yungman]

PDE also! All the wave equation, Poisson's equation etc. Wish I had study PDE before Physical Chem those days, it was hard, I got the first in the class by a mile, but I honestly don't understand it. Now My PDE book have something on "Strodenger"( spelling ??) equation!

I am bitting the bullet studying PDE, you see me asking question on Bessel functions lately?!

Take it from me, PDE! My problem is with my age, seems it goes in one side and a lot leak out from the other side! I gone through the derivation of the formulas and few days later when I looked at it again, a lot of time looked forign to me!...My own notes!

 

[kof9595995]

Hi jamesa00789! Welcome to PF!


Do you find QM too mathematical, or not mathematical (or not rigorous) enough?

I found QM not mathematically rigorous enough, which is quite annoying.

 

[jamesa00789]

Thanks for your replies.

I do find the subject interesting. I like to get my mind into problems and like to think about things even about every day life and there is no better subject to get your mind thinking than physics.

Yes QM is very mathematical but, maths is my stronger side so this is not the problem. Relating the numbers and letters on a piece of paper to the real physical situation is my real problem. I have always got through just plugging numbers into equations and coming out with the right answer but not totally understanding the physics beind these equations.

This is probably why I am finding modern physics so hard. And therefore demotivating.

I don't want a career in physics, I'm just doing it because its interesting, something that proves I am an intelligent thinker which will appeal to employers.

 

[tiny-tim]

Hi jamesa00789!

If you're normally good at the maths, why are you getting only 10% on the test?

Are these mostly equation questions on the test, or are they more in the "explain the two-slit experiment" genre?

Anyway, since you seem to be stuck with the next exam, why not show us some questions from the test, and explain why you found them so baffling, and see if anyone here has any tips.

 

[yungman]

Thanks for your replies.

I do find the subject interesting. I like to get my mind into problems and like to think about things even about every day life and there is no better subject to get your mind thinking than physics.

Yes QM is very mathematical but, maths is my stronger side so this is not the problem. Relating the numbers and letters on a piece of paper to the real physical situation is my real problem. I have always got through just plugging numbers into equations and coming out with the right answer but not totally understanding the physics beind these equations.
relating theory to real world is the main problem with people fresh out from college! You should see all the college graduates fail so bad in my interviews, they have no ideas how things relate to the real world.
With the work load of the school, you really don't get to stop and think how it relate to the real world, you just keep on moving, conquering one topic after another. People get A's think they know the subject, they don't! It is more important if you can take the same exame and get a B one year later cold with no preparation. Who can't write down formulas on a cheat sheet. At that the student still don't have any idea of the real world. That was the reason in the other post when someone said he doesn't like to do the lab work, and want to find a job in engineering that only require work in the office!
Like Electromagnetics. The topics boils down to 4 main formulas and two support formulas! It just go round and round and round. You think you understand after finishing the one year course...you barely peel the first layer of the onion! If you get high A's( not just some state U that giving out easy A's!) You might consider peeling 2 layers! You go to grad school then you peel off more layers!. Then you work in this field, after few years, if you are good, then you might start to see a little light.

I have a friend that is a PHD and he is the project director of a big military project involving heavily in electromagnetics. He is the guru of EM. He said to me, try explain why the clouds are white during the day in electromagnetics! If you can, at least you know some of it!

This is probably why I am finding modern physics so hard. And therefore demotivating.
It is hard. I don't even dare to talk about physics, I am electronics engineer geek! I just like EM, antennas, microwave distribute elements and transmission lines!...Just to be a geek! There is nothing easy about it.
I don't want a career in physics, I'm just doing it because its interesting, something that proves I am an intelligent thinker which will appeal to employers.

The most important thing is if you like it, it's worth your while. Ask question here like what I am doing. Learning is a life time thing!

 

[Truecrimson]

Hi jamesa00789. In my opinion, the problem boils down to whether you like more "classical" physics.

When I was in high school, I began to stop reading and doing anything about physics, thus failed every exams very badly, when I didn't understand electromagnetism. The turning point was when I had to calculate the work done by moving a point charge into a collection of other point charges fixed in space with some geometry. I thought like why would I want to do that? Why should these charges float around in space in the first place?

After that I had concentrated on biology, up until my third year in a university when I realized that I couldn't do any work on my own! I'm always theoretically-inclined and everything was alright before the third year, where there're still organic chemistry. But in the third year, when every classes are obviously memorization of facts (and like half of them I already knew e.g. molecular genetics). I realized that I want to be able to think on my own, make precise mathematical model and predict experiments etc. Biology became incredibly hard when I want to really understand it! Given that science in my country is unhealthy, I drop from the university and come to US, majoring in physics and maths. And the most amazing thing is that since then I've never run out of motivation (because there was no reason to presume that I woudn't be bored of physics and maths in the same way that I was with biology.)

Seeing that you want to think, you can always find motivation (e.g. books, literatures, researches etc). It doesn't matter if you can find it before or after the exam. Even better, the meaning of the wave function is still a lively debate today! It's certainly not as silly as my puzzlement over ideal point charges.

But it's possible that you like more "classical" theories. But because I like to think about nature specifically, I like modern theories.

"I am not happy with all the analysis that go with just classical theory, because nature is not classical, dammit" Feynman

Actually, my little molecular biochemistry background made me wanted to go straight to quantum, statistical mechanics and information theory. I tried to read several quantum theory books, but the first serious book that clicked is Dirac's The Principles of Quantum Mechanics. The reasoning in the book is a bit outdated. But it has a peculiar characteristic that even though it's a difficult book, it's the first textbook on quantum theory so Dirac couldn't assume any familiarity to the subject from the readers.

 

[creepypasta13]

OP sounds like me. i enjoyed physics until i took quantum mechanics, and then from there i started regretting doing the physics major, and wished i had just done applied math or mechanical engineering. it wasn't that the math in QM was too hard, its the physics concepts involved that i disliked. My guess is that completing the BS in physics and then getting a MS or phD in mechanical engineering is the best option for me and OP

 

[Ameet Phadnis]

cOMMAN frnd...u are not here to study but re invent ur self. u may fail in this exams ...but from the next sem day 1 take interest in subject ... go to depths on the subject...and i m sure ul be the next einstien...

 

[yungman]

OP sounds like me. i enjoyed physics until i took quantum mechanics, and then from there i started regretting doing the physics major, and wished i had just done applied math or mechanical engineering. it wasn't that the math in QM was too hard, its the physics concepts involved that i disliked. My guess is that completing the BS in physics and then getting a MS or phD in mechanical engineering is the best option for me and OP

Funny I got turned off by QM in P.Chem at the time too. I think is the discrete concept that I could not accept at the time and also the dual nature of electron too.

That is the good thing about physics major particular if you have a strong math background, you can change to other majors like mechanical or electrical engineering easily.

 

[sir_manning]

From my experience, everyone hits the wall at some point, whether it's for academic reasons or otherwise. Maybe you can study harder and get past it - things might start to click again for you if you really work at it. But maybe you'll struggle through it without the enjoyment ever returning, get your BSc, and then avoid physics altogether because of the bad experience you had.

Like others have said, why don't you try out some other subjects? If you're into math, economics might float your boat as well. You'll be ahead of the game too because of all the math you've already done. Or take some history/english classes. Just try something new!

I don't want a career in physics, I'm just doing it because its interesting, something that proves I am an intelligent thinker which will appeal to employers.

There's no rush to graduate, and you're only in 2nd year. If you don't want to do physics for the rest of your life, then slow things down and branch out. It might be the difference between enjoying physics for the rest of your life and never wanting to think about it again.

Anyways, my two cents worth.

 

[magorium]

Well if you cannot understand the Quantum Physics , don't be sorry for that because nobody does :)

Feynman says that , there are lots of Physicists that understood the General Relativity , but not any of Physicists understood Quantum including himself. So don't struggle to understand it :) Of course I'm talking generally. You should understand the Wave Function , Schröedinger's Equation etc... Just it is not easy as classical physics because there are less certain (That's why we call it the Uncertanity right ?) and more abstract mathematics.

 

[sEsposito]

I feel like I should comment on this topic, though I'm kind of in the reverse situation as you (thread starter) are. I'm 2 years into a Forensic Science program at a pretty good school, doing okay. My first year I loved all the subject material, and than things started to go down hill. I went into the program thinking that I'd be studying science. Plain and simple. Turns out, that is not the case and I'm forced to enroll into all kinds of crumby law classes and frankly, studying what seems to be a flawed and ill-respected science.

I had taken a couple of physics courses during my associates program a year prior and loved them, but I was told that to be a physics major wasn't practical and that I'd make no money. Well, I decided to go into "forensics" thinking there was a more real application and by the second year I've discovered that I hate biology and that I missed Math and Physics. These are two very bad things for me to agonize over so, over the past few weeks I've decided to complete my spring semester and than in the fall transfer schools to a place where I can study physics. I've got a few supporters and many nay sayers thus far, but at this point, I don't care because I'm miserable studying "forensics". So what I can say is that if you're not happy, your grades are suffering and you feel you want to study something else, do it before it's too late. Make the jump to a field that you might like better ASAP -- It's in your best interest. Just my thoughts from the other side. Good luck.