Impatient Teen Engineer and Physicist

[taylaron]

for someone who is interested in getting a masters in Electrical Engineering and a masters or PhD physicist who is still in their teens and in high school;
what do you recommend they spend their time doing besides strengthening teamwork skills?

• 
  *they've got 5+ years till they should really think about physics practically
  *too un-educated and poor to be doing anything important in EE
  
  its an issue of spending your free time wisely. should they:
  learning to program (visual basic, C++, Basic Stamp, etc...)
  construction skills (wood, metal, plastics)
  other?some suggestions on what they should do regarding their time would be great. using their time widely is the whole question.

 

[berkeman]

** Honors math program

** Honors science track (physics chemistry)

** Learning to program some is good (Java, Perl, C, etc.)

** Does your high school have academic clubs, like a Physics Club, etc.?

** Get the book, "The Art of Electronics" by Horowitz and Hill, and read it cover-to-cover

** Start putting together electronics kits, and work at understanding how they work:

http://www.transeltech.com/kits/kits1.html


.

 

[Asphodel]

Horowitz & Hill is an evil, evil book that is in severe need of a little judicious revision for clarity. But it's a good reference if you already know what everything is. And unfortunately, there aren't any really great alternatives (at least, not that I'm aware of).

 

[Cyrus]

for someone who is interested in getting a masters in Electrical Engineering and a masters or PhD physicist who is still in their teens and in high school;
what do you recommend they spend their time doing besides strengthening teamwork skills?

• 
  *they've got 5+ years till they should really think about physics practically
  *too un-educated and poor to be doing anything important in EE
  
  its an issue of spending your free time wisely. should they:
  learning to program (visual basic, C++, Basic Stamp, etc...)
  construction skills (wood, metal, plastics)
  other?
  
  
  some suggestions on what they should do regarding their time would be great. using their time widely is the whole question.

• 
  
  Spend this time to enjoy life and find out exactly what reallyyyy interestes you before you go off and start college.

 

[ekrim]

Look up the various aspects of your intended major(s). Search course descriptions and curriculum's at universities. Read around on forums, and see what interests you. Look into said interests and get a feel for the majors.

** Get the book, "The Art of Electronics" by Horowitz and Hill, and read it cover-to-cover

I recently bought this book on one of your earlier suggestions, and not a moment too soon. Who would have thought my mechanical thesis would be 98% op-amps, signals, noise, etc...

 

[Integral]

Math, you can't get enough Math.

 

[Asphodel]

Math, you can't get enough Math.

You would say that.

Still, it's good stuff.

 

[taylaron]

Thanks, I'll check out that book

about the Ms. or PhD. degree in physics,
if someone is interested in quantum physics, experimental physics, partial accelerators (interested in working for CERN) and is fascinated with space technology and astronomy and exploration. NOVA's string theory episode really 'turns him on' haha
what do you suggest he get a sub-degree in? if that is possible with this mild description.

heck, physics is what brought him to this forum...

i know there is experimental and theoretical physics which have a variety of sub-degrees but he is interested in both (wants to do experiments on theories...) although my perception of these types is probably off. any further explanation?

he sees life very simply and thinks that something new needs to be developed that is suitable for today's modern world. the wheel, wing, and combustion engine are old...
(not to go off on that or anything in this thread) its merely an opinion

he started leaning to program a Basic stamp around 10 years old. knows the basics and immediate recognized a stamp system at a EE college tour. he was like; hey! i know that!
planning to learn C++ this summer and visual basic after
one goal before college is over is to build a CNC mill for metal and wood working.

Highest expectations of himself and others, a perfectionist, scientist, electrical engineer, heavy duty artist.
(good set of skills do you not agree?)


thank you for your input. any other books you would suggest?
Basic stamp, C++, visual basic, HTML are base programing languages that could and will probably be used in the future. any other major possibilities for this sort of degree selection?
Thanks

 

[mgiddy911]

I have 3 years of java experience and am now working with Basic Stamp for an internship.. talk about a downgrade ! However I feel so much more comfortable having had prior programing experience. Programing is a must have skill!

 

[ice109]

do the home projects, do lots of them. i coasted through freshman sophmore physics classes based on physical intuition alone that i got from building stuff as a kid. my peers who, for the most part, didn't, struggled. even the mathematically mature ones had difficulties. but still i wish i spent more time doing math. keep in mind I'm not EE I'm physics.

 

[Feldoh]

Play around with electronics, it's fun and you'll learn something.

 

[taylaron]

Play around with electronics, it's fun and you'll learn something.

kind of hard not to =p. his father is a EE.

I have 3 years of java experience and am now working with Basic Stamp for an internship.. talk about a downgrade ! However I feel so much more comfortable having had prior programing experience. Programing is a must have skill!

i'll put java on the list. previous experience sure must come in handy. haha, coasting is good.