Rate My Physics and Math Work: 17-Year-Old Asks for Feedback

[Cyrus]

Im not familiar with that book, but of these books how much of them did you actually read.

 

[ElNino]

My intro I did with Nelkon and Parker; Resnick and Hlliday...Vibrations I used a book called "The Physics of Vibrations and Waves" by HJ Pain...

 

[Cyrus]

How much of these book did you actually read?

 

[ElNino]

I've read a lot of it...I've worked out all the problems as well. There's a book I bought along with it by the same author that has supplementary problems and stuff so I have done I would say about 40% of the problems in that book and all of the ones in the text itself. I READ al of it I make it a point not to skip anything. In the textbook I'd say I've covered almost all of the topics. There are a couple I still have to do but the ones I have covered I have read everything that is there in the book...

 

[leright]

How much of these book did you actually read?

Or rather, of the pages he read, how many of them did he completely understand?


If you truly know all of the things you say you know, then you make me feel quite stupid, and I am a senior double major in electrical engineering and physics.

You're 17. Put down that differential geometry book and go outside. :)

 

[leright]

I've read a lot of it...I've worked out all the problems as well. There's a book I bought along with it by the same author that has supplementary problems and stuff so I have done I would say about 40% of the problems in that book and all of the ones in the text itself. I READ al of it I make it a point not to skip anything. In the textbook I'd say I've covered almost all of the topics. There are a couple I still have to do but the ones I have covered I have read everything that is there in the book...

Do you go to school? How many hours outside of school do you spend studying independently? Don't you have homework for school to do? If you want to go to a great university you need very good grades.

 

[ElNino]

I believe I completely understand all of what I read because I don't like to move on to new topics unless I do.

and you know what I think that's the best advice I've so far! :D I think I'm going to play some frisbee...hehe!

 

[ElNino]

Yeah I go to school. Well I keep my grades up. Its just I have blips now and then because I find it more interesting to spend time on this but I'm still top of my class or there abouts. I have never really found it hard to finish my school work. I spend I'd say maybe 4 or 5 hours a day. But I take days off in teh middle. Weekends I do a lot more. Possibly 16 hours or more over the weekends...

 

[leright]

I can't wrap my head around a 17 year old studying differential geometry...no offense, but I am having some difficulty taking you seriously. Either you're the next Terrence Tao or you're pulling some kind of a prank.

 

[leright]

Yeah I go to school. Well I keep my grades up. Its just I have blips now and then because I find it more interesting to spend time on this but I'm still top of my class or there abouts. I have never really found it hard to finish my school work. I spend I'd say maybe 4 or 5 hours a day. But I take days off in teh middle. Weekends I do a lot more. Possibly 16 hours or more over the weekends...

That seems like very little time, to be honest. I don't know how you could go through all of that stuff in such a short time.

 

[ElNino]

Ok. Well I also do a lot of studying IN school. Pretty much all of my Math and Physics classes my professors don't mind me working on this stuff. My parents spoke to my teachers so they said that they were ok with this as long as I kept my grades up and I took their tests.

 

[ElNino]

Anyway I think I've got what I needed from this. Thanks a lot honestly! I didn't mean to offend anyone so if I did I apologize. I hope you would believe me but even if you don't maybe we'll meet in a few years and I can show you! :P

Anyway thanks again you guys needn't reply anymore

 

[ElNino]

OHH! and by the way...I noticed some of you guys said "he"...Well I know my nick translates to "little boy" but I'm a girl so yeah... "she"

 

[awvvu]

OHH! and by the way...I noticed some of you guys said "he"...Well I know my nick translates to "little boy" but I'm a girl so yeah... "she"

a double whammy!

 

[Math Is Hard]

Shouldn't you be La Nina?

 

[ElNino]

Yeah but a friend of mine kind of bullied my into it! Its alright I kind of like ElNino for a girl...Next time LaNina for sure!

 

[RonL]

Anyway I think I've got what I needed from this. Thanks a lot honestly! I didn't mean to offend anyone so if I did I apologize. I hope you would believe me but even if you don't maybe we'll meet in a few years and I can show you! :P

Anyway thanks again you guys needn't reply anymore

I think you should really consider what i said, it wasn't about book smart, or gender, and if you had to show up for work with everyone that replied to this thread, you would be in for "one hell of a day", unless you are "really" good looking. Even that might not work for you.

 

[mobe]

Very funny, the way you say it. But maybe true.

 

[Cyrus]

You sound like a smart girl. Talk to a professor at a local university or college. See what he or she has to say about your understanding of what you have read. If you are as good as you say you are, I would not waste my time in high school. Go to college, and take classes there. Theres no reason to be held back in high school if you are this smart.

 

[mobe]

That is right. There is a kid in my school working on an MS without having a high school diploma and BS degree.

 

[cristo]

If you truly know all of the things you say you know, then you make me feel quite stupid, and I am a senior double major in electrical engineering and physics.

This is a clear sign of the jealousy that's been shown in this thread. You've obviously never known someone who is far more intelligent than yourself, and thus see this as a threat and so rather than encouraging ElNino, you're just trying to throw your credentials around (something we could all do, if we felt like it!)


ElNino, the last post by Cyrus is good advice: talk to someone at a local university. Most departments have outreach staff, or admissions tutors, who would be happy to talk to you.

 

[leright]

This is a clear sign of the jealousy that's been shown in this thread. You've obviously never known someone who is far more intelligent than yourself, and thus see this as a threat and so rather than encouraging ElNino, you're just trying to throw your credentials around (something we could all do, if we felt like it!)


ElNino, the last post by Cyrus is good advice: talk to someone at a local university. Most departments have outreach staff, or admissions tutors, who would be happy to talk to you.

Cristo, I'm not jealous. I am just pointing out that she knows far more than a senior physics/EE major and that's great.

ElNino, don't take offense to my comments. I think it's great that you're going out of the way to learn all of this stuff as a high school student. Yeah, I would definitely contact a professor.

 

[qspeechc]

There's a guy in my year like you ElNino, he knows all this advanced stuff, 3rd year level stuff, maybe higher, but he still has to go through every year like the rest of us. I don't know if it's the same for America though.

 

[Darkiekurdo]

That's not good at all. I'm 15 and I've done more than you. Shame on you.

 

[ElNino]

Hey guys...I spoke to an admissions counselor today who basically said that if should focus on getting my work first reviewed and then certified by someone outside my school. Perhaps contact a university professor who has the time to go through my work. The counselor went through a lot of it as well. But he wasnt too into Physics...

He said that if I can get it certified and then get a review of my work by a certified professor I could submit these materials to a university and apply for special case admissions or something. He said that some universities don't actually need to me get a GED or equivalent to apply. And if I finish my SATs in the next few months I could enroll in college sometime this year rather than wait till the end of 2009...

Anyway thank you guys. I am quite surprised. Big change in my life if all goes according to plan! Anyway thank you SO much...just thought I'd let you guys know how it turned out!

 

[bravernix]

That's great! I would hate to see school get in the way of your education. :)

 

[Cyrus]

Hey guys...I spoke to an admissions counselor today who basically said that if should focus on getting my work first reviewed and then certified by someone outside my school. Perhaps contact a university professor who has the time to go through my work. The counselor went through a lot of it as well. But he wasnt too into Physics...

He said that if I can get it certified and then get a review of my work by a certified professor I could submit these materials to a university and apply for special case admissions or something. He said that some universities don't actually need to me get a GED or equivalent to apply. And if I finish my SATs in the next few months I could enroll in college sometime this year rather than wait till the end of 2009...

Anyway thank you guys. I am quite surprised. Big change in my life if all goes according to plan! Anyway thank you SO much...just thought I'd let you guys know how it turned out!

When you write a textbook, I want it to say:

"Dedicated to Cyrus"

on the cover.

 

[Moonbear]

Sometimes high schools will allow students to take college-level courses to count toward their high school graduation requirements, and they'll also count toward their college coursework too. A person in my schools as a kid did that...he was "the kid" in our high school classes (several years younger than the rest of us) and when the school ran out of math classes for him, they enrolled him in classes at the local university, even provided transportation for him).

Here's the downside, and the reason I earlier mentioned the neglect of your other classes...he ended up majoring in physics at Princeton, and in his senior year, realized how much he HATED the subject. He was great at it, but hated it. Go figure...the subject you enjoy in high school may not be the one you enjoy later in life, even if you're great at it. He ended up getting a Ph.D. in linguistics, and was MUCH happier.

So, while these are the subjects you enjoy now, I caution you again not to shortchange yourself in your other subjects...you never know how your interests might change in the future.

 

[carstensentyl]

I don't recognize many of the concepts presented above. Except of course, the basic physics-with-calculus concepts. I'm certain the rest will be touched on later in my curriculum.

Don't things like relativity belong more in a physics setting, though?

 

[Cyrus]

Is it bad that I'm a junior in engineering and don't know half the **** that he listed?

Seriously, yes it is. And its not a he, its a she.