Is Pursuing a Career in Physics Right for Me?

[Dougggggg]

I'm very early in my Undergraduate degree program. Right now, I'm doing essentially a triple major in Mathematics, Physics, and Secondary Education (Fall back) with a minor in Religious Studies. It is a very large requirement of courses I have to take but that is not my biggest concern. I simply worry about whether or not I'm capable of going further into this stuff.

I am really wanting to do research into Cosmology and truly discover how the world truly started. I, as of now, am of Christian faith, I am on sort of a mission to find the answers for myself almost. If God exists it means a great deal, if God doesn't, then it would change the way I would view things. So this is the answer I search for. I am obsessed with getting into the best Graduate School I can and finding the answers to all these questions.

I am really bright, I have been most of my life but I also have a lot of issues. My IQ was tested by a psychiatrist and was an incredible 175. I also suffer from Manic Depression or Bipolar Disorder and struggle to do well in school. I would be willing to bet I am not the only one who struggles with this within these forums.

Right now my GPA is about 3.77, granted I have just started taking courses for any of my majors this semester. Currently I am in Calculus I, General Chemistry I, General Physics I, Christian Tradition (Junior level Religion course, though only a gen ed), and General Psychology. I had been doing very well in my Physics class and pretty good in my Chem class. Calc was really giving me so much trouble, I really wanted to drop it, but if I did I would have been dropped out of Physics and then went under 12 hours and lost all of my scholarship money. I had my first test for Physics and got a 100 on it. It was for Chapters 1-5. First Chem test, I did ok, got a 92 without studying at all.

I was still doing poorly in Calc, so as of late I have been studying Calc non stop. I have been really catching up quite a bit. I then also realized I had a lot of homework to do for Physics still. I was trying to finish some Chapter 5 homework and I couldn't even get any of the answers right. We start Chapter 9 tomorrow. I am so far behind in Physics now. I have Chemistry homework, as well as 4 lab reports due. All I have done is homework and studying everyday for weeks. I am simply at the lowest level of any of these classes. I am struggling so much to stay on pace. I can't figure out how to get through this Chem homework at all. Plus I have papers coming up for both Chemistry and Christian Tradition within the next week and a half. I am running on amphetamines (not looking for moral or health advice), nicotine, caffeine, and will power. I am slowly running out of all of those resources. I am sleeping maybe 2 to 3 hours a night. Never do anything anymore. I am really starting to worry that if I can't do this now, maybe I am not meant to go on in Physics. This tears me apart. I see nothing else that would give me any feeling of satisfaction or happiness.

Short version is, I do not know whether or not I should continue in Physics if I am falling behind this much early on.

 

[fss]

Why don't you drop Secondary Ed or Religious studies instead? If you really want to do physics, do physics.

 

[debajyoti]

Cosmology is quite an exciting field. Please, don't get it muddled up with religion. I have ruled out all those religious things with the help of the social sciences. How? Do some pondering.

Anyway, it has never been a scientific question if God exists. For, this is an unscientific question. Simply put, the question cannot be answered through scientific investigations. By definition -- ? -- God is a supernatural being. Science works for natural phenomena not for supernatural beliefs.

Even many great and accomplished doers of science overlook this simple thing. They simply do science without realizing what the hell they are really doing. This is PATHETIC.

By the way, if you really want to do some work on Cosmology devote your priceless youth to physics and math. Even though, for physicists math is nothing but a tool you can't proceed with advanced physics without familiarizing yourself with different exotic and esoteric mathematical techniques. Your dissatisfaction with calculus is really a disaster what you'll realize later.

As long as cosmology is concerned there is an awful lot of coding to do. Be aware of that. Spend your time on coding, too.

Wish you All THE BEST!

 

[Null_]

Why do a triple major w/ math if you're not enjoying Calc I?
It sounds like you're killing yourself, maybe major in sec. edu and physics with a minor in rel. studies. You're suffering WAY too much for gen. eds. I'm a freshman in the same classes, and I have yet to get under 7 hours of sleep; I usually get around 8.5. I have other activities to do too, and I've gotten around a 90 (+3,-2 on all of my tests. Seriously, look into time management skills before considering anything else.

 

[hadsed]

You don't need a formal education to investigate all the things you want to in life. The reason you get a degree in anything is just formality; you have to jump through the hoops to prove to people you're apt enough to take on problems that people will pay you for, that's all it is. I agree with the other people in this thread, drop the extra stuff, it's unnecessary. Perhaps math isn't your thing either, though you wouldn't really know until you start proof writing. If you're good at that, then you could probably do well in math.

Just work on getting caught up with the stuff that matters. After that, you just really need to concentrate on a good balance between all your classes based on your strengths and weaknesses. I know you're not looking for health advise but I have to say this anyway: get off the amphetamines and sleep! It could very well be that you're not even absorbing what you potentially could in healthier circumstances because of this insane pressure you're putting your body/mind under.

 

[Dougggggg]

Sorry I am just now responding, I feel like I am actually making a turn in the right direction as far as Calculus is concerned. Also, if I did drop math, it wouldn't do any good, I almost meet a math degree with just stuff for physics anyway. Religious Studies would be something I would touch more near graduation. To debajyoti, when trying to discuss how existence began, I think IF God exists, that is a very big deal in that field.

As of now I'm finishing some Calculus homework, then hopefully getting Physics homework done as well. For both Chem and Physics, I figure now if, even on days I don't have the class, I get 1 assignment done per day. I will be caught up by the beginning of next week. I also got a grade back for Christian Tradition, I managed to get a 91 on on the first test. It was an insanely difficult test but I studied and what not.

I truly appreciate all the advice that was given. I feel much less overwhelmed now after just getting a few things done and then getting a plan to get all my work done.

Edit: Secondary Ed is to assure myself a job even if I don't go on to or finish grad school.

 

[Kevin_Axion]

I'm not sure how Religious studies allows one to understand God more intuitively, God is a distinctive idea amongst each human and true understanding comes from one's will and self-thought. Studying Biblical scriptures is understanding the theological rules, ethics and values,an obvious development of humanity. God is a privilege to some and an illusion to others, it is clear then that God is the creation of one's mind. This isn't a destruction of God or denial, just refuting the idea of a universal God when everyone clearly has their own. Therefore God is created through self-contemplation not the perspectives of others. That's just my observation. and also why I'll most likely never benefit from theology class.

 

[Dougggggg]

I'm not sure how Religious studies allows one to understand God more intuitively, God is a distinctive idea amongst each human and true understanding comes from one's will and self-thought. Studying Biblical scriptures is understanding the theological rules, ethics and values,an obvious development of humanity. God is a privilege to some and an illusion to others, it is clear then that God is the creation of one's mind. This isn't a destruction of God or denial, just refuting the idea of a universal God when everyone clearly has their own. Therefore God is created through self-contemplation not the perspectives of others. That's just my observation. and also why I'll never most likely never benefit from theology class.

2 things. Number 1, the Religious Studies minor is for my own personal understanding. Number 2, to say that God is almost relative to whomever is viewing is a bit of an odd statement. Now, the idea of the characteristics of God may be relative to that person is a true statement. That is also another reason to take such classes. If you have a good enough Biblical understanding of the God of Christianity, then you can see if this matches up with what we see in the world. Not to base my science off of that, but to see if what I see in science can fit that.

 

[Kevin_Axion]

I understand and I'm not trying to argue against your beliefs it's just that I see a God as a concept rather then an entity. Therefore a conceptual deity is an impression of the mind rather than one of reality. Nevermind that, this is about physics not philosophy/theology. This discussion can be continued somewhere else.