V50 beat me to it.
In your graduate application, you want to present an accurate picture of yourself and your circumstances. It might come across better if you state these things in more concrete terms though. The term "full time" can mean different things to different people.
For example if someone tells me they are a "full time" physics student, in the absence of any other information I tend to assume they are taking about 15 - 18 credit-hours worth of courses each semester. As a rule of thumb, successful students will spend at least two hours outside of their classes for every hour within, so you're looking at about 45 - 54 dedicated study hours. If someone tells me they are working "full time" in the absence of any other information I tend to assume they are working about 40 hours per week at that job (and not studying while doing it). If on top of that you claim you are making a significant contribution to a research project as an undergraduate, in the absence of other information I would assume you're contributing about 9-12 hours per week to it.
This sets my BS meter off.
While physically possible, and I have known people who have done this, I also start to wonder about things like how well this person takes care of themselves. What do they do for exercise, recreation, or down time? Do they get enough sleep? Do they have healthy relationships with other people? Or, are they a burnout (or worse) waiting to happen? In my experience when I've seen people working and studying full time like this, it doesn't last long and it can come with some very negative consequences. So if I were reading something like this on an application, indeed, it will raise some flags.
ricky33 said:
Does it make it sound bad if I mention that I passed all my physics classes with high rankings without attending any class nor watching lectures? Only by reading on my own and doing the exams.
Yes.
While everyone has their own methods for studying, and independence can be a good thing, do you really want your application to come across like, "If I get into your program, I'm not going to bother coming to lectures. I don't actually need you to teach me anything?"
ricky33 said:
I mean some of the most important skills for a PhD are time management and being able to work independently along with handling a lot of work.
Sure. But those aren't the only skills you'll need. You'll also have to work collaboratively as a member of a team, be able to manage a project, and quite likely you'll face situations where the project doesn't go as planned and you'll have to adapt on the fly.
