- #1
hitmeoff
- 261
- 1
For some reason, this academic has really made me realize that I love what I'm studying and I'm learning what I want to learn.
I'm truly enjoying my Abstract Algebra, Analysis and Classical Mechanics class. I don't think it was the contents of courses necessarily, I tried to take the above math classes a year ago, and I took sophomore level modern physics also last year, but I dropped my math classes and only mediocre in my physics classes, for reasons various personal reasons.
The point being, this quarter, not only do I feel very sure of my choice of majors but I feel like I am truly now learning to become a REAL Mathematician/Physicist. The the other I was here on PF and I read a post, can't remember if it was Mathwonk or Two-Fish Quant or maybe one of the other Contributors, but one of them said something that resonated with me, to paraphrase:
"You don't go earn a PhD and then become a Physicist, you become a Physicist and then go get your PhD."
Maybe I'm thinking to deeply, but I don't think the post meant: "go get a job in your major field and then go do your PhD." Though I am aware that a lot of people do exactly that, get work experience and go back. I think was meant is, a mental state, where you know that this is what you are: a Physicist, that's you're identity.
So at what point can you rightly call yourself a physicist? When you graduate with your B.S.? When you get work experience as a scientist? When you know that learning about the world around you is your primary drive in life?
What do you all think?
I'm truly enjoying my Abstract Algebra, Analysis and Classical Mechanics class. I don't think it was the contents of courses necessarily, I tried to take the above math classes a year ago, and I took sophomore level modern physics also last year, but I dropped my math classes and only mediocre in my physics classes, for reasons various personal reasons.
The point being, this quarter, not only do I feel very sure of my choice of majors but I feel like I am truly now learning to become a REAL Mathematician/Physicist. The the other I was here on PF and I read a post, can't remember if it was Mathwonk or Two-Fish Quant or maybe one of the other Contributors, but one of them said something that resonated with me, to paraphrase:
"You don't go earn a PhD and then become a Physicist, you become a Physicist and then go get your PhD."
Maybe I'm thinking to deeply, but I don't think the post meant: "go get a job in your major field and then go do your PhD." Though I am aware that a lot of people do exactly that, get work experience and go back. I think was meant is, a mental state, where you know that this is what you are: a Physicist, that's you're identity.
So at what point can you rightly call yourself a physicist? When you graduate with your B.S.? When you get work experience as a scientist? When you know that learning about the world around you is your primary drive in life?
What do you all think?