My regrets studying physics
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- čas přidán 11. 01. 2018
- In hindsight I would try to take even more computer science courses and to focus my learning on understanding rather than passing exams. However I would have had to make other sacrifices to achieve these things.
My regrets studying mathematics: • My regrets studying ma...
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i have always stuck to 3 courses a day .
Breakfast lunch and dinner
I really like your attitude on physics. I am also a physics student but I feel like the teaching and method of teaching is kind of wrong. I feel like basically everything they teach on college level physics doesn't help on deep understanding of physics. Professors just crank everything up with superficial mathematical derivations without teaching the deep connection among all of these fields. If you want to have a true understanding of physics and enjoy the beauty of it. You have to spend a tons of time thinking outside of the class. Especially with quantum mechanics, at the beginning of the quantum mechanics lecture, my professor just quoted the famous saying from feynman if you think you understand quantum mechanics then you don't understand it. Then following a bunch of mathematics calculation without teaching the true meaning behind those math formula. Basically, I learn little from my professors more from myself maybe some from TA and mostly from various sources like online articles and videos. Quite disturbing.
There are two free course on Coursera through Princeton called Data Structures and Algorithms I and II. They're supposed to take 6 weeks each, but you can do it at you're own pace, it would probably take you double that at 10 hours a week, but with that you'll know enough to code up your own physics simulations or whatever you want. Learn that and the content of the book Concrete Mathematics which you can find online for free, and you'll be a stronger computer scientist than probably 75% of CS grads. I'm a CS grad debating whether to do a graduate degree in Physics, so kind of coming at it from the opposite angle. :)
I regret that I did not study Physics...
As a recent EE/applied math graduate starting a PhD in electromagnetics, I can confirm that the "memorize and cram" technique leads to higher grades, while the "genuine understanding" method gives better insights. I spent inordinate amounts of time trying to really figure out the finer points of what I studied (particularly in my math and physics courses), but as a result would occasionally run short on time when the workload got heavy. Conversely, a good deal of friends just pounded whatever was going to be tested into their heads as fast as possible, and would regularly have higher scores than me. After a semester or two they wouldn't remember much of what they did, but the few topics I had time to delve into stayed pretty fresh in my mind. Hard to say if it was worth it, to be honest, but I do think it's mostly an unfortunate result of how modern education works.
I think studying for grades vs studying for understanding is a product of the system more than anything, and it comes down to the fact we are so focused on classifying, quantifying, and grading. You cannot quantify learning directly, but you can quantify test scores. The assumption is that test scores correlate perfectly with learning and understanding, even though we know from experience that it is common for someone to be able to get a good test score without really understanding (the opposite is less likely, but does happen--some people understand well but test poorly).
I one hundred percent feel you on the focusing on grades versus full understanding, I think the main thing is a lack of time and trying to finish two degrees in a fixed number of years. Anyway, thank you for this video, you kept it real and I appreciate that :)
Her regret is that she didn't do a Triple Major...that's awesome!!! 😇
Wonderful videos, I just recently discovered your channel. My degree is in chemistry, but I always loved physics. During my time in college, the mid 1970's, I was really focused on "getting a job" after college. I switched majors from physics to chemistry soley to secure a better chance at a job. I always lamented that. Perhaps this is the nature of life: we see the path not taken more clearly as time goes on. I think the real secret to life is enjoy where you are, take good care of yourself, and connect with really good people. Best of luck to you!
Couldn’t agree more about the cramming. You do what you got to do to pass. Which is a massive shame because nobody goes to uni for that. When I finished uni it was like “what the hell just happened!” I enjoy physics more now that there’s no time pressure or expectations, and I understand it better because of that.
The entire Education process needs revision.
For real. It's an insane maze. So sad.
Yeah, I think students who deeply understand concepts and appreciate them are twice the worth of those who have been forced to memorise data. They'll be happier, for a start.
It's an endless series of hoops, and even when you get out all it really did was get your foot in the door in the real world.
Yes....PLEASE
Although educational systems in USA and Europe cannot be worse than ours in Syria... Any horrible idea you should't include in an educational system, we have it for you.
Love your videos. How refreshing! I felt the same thing in my college experience, often marveling at how on earth, various concepts/discoveries, could ever have been arrived at, but had to march along with the curriculum, making sure to get answers right, so often, not attaining an insight as to how they were derived. On the other hand, once pressures of academia, life, and career are at bay, if one has a driving interest to understand, insights can be found. Thanks so much for your posts, and best wishes.
I just love your videos!!!
I studied electronics back in 1999-2001 I also wish I asked more questions and understood better some topics.
Sometimes I find myself going back and studying something that I didn't understand 100% 18 years ago... we are lucky we got Google and CZcams nowadays, these amazing helpers didn't exist back when I was studying
Thank you! I agree we are so lucky to have such easy access to study material now. My biggest learning aid is CZcams videos!
Tibees me too... I'm so VISUAL... I learn 10x better with videos haha
Amen to that. Wikipedia might be humanity's highest achievement.
I also studied electronics at Community College. Real basic stuff. I wish I had a professional treatment of Maxwell's equations, and piecing them together with internet aids has not left me with a deep understanding of electromagnetics. There is a point when something complex becomes basic. At this point you understand completely the what and how, but never have I come across the whys. I guess that's part of science, there are facts and maths, but no intuition can get you any closer to why something does what it does.
that's normal. you were not expected to understand everything 100%. but rather to understand how to study alone and educate yourself independently in the future. I'm about to finish my degree in electronics semi conductor fabrication technology. the amount of revision I had to go through for each topic is just ridiculous given that I understood these cocepts so well just a year ago or so.
Thank you for sharing this precious videos. I am really glad to expand the horizon of thought, how to approach studying or thinking by watching yours.
I relate to what you're saying about passing exams at a crazy rate being a memorisation exercise and missing the deep meaning and connections between concepts. I think it goes back to university courses and exams being designed to cover as much ground as possible and also to give you a grade rather than making you understand. Also the fact that you are thought tools to solve problems you have never considered in the first place, so you learn as a robot but without the drive of need and curiosity. What you learn has been built in hundreds of years, it's bound to feel non-natural and hollow.
THIS is gold.
But you know what? This happens in EVERY university course. The cramming to get the exam done and claim the grades and then move on to the next content.
But I think, in a way, the cramming gives a solid skeleton to the (sometimes non-existent) body of your thoughts, then you have the rest of your life to flesh out the content around it.
Universities don't teach you WHAT to think, they give you a method for thinking rationally. :)
As a young high schooler obsessed with physics, your videos are an inspiration and something to look forward too. I’ve always loved science so much and I would like to take the quantum mechanics route.
Uni is learning, forgetting and relearning all over again, hoping that one day you can get a job you like..
I agree entirely and I thank you for continued mentoring through your videos. whenever I need the answer to a question regarding my studies I always know who to come to
Don't beat yourself up r.e. solely focusing on getting a good grade rather than understanding. I felt/feel the same way! When I did my physics undergrad it kept me, like yours did, very very busy with the amount of work, and at that point in time, only thing that mattered was getting a good grade. When you're paying SO SO much for the degree, and the fact your grades/degree can effect the rest of your life, getting a good grade is paramount. It is not your fault at all, it is ALL on the systems end. They definitely need to change something to better align grades with amount of understanding.
Congratulations on your determination, perserverance and passion. There you are, getting a phd and helping humanity creating tools to understand and influence matter, plus you take the time to share your knowledge and experience with the world. Very inspiring.
First of all, thank you for being an inspiration for students of physics, and especially for young women. We need more of you in the sciences. And your thoughts about deep thinking are particularly important because that is precisely what is needed for a more thorough understanding. Just consider the Freynman lectures. Yes, taking a double or even a triple major in related fields such as maths or computer science is difficult. But that is precisely what we need to concentrate on in order to advance. I did a double major and it was strenuous. Not much time for parties and the like; but the rewards were well worth it. Keep on doing what you are doing and good luck.
Thank you so much for this video. I’m currently back in school pursuing an undergrad in physics and math (after working many years as an accountant), and am struggling to find the right “formula” for studying to learn vs studying to make the best grades. I think many people assume that if you understand a concept you should be able to handle anything a test can throw at you, but when dealing with higher level science and math this is not the case. I am happy to hear your perspective since you have been through what I’m trying to do :)
If I could change anything about my undergrad physics education it would have been to at least get a minor in computer science. It's just too damn useful, and it really hurts when you have to do a project and you don't really know how to code that well. Instructors at the graduate level just sort of expect you do know it.
This is a great video and one of your points about looking at the bigger picture, and making connections is a very important thing that many STEM students initially miss. I am studying Electrical Engineering, and I studied Physics with Calculus. It's hailed as the great filter by many students, and many people just give up after not passing through it. The first class in the series the class is full(about 40 students), and by the third one we are down to about 7 students. I think the most challenging thing about doing physics is not the problems or the concepts. It's how we study and it's what we expect to see.
It's kinda hard to explain, but in Physics especially when a basic law or a theory is introduced. A good example would be F=MA. We tend not to understand how these variables relates to each other, and what they actually mean. Most students would jump to the exercise page and start doing widgets, and pulleys. But the key to solving a problem like that would to think of F=MA as bunch of vectors. You have one dimension, 2 dimensions, then 3 dimensions. And now you have components of the vector if they don't align with a specific defined axis! Now that simple F=MA is a bunch of long and complex equations.
My heart grows wider with every one of your videos.
I didn't skip the add to support you cause I really like watching your videos. You speak in the most beautiful way than I've ever listened to anyone else speaking.
Cheers!!!
As a physics major who's scared as hell going into upper-division, I've found your videos very comforting and helpful!
Just started school in pursuit of a Dual Bachelors in Physics and Electrical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. Going to wait until my 4th year to decide what graduate level path I will traverse.
Just discovered your videos and I believe you're doing a great job.
It's a plus that the comment thread isn't filled with creeps.
I’m from Brazil and I just got my degree in physics. I’ve had the same experience with the learning process as you did.
I often would get that “ohhh, so that’s why (or how) this works” in the following semesters instead of when I was taking the courses.
I’m on my way to my masters degree now and I hope this doesn’t happen so often.
THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO
I'm more understanding focused than grade focused. Prolly not gonna graduate. You did the right thing!
my regret with studying compsci is that i wished id done more maths and physics =/
they just compliment each other so well
I really appreciate this video since I'm double majoring in math and electrical engineering. I've regretted dropping computer science and physics along the way. However, I want to now do my best to focus on really diving into the deeper connections before I go to grad school now. Thanks for the insight.
Yes it helped me .I always thinks that should I focus more on grades or learning now the way is clear .Thank you for this video ☺
Hi, I think your speech is very relevant. In the educational systems of the different countries there has been for many years the tendency to value learning from scoring systems based on answers. Learning based on problems and reflexive solutions, which allow the understanding of the phenomena of a science such as physics, are not addressed. I believe that in addition to the academic rituals of the evaluation tests that seek to obtain a passing grade, it is up to each student to make a comprehensive study of the scientific and methodological contents of each science. In this case of physics and the mathematics that supports it.
How did you go choosing a PhD topic? I can't do it. I just want to do everything but am too lazy to do anything. So i've started a 2nd degree in comp engineering to expose myself to more.
You make some really good points. I am doing lots of maths and hardly any computers because that's what I enjoy learning, I don't think I'd like to change that but I do see the usefulness of programming.
Man, I totally agree with the CS minor. Now I do almost all programming and can manage, but every once in a while I fear what people will look down on my future career plans because I have no CS education (even if I teach CS all the time).
Hey thanks for the comment! I'm a huge fan of your channel! I often refer people to your videos when I'm asked about concepts that you have covered, especially the linear algebra ones. So I can confirm you are an awesome teacher and I think other people could see that too rather than worrying about which credentials you have :)
Well, let me know if you want to work on something together. We both have a physics background with some level of appreciation for CS, so there's probably something to do there.
I would absolutely love to! I think we do have some similar interests. I've actually been watching some of your twitch streams lately to learn how to do the kind of animations you use but I don't have much experience there. I will have to have a think about what we might be able to do! :D
Alright, sent you a message on twitter.
If you studied sociology, then this may be true. If you have the math background, you will be looking down on most of your CS colleagues.
your channel is AMAZING
Great video!
Nice and new ideas mate for videos
Totally agree. You were describing my regrets.
Makes me appreciate the system in South African uni’s much more! A lot of the more difficult degrees have constant assessment throughout the year - if you do well enough you don’t write exams. While in for instance business degrees everybody writes exams, which results in a lot of pure cramming.
I just observed your channel by accident today.
I can feel with you as my journey is very similar to yours.
I just started my PhD at CERN and when I look back now on the Bachelors and
Masters course I feel pretty much the same.
But when I look backwards I can feel the times of extreme information overflow with
assignments and exams and internships and I think it is not possible to dig very deeply
into every topic. This really hurts, but it is the way it is.
Now in PhD it is very different. There is no stress at all. And I feel as I have infinitely much
time to dig into topics. A very different experience in comparison to Bachelor/Master.
The PhD is also the time where you can use the (in my mind) most powerful tool
someone obtain from a Physics degree which is the ability to dig into very complex topics
in very short time frames and absorb the knowledge like a sponge absorbs water.
Hey
I will be joining university soon and so do I need CS from the start or after my undergraduate? Because I feel that I want to do the same double major
I love you!
If there's one thing you should be proud of with respect your videos, it is that your subscribers clearly love you and what you do... that is a reflection on you and the kind of person you attract to your channel... look at that dislike ratio... 1 person out of 309 disliked this video... this is not your only video where I have seen that and it is extremely rare to see these days...
Great. Thanks your vidios
That was the same for me, degree in physics then master degree in nanotechnologies (it was really tuff but i did it). I'm currently in a master degree in computer sciences, in teledetection and i fucking love it ! Don't give up, brothers ans sisters in physics, we can do what we want (I assume that). Love
Physics graduate student and former Physics major/Applied Math minor as an undergraduate here. I totally agree with wishing I had taken more CS courses, especially since I’m now moving into astronomy where my current project requires a ton of coding in Python.
I also agree with the whole learning to understand vs. learning to pass mentality. I’m sad to say that that’s pretty much exactly how the preparation for the comprehensive physics exam went for me. Of course you want to pass, but part of you wants that deeper understanding of Physics, but I suppose that can be developed over time.
You're so beautiful. ILY
@Tibess, I'm from India. Following your videos, I've ended up on this one. I'm pretty sure what you are doing now, you are doing it well. I hope you accomplish your goals and have a pretty successful life. Congrats.
I agree with you. The other thing as an experimentalist that needs to be understood is electronics (maybe a whole year of electronics for research) and more materials science, dielectrics and semiconductors. More programming would be great also.
I feel you. Ideally, the coursework and assignments would be conducive to learning the theory and math models. I get that can't always happen when we're working 40 hours a week writing two 10-14 page lab essays on driven-damped motion and 6-8 other physics/multivariable/diff eq assignments there iare.. and maybe a gen ed or three.
Some of that stuff just muddles at a certain point and you just go. I'll be a junior in two months classes/credits-wise, but it's my sophomore year right now.
Takes real courage to be honest. Good for you pal!
physics is a beautiful subject. you are very lucky. computer science you can do at anytime. just three courses in computer science algorithms,data structures and theory of computation. you are in the world of computer science.
Geez this video is completely relatable... Graduating this spring and going into an hep-ex graduate program in the fall and feel like my coding background is weak as well as my understanding of the fundamentals.
I Love your video for one reason that is your explanation is so much natural............
Thank you for this. This is something I have thought about a lot. I'm in my first year of a Physics degree and I'm studying for my end-of-year exams right now. It concerns me that I am struggling with some concepts and that, as a result, I may just be doing what you were talking about in this video: learning the basic content for the exam but not understanding it on a more meaningful level. I'm doing my best but there are only so many hours in a day and there's only so much information my brain can take in at a time.
Do you have any suggestions for how best to understand concepts in more depth (apart from asking questions of lecturers)?
Currently pursuing a physics bs with a minor in comp sci! Great video
i did an undergrad in math and physics. and now I'm doing a PhD in pure math. I dont know how this ended up happening. But yes, if I were to stick to the physics route I definitely would have taken more CS
For the last part of the video, *it helped*
I had the same feelings and I took a chance halfway through by putting down my pencil and really listening to the lectures. That let me ask questions and really get it. Regarding computer science, anyone can learn to make the code work, but the important stuff isn't really teachable. Writing robust, maintainable code only comes with care and practice, so you didn't waste your time.
I'm studying astrophysics and currently I'm taking calculus I. And I understand what you mean by understanding the concept rather than getting good grades because calculus is very conceptualized rather than just understanding how to solve the problem in terms of the arithmetic process.
Excellent statement. I am from electronics and Electrical Engineering. It is a wonderful way to study science and physics.
4:03, is there something I should know about question 3, if that's the one you seem to ask about most?
I wonder if you have any videos explaining what made you take physics and maths majors.. I have three months to graduate highschool and although I love science, Im not sure if Im ready to go through the pressure. I also have too many interests, and narrowing down feels impossible.
Don't be worried - I've found myself that the deeper understanding comes later (at least for me)
I'm a high school student in Russia.
I always feel like I don't know enough. I have good grades, but I always feel that I need to take a more in-depth look on concepts we're studying on Physics (mostly) or Maths. I understand that the school program is quite shallow comaped to that of further studying, yet I can't help but feel that I'm the problem.
I know that Physics is a process, so I hope that if I pursue a Physics degree, I will finally be able to fill in all the gaps that I think need to be filled in.
Where did you get that awesome Schrodinger poster ?
Thank you I also regret the understanding part
I am doing my UG in EEE,and looking for doing some research work in theoretical physics or electromegnatism and electrodynamics!!!!
How can I find my actual study of interest?
Any suggestions?
How did you manage to go through the pacing of double major? Im a first year physics student and the pacing is very hard, but due to personal problems i cannot follow the pacing to really understand thing, I can barely work now. But I really LOVE mathematics and physics both, I love the structure of mathematical thought and the construction of beautiful math ideas. But I cannot learn almost anything because of the pacing and problems. I really envy you for the double major, its my dream.
Like I said in this video, I ended up focussing on passing exams than understanding in order to get through the workload. Kind of took the fun out of it
Tibees I understand, thank you for replying.
If you're still studying in school, I would advise you that anytime you
have a lingering question or misunderstanding from a class, go
immediately to the professor's next scheduled office hours (professors
must offer office hours to students to answer questions), and have your
questions answered to your satisfaction.
I did that throughout Uni, and besides better understanding, which led to better grades, the profs got to know me better and understand me as a real person rather than just another number in a class. This always led to better explanations during the office hours, as the prof realized how to better answer my questions for me personally. Also, some professors really appreciated being visited by students in their office hours.
Also, your free time is best used during Uni to study and understand the concepts you're learning. You'll have your entire life after uni to spend your free time.
I like this topic. Thinking back it's really important to understand what we study thoroughly. If not doing so, we will forget almost everything we have studied in just one year of time. This is really not good cos we have to study it again from scratch. The dilemma is the courses in university are so packed. For a real study I am sure will take 4 to 6 years instead of just 3 to 4 years.
Can u help me if I have any problem in studying physics
Thank you for making me feel entirely insufficient as a person.
I wonder if this was mainly a product of trying to cram a physics and major double major into four years? I'm just doing an EE major right now, though I am taking lower division honors physics courses for mechanics, em, and optics. (decently advanced for lower div, since we used kleppner for mech, and Purcell for EM). I also do plan on taking most of the upper divs, but not enough to get a double (since i would have to do 5 class quarters)
I've found that with 4 courses per quarter, if I study pretty much all the time (5 hours to read a chapter, 3 hours to do some of teh end of chapter problems), the homework is a "breeze", as in I don't ever get stuck for longer than 30 minutes. and then I also do very well on the exams(I actually topped the curve for avg 60% tests for 3/4 of the midterms I've taken).
TL;DR If you're not very fixated on getting a double major, and have the time to study more, spending a long time to learn the material deeply transfers to good exam grades anyways, so why focus on grades now, and then have to learn the material deeply after the test?
Honestly, none of this is doable if you have to work, or want to invest a significant amount of time into extracurriculars, or want to go for a double major, but I just wanted to put my experiences out there.
It's the way it's supposed to be. A lot of things are presented and you go deeper in the things you like.
I wouldn't worry about it too much. It is very practical to learn programming on you own outside of school. Especially if your very clever as a Physics person you should be able to pick it up quite quickly. You could also do an internship in Software Engineering with a slight bit of coding background.
I could'nt agree more. I feel the exact same way about everything you have said. Except, after my undergrad I have completely left the Physics field and now just kinda ended up working somewhere where i'm too comfortable and not using much brain power. I have this one regret; Half of my attitude towards Physics is interest and curiosity and the other half finds it depressing. Why do I feel like this?!
Same. I'm finishing my PhD as well, and my work might as well be computer science anyway. I wish I had learned these things more formally instead of my need-based approach which has left gaps in some of the fundamentals.
Yesterday I was with some A.I. Facebook employees at my University. The main speaker has studied Physics and then was introduced into computer science. I hope I can see you one-day writing code in that fantastic interdisciplinary field.
I think one of my favorite quotes from Rick and Morty in the Roy episode applies here and it's, "Well hindsight is 20/20..." but this is really helpful for other people.
Regarding the Maths, I quote Hardy in A Mathematician's Apology: "...We must also remember that a reserve of knowledge is always an advantage, and that the most practical of mathematicians may be seriously handicapped if his knowledge is the bare minimum which is essential to him"
(imo, the handicapped part applies to every type of scientist)
I love your videos, btw!
I think life is always like this. Because if you had a chance to go back to the past. You would do the same things as well but maybe you would be able to change a few things. I think being an undergraduate student It is normal to just focus on grades because we all don’t wanna fail and still new to the knowledge that we are getting. It is always the hindsight that tells us about what we have done wrong or could of done. But yeah it is never too late to review the stuff that you don’t understand.
SCHRÖDINGER’S cat in the back is killin’ me
Me gustó el contenido de tu canal y debo decir que me sorprende ver la descripción en español. Pensé que era algún tipo de traducción automática de CZcams, pero al parecer hablas ambos idiomas. ¿O me equivoco? Saludos desde Santiago, Chile.
I had this conversation with my teacher when I was young. I had got the top grades in electronics course, I basically said, I know the stuff but I don't really understand it. The teacher replied it's ok when you start working and using it in a job, the understanding will come. From this, I took it that it was more common than I thought.
your smile is so beautiful C: i get the other way i am a software Engineering how really like physics and mathematics but never had the proper time to understand the meaning behind what i learn. this problem about just learn to the test happens to me every time
It,s n aboot when u graduate means everything finishes, do what ever you wanna do right now, what're u waiting for!
I highly doubt that you're not Emilia Clarke
I am going to major CS and minor economics. Is it a good decission or should i change something ?
What I hear you saying is what I experienced in the US. Universities are not set up to teach practical application or improve thinking capabilities to a significant degree. Possible exceptions here may be Harvard and MIT, with room to improve. After flunking out (D’ing out) of undergrad school twice I decided I had to quit trying to learn information I could use in life and concentrate on passing the tests. Thus I graduated on the dean’s list pretty much as ignorant as when I started. Getting my masters was just an extension of the same bullshit, however it did, along with my job at the time help enhance my macro thinking. Additional formal education was rejected as I felt both degrees were worth $1each and I had no desire to join the present educational system or fight it.
Congratulations on deciding you are not going to become an expert researcher with ten pages of references for your dissertation. You bought a happy future.
I got frustrated with how "application based" my electrical engineering program was, and ended up dropping out. I want to build really new technologies but I also crave a deep, vivid understanding of nature. This all makes for a bad student. I have since found peace with myself, but yeah, it's hard to learn at school. Funny that.
thanks :)
Also felt I had to cram for the grades instead of slowing down and taking everything in and inferring the deep meanings from what we were being taught
I am 16, i love physics and math and i want to study physics when i have the chance to do it. I find your videos very interesting.
What will be the good book of electrical subject in B.Tech Engineering for 1st year students????
Now imagine how I must be feeling, having spent 4 years on a civil engineering degree :D