How hard is it to self-study physics?

[R35]

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Hello. I'm a month away from finishing up my first year of undergrad, and I have not taken physics as a course. I was wondering, how reasonable would it be for me to self-learn physics? I could spent this upcoming summer doing it bit by bit. Good plan?

*I have taken it in high school.

EDIT: I posted in another thread asking about the self-teaching process of physics, and got conflicting answers. Much help would be appreciated.

 

[RockinRoll]

Why are you self learning physics when you can take the course in undergrad and learn it the right way?

 

[R35]

Because I find molecular biology much more interesting and would rather take that next year. I get three electives, and two of them I'm keeping for organic chem I and II, and the third for microbio.

 

[RockinRoll]

It's not advisable to teach yourself Physics. Just finish up whatever courses you want and then take Physics (it's a pre-req) so if you plan on applying to medical school you will have to take it eventually. It sounds like a waste of time to self-learn it and then learn it again while taking the course.

It's also not a good idea to take the MCAT without completing your pre-reqs, if you're planning on self-learning and then taking the exam.

 

[Euxox]

You're still a freshman and you're thinkingg about the MCAT? Do not rush into the MCAT. This isn't like the SAT, where you can take it two or three times without any kind of penalty. Even having to take the MCAT twice can be a big blow if you want to apply to one of the many schools that average your MCAT scores when evaluating your application. (Some even take the lowest score.) You have to go into this test with the expectation that you are only going to take it once and that you are going to ace it.

The absolute earliest I would advise taking the MCAT is at the end of the summer after your sophomore year. Let me repeat: After sophomore year.

Just take physics. Physics is an interesting class, even if you hate math. (I hate math, but I loved physics.)

 

[marcdagr8]

Do NOT self-study physics. You MUST take the course.

You can self-study your review of physics for the MCAT.

Anything else would be a HUGE mistake.

 

[R35]

You're still a freshman and you're thinkingg about the MCAT? Do not rush into the MCAT. This isn't like the SAT, where you can take it two or three times without any kind of penalty. Even having to take the MCAT twice can be a big blow if you want to apply to one of the many schools that average your MCAT scores when evaluating your application. (Some even take the lowest score.) You have to go into this test with the expectation that you are only going to take it once and that you are going to ace it.

The absolute earliest I would advise taking the MCAT is at the end of the summer after your sophomore year. Let me repeat: After sophomore year.

Just take physics. Physics is an interesting class, even if you hate math. (I hate math, but I loved physics.)

No, I was waiting to write it after my second year, because that's when I'll be taking organic chem and other classes.

 

[R35]

Do NOT self-study physics. You MUST take the course.

You can self-study your review of physics for the MCAT.

Anything else would be a HUGE mistake.

Oh, I see. Thanks for letting me know. The course I'll be taking is half-year on Newtonian mechanics and relativity. Is that enough?

 

[jeghaber]

Oh, I see. Thanks for letting me know. The course I'll be taking is half-year on Newtonian mechanics and relativity. Is that enough?

I think it depends on the person. Since you've taken physics in high school, you probably already know if you're a physics person or not and whether you could "pull it off." I half-self-studied physics (took one semester of mechanics in university after taking AP four years prior in high school; reviewed E/M on my own for three weeks before taking the actual test) and it worked out. So if you're asking if it's at all possible, yes it is. It's more of a personal decision as to whether that's something you would want to do.

 

[MD Odyssey]

Unless you're Michael Faraday, teaching yourself college physics in a summer is probably one of the stupidest things a college freshman could do.

 

[Gauss44]

Hello. I'm a month away from finishing up my first year of undergrad, and I have not taken physics as a course. I was wondering, how reasonable would it be for me to self-learn physics? I could spent this upcoming summer doing it bit by bit. Good plan?

*I have taken it in high school.

EDIT: I posted in another thread asking about the self-teaching process of physics, and got conflicting answers. Much help would be appreciated.

Depends.

1. Are you good at physics and math?
2. Are you good at teaching yourself in general?

The 3rd factor is to have the right self-study materials. A combo of Examkrackers (The simple version), and The Berkeley Review (the detailed version) has worked for some people who are good at math and self teaching.

A middle ground might be using a study at home course where online help is available. Maybe one of these would work: http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/free-stuff/1247592/

MCAT aside, some medical schools might require you to have actually taken the course (non-self study).

 

[MD Odyssey]

Depends.

1. Are you good at physics and math?
2. Are you good at teaching yourself in general?

The 3rd factor is to have the right self-study materials. A combo of Examkrackers (The simple version), and The Berkeley Review (the detailed version) has worked for some people who are good at math and self teaching..

Everything about this is wrong. If you have never had physics at all, the stupidest thing you can do would be to try and teach yourself from a book intended to review the material for the MCAT.

Your first question seems to imply you didn't read the OP statement - OP has never taken physics at all, so how could he know if he's any good at it?

 

[SN2ed]

Finish ALL of your pre-reqs. Then think about the MCAT.

 

[jeghaber]

Hello. I'm a month away from finishing up my first year of undergrad, and I have not taken physics as a course. I was wondering, how reasonable would it be for me to self-learn physics? I could spent this upcoming summer doing it bit by bit. Good plan?

*I have taken it in high school.

EDIT: I posted in another thread asking about the self-teaching process of physics, and got conflicting answers. Much help would be appreciated.

Everything about this is wrong. If you have never had physics at all, the stupidest thing you can do would be to try and teach yourself from a book intended to review the material for the MCAT.

Your first question seems to imply you didn't read the OP statement - OP has never taken physics at all, so how could he know if he's any good at it?

The OP has taken physics in high school. MCAT physics is not so drastically different from high school physics, so the OP should have an idea of how comptable s/he is with physics.

 

[R35]

Everything about this is wrong. If you have never had physics at all, the stupidest thing you can do would be to try and teach yourself from a book intended to review the material for the MCAT.

Your first question seems to imply you didn't read the OP statement - OP has never taken physics at all, so how could he know if he's any good at it?

I took physics in high school and graduated with a 93 in the class. However, it covered a variety of topics, and the course my uni offers is focused on Newtonian mechanics and relativity, and it's half-year.

 

[R35]

I think it depends on the person. Since you've taken physics in high school, you probably already know if you're a physics person or not and whether you could "pull it off." I half-self-studied physics (took one semester of mechanics in university after taking AP four years prior in high school; reviewed E/M on my own for three weeks before taking the actual test) and it worked out. So if you're asking if it's at all possible, yes it is. It's more of a personal decision as to whether that's something you would want to do.

I'd say I can grasp the material well. However, that was in high school, and I'm unsure how self-studying would prepare me for the mcat.

Unless you're Michael Faraday, teaching yourself college physics in a summer is probably one of the stupidest things a college freshman could do.

Advice considered! 🙂

 

[MD Odyssey]

I see I misspoke about you having had physics in high school, my mistake.

That said, I still would recommend that you take the full physics sequence before reviewing for the MCAT. In my opinion, even students from the best high schools that have AP or IB physics credit do not know it nearly as well as they should.

 

[Captain Sisko]

I see I misspoke about you having had physics in high school, my mistake.

That said, I still would recommend that you take the full physics sequence before reviewing for the MCAT. In my opinion, even students from the best high schools that have AP or IB physics credit do not know it nearly as well as they should.

some, anyway. and should is relative. how much should anyone know anyway? haha ok that's philosophical. hey odyssey, i enjoy your blog. keep it up. have you decided for sure to go md phd?

 

[MD Odyssey]

some, anyway. and should is relative. how much should anyone know anyway? haha ok that's philosophical. hey odyssey, i enjoy your blog. keep it up. have you decided for sure to go md phd?

Thanks. Yeah, I'll be applying MD / PhD across the board.

Dovie'andi se tovya sagain.

 

[timeturner]

Do NOT self-study physics. You MUST take the course.

You can self-study your review of physics for the MCAT.

Anything else would be a HUGE mistake.

I disagree strongly. I self-taught second part of physics - anything outside of mechanics. I've been getting 13 on PS consistently on AAMC exams.

Just work hard! It's not particularly difficult and definitely equation-driven.

 

[marcdagr8]

I disagree strongly. I self-taught second part of physics - anything outside of mechanics. I've been getting 13 on PS consistently on AAMC exams.

Just work hard! It's not particularly difficult and definitely equation-driven.

True. I did not properly qualify my statement. I should have followed my statement with a disclaimer that my statement only applies to 95-99% of MCATers. For example, that dude from Goodwill Hunting could self-study for MCAT physics. The average doc wanna-be needs the course for the conceptual understanding and concept reinforcement.

 

[MD Odyssey]

True. I did not properly qualify my statement. I should have followed my statement with a disclaimer that my statement only applies to 95-99% of MCATers. For example, that dude from Goodwill Hunting could self-study for MCAT physics. The average doc wanna-be needs the course for the conceptual understanding and concept reinforcement.

It's not really the difficulty that is the trouble - most learning in physics is done individually anyway. The issue for most people is the discipline. You don't need to be a savant in order to learn physics on your own. What you need is to be disciplined, motivated, and consistent. Most students are none of these, so they tend to benefit from a structured course. Don't expect a course to magically give you the insight you need for the MCAT though.

Just work hard! It's not particularly difficult and definitely equation-driven.

Also, this is false. MCAT physics requires very little in the way of equations, so if you find yourself studying for the exam by memorizing pages of equations, you're doing it wrong.

 

[Captain Sisko]

MCAT physics requires very little in the way of equations, so if you find yourself studying for the exam by memorizing pages of equations, you're doing it wrong.

qft. Learn, don't memorize. It's a relational thing.

 

[timeturner]

It's not really the difficulty that is the trouble - most learning in physics is done individually anyway. The issue for most people is the discipline. You don't need to be a savant in order to learn physics on your own. What you need is to be disciplined, motivated, and consistent. Most students are none of these, so they tend to benefit from a structured course. Don't expect a course to magically give you the insight you need for the MCAT though.



Also, this is false. MCAT physics requires very little in the way of equations, so if you find yourself studying for the exam by memorizing pages of equations, you're doing it wrong.

Whatever, to each his own. I understand all the equations but it doesn't mean it didn't take effort. Just giving my two cents but I stand firm on what I've said.

qft. Learn, don't memorize. It's a relational thing.

Agreed. Self-teach doesn't mean self-memorize. I've never memorized anything except for maybe a few classes that call for memorization.

 

[timeturner]

True. I did not properly qualify my statement. I should have followed my statement with a disclaimer that my statement only applies to 95-99% of MCATers. For example, that dude from Goodwill Hunting could self-study for MCAT physics. The average doc wanna-be needs the course for the conceptual understanding and concept reinforcement.

Yeah perhaps. I supplemented my learning with lots of reading and wikipedia searches and a ton of practice. It's not easy but certainly doable 😀
I think it's possible for anyone who is willing to put down the effort. I probably put in 88% though haha, I'm not the most dedicated of the bunch.