Non-Trads -- physics

[kk5551]

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Calling all non-trads!! In need of a little advice/perspctive. Stats are below:

35yrs old
3 young kids
Amazing wife
Orthopedic sales for 10 yrs
3.3 undergrad GPA -- Marketing

I am just getting ready to go back to school to start pre-recs for dental school. Years of sales has been great w/ high income, but is simply not what I want to be doing for the rest of my life.

Nervous about one thing... Physics. I don't know why but the fact that I have not had a college math/calculus class for 10yrs scares me when I think about trying to pull an "A" in a physics class.

Any words of advice/encouragement/warning? What have your experiences been like going back to school?

Thank you....

 

[Dental Monst3r]

I'm 18 going into college in fall and I am in a similar situation as you being worried about the physics and all. My math skills are very poor(failed pre-calc twice) and I have no idea to how I am going to do in physics.

I couldn't really say much other than good luck because I have no clue to what physics is about or the labs, nevertheless.

Anyyways, I'm sure you will do fine. You seem very ambitious pursuing your goal of getting into dental school, especially at the age of 35 (I thought I was getting old).

Best of luck!

 

[water88]

Yes, physics does require a lot of math. Assuming you will be taking algebra-based, just brush up on your trigonometry and basic algebra. Physics 1 is pretty easy, very intuitive, but it gets kind of hairy i.e. very abstract in Physics 2 when you start dabbling in special relativity and quantum mechanics. Just do a lot of problems in the textbook and you should be fine. It's all about doing problems. You may understand the concepts, but if you can't apply them, you're screwed.

 

[hellonurse]

Physics is an easy class if you put in the time. If there is something you do not understand, go to a tutor at school because it might just be a tiny little algebra mistake or a formula confusion. You do not need to master algebra to take algebra based physics, you just need to know the small amount of algebra that they require for your physics class. You should not be scared of physics anymore than you were/are for general chemistry 1. It's very intuitive and if you struggle with the math, go to a tutor because it probably isn't a huge problem. Work hard and you will be fine. 👍

 

[masheahan]

I'm non trad as well! 28 history major. Just finished my pre reqs and going to d school this fall. For me physics was my toughest class. I am not the most math savy and it was painful to say the least. I also have a great wife and she can attest to my struggles. Even though it totally sucked and i thank the lord every day that i don't have to deal with all of those rediculous hypathetical problems, it also totally doable. I got an A in phys 1 and 2 but, I put a butt load of blood sweat and tears into it. If you work hard you will smoke it!

Non trads represent!!

 

[kk5551]

Thank you so much for your responses.. It is a scary thing to commit when their is so much risk involved at my age. I am very fortunate to have a supportive wife who has my back.

For any of you non-trads with a family, what has been/was the biggest challenge that you faced going back? Any additional advice?

 

[scottyhoop]

I'm a non-trad as well. I used to teach HS music. Left teaching 3 years ago to do a post bacc and am starting dschool at VCU this summer. I am the biggest math phob ever and I did what everyone above says to do about physics. Worked hard and did lots and lots of problems. I didn't take calc based physics and I was fine, but it did require time. My biggest challenge so far has been mostly financial. Even tho I was going to school full time, I made sure I had time for my family (2 kids) so that meant I could not work that much. Being a musician, I played gigs and taught some lessons, but no full time job to speak of while I was in school. Money has been tight, but we made it. Just be smart and budget your time/money wisely and all is doable. Best of luck bro!

Scotty

 

[jaypea65]

Thank you so much for your responses.. It is a scary thing to commit when their is so much risk involved at my age. I am very fortunate to have a supportive wife who has my back.

For any of you non-trads with a family, what has been/was the biggest challenge that you faced going back? Any additional advice?

43 y/o non-trad here. My biggest challenge was actually trying to get in dental school. The rest was cake. Applied to 17 schools, 3.53 GPA, 18AA, I only received 1 interview where I was waitlisted. I will be applying again this cycle with a new DAT score. Did I mention that I blew 3000 dollars on the past application cycle?😱

 

[dentalmama]

I'm also a 43 y/o non-trad and will be starting USC this fall, single mom and two boys (11 and 14). I was a math major UCLA (but that was over 20 years ago!) so I didn't recall much when I embarked on going back to school. First off, you don't need physics for the DAT - so take it AFTER you take the DAT (your last year before you attend). That way your "applying" GPA won't include your physics grades! Then you take physics the last year while you are in the process of interviewing. Schools won't even SEE your fall physics grade if you interview in Oct or Nov. until after you've been accepted - in December (if you're lucky)!

I found that there isn't that much tricky math to physics, mostly memorizing formulas and plugging in the values - not really much more then, say, most chemistry problems. There is a minimal amount of trig, but it's not bad really...(just re-learn: SOH-CAH-TOA and that's it). I found chemistry to be much more challenging than physics, but ended up doing well (4.0 post-bac) probably because I have a strong logical mind - not because I remembered any complicated math or anything. Your real problem (if you don't like math) will be that you will need to do well on the quantitative reasoning section of the DAT, so that's where you'll have to brush up on your math skills, not as much for physics.

As far as non-trad "parenting" challenges, I think I will be faced with the hardest part once I actually start dental school. So far I've taken classes while my kids are in school, so I can still be a mom in the afternoons and evenings, and we all study together - it's actually cool and my kids really have gained an insight to what it takes to do well in college and their study habits have improved as a result (not to mention they have a great role model, showing them they it's never too late to do what you want, if you really want it).

Once I start ds, though, I worry that I won't have enough time for them, but hopefully with the PBL based learning at USC, I'll still be around for them when it's important. 😀

Good luck!

 

[DentinTubes]

Give it you all. that's it. You've got 4 important people to be successful for. I took Physics at age 29/30 and did great. It took going to the professor's office whenever I had a question, studying in the "tutoring lab", studying with my classmates, studying alone and email problems back and forth with my dad and talking about them on the phone and I got a B+ and A- each sem.

You will do just fine if you keep focused. Study the material way before the test and take time out of the house when you need to focus.

Work each and every problem your professor gives you many, many times and ask you prof for extra study problems.

good luck!!!

 

[Livineasi]

Definitely take the non-calculus based physics! And don't worry -- you'd be surprised what starts coming back to you after years away from school.