I've never taken a physics course or a calculus course.

I mean, you haven't done anything physics related yet, so get on it. A weak mathematical background will make studying physics pretty terrible.

Why are you majoring in physics if you don't have any experience with it?

>>8015365
>lowest of the math classes
you have high goals

>>8015379
I'm not gonna give a sob story other then the events of my life have taken to me to this point.
I'm interested in how the universe works.

>>8015365
>and even set up a project that I've received funding by the school to do.
What the fuck? Who the hell is giving you funding? No offense but that person needs to be dealt with asap. What's your project idea, throwing money into fire and finding the rate of combustion for different notes?

>>8015365
how do you declare a physics major without having taken the intro sequence?

>>8015417
>goes to a poor school

More power to you OP. I myself started at the lowest of low last semester. Now im working for a certain NASA Center.

Try it. If you like it, keep studying. There will be lots of students who have seen the material before that probably blow you away, but don't get disheartened by that. Try to really, and I mean *really*, learn the fundamental material. I'm in grad school right now and you can tell the difference between students who memorized their way to high scores but forgot the fundamentals and students who might not have the flashy undergrad institution credentials, but they really grasp the material.

Always try to derive things on your own. If you see a complex problem, start from first principles and break it down. If you just kind of 'get by' in a subject or part of a core course (EM, SM, QM, CM), I guarantee it will come back to haunt you.

I highly encourage you to check out other textbooks from time to time. Don't feel like you have to learn it the way a certain class or book teaches material, find what works for you. Feel free to bug professors and ask questions. Don't fall behind or get lost simply because you're shy about asking a question.

Start research early and look to present it and/or publish if possible. It sounds good that you've got a project, what is it?

>>8015417
>Who the hell is giving you funding?
parents have a bunch of money and connections so a shit student can get into school and get funding even if it's going to be wasted?

i'm going to ask a strange question and ask why you're a physics major if you've never taken a physics course

i mean, i can understand being interested in before taking a course, and then taking a course in it... but how are you a physics major if you've never taken a physics course?

>>8015429
It's essentially a high school project. I built a centrifuge that will spin ecoli. The purpose of it was to see how microbes will grow on higher g-forces. The higher g-forces are suppose to represent the higher g-forces on super-earths. It's dumb but it was cheap and the school has some money.

>>8015423
I get paid to do research for my academic advisor. He would never pay someone to do their own project, only projects he's working on himself. It doesn't matter how rich or poor OP's school is, whoever is allowing student funds to go to someone with such a lack of direction doesn't deserve to be employed or in charge of funds.

I mean seriously, even OP said he took two classes this past year. Why should he be considered a full time student and responsible enough to complete any sort of project, especially one that is being paid? This shit has to be bait, if not maybe I'll visit one of your rich schools and take introductory algebra and CS over the course of a year, then propose a research project on how to efficiently wipe one's own ass with 100 dollar bills. Oh wait, that shit is retarded and wouldn't advance science, the school, or my own knowledge in any way, and if someone actually gave me money for that and told me to go for it (and I was dumb enough to listen) I would regret it later on in life.

>>8015427
I want a job m8

OP try to find out if you like physics as an hobby or as a potential study field, before starting all this shit. Try taking online classes see how you find it

>>8015421
Community college most likely

>>8015447

is everything okay? you feeling that incoming finals week frustration already?

maybe a little added sexual frustration too? hop off this board and get some sleep. it looks like you need it.

>>8015442
Holy shit. This is not what I was expecting. You were not funded to do this project, you used equipment the bio and physics labs already own. They spent no money on you doing this. It's nothing more than a lab experiment that costs less then most chem labs. Holy christ now I feel bad for raging.

>>8015457
My finals aren't for another 3 weeks m8. Maybe I do need some rest though.

Honestly? Sounds like you're just in it for the memes. You need calc 1 for Physics 1 and 2 alone.

>>8015458
Even better then.
You seem to be the most extreme person here. It's good there is some verity of criticism, it's what I need.

>>8015365
Let's talk about the math for a moment.

Are taking math courses you simply haven't seen before, or are you repeating courses? Where are you, mathematically? Are you comfortable with Trig?
All of us had to see something for the first time at some point. If it is just a matter of being new, you may be OK ... but if you are repeating 100 level courses, Physics may not be the best choice of major.

>>8015464
variety*
>>8015463
What do you mean?
Like I'm some kid that just watched bill nye and suddenly had an "epiphany" and wants to be a scientist?

>>8015471
Yes, it sounds like you have no experience with physics and definitely in mathematics.

It actually sounds like you're boasting that you are involved without any experience.

>>8015365

The good news is, you're still taking basic gen ed classes, so you should be okay to change your major if you decide you don't like physics after taking Physics w Calc 1.

Here's what you do: don't do any side projects or any bs. Use your free time to get ahead in your current math courses, and make sure you get A's.

It only gets harder from here, so it would be pretty damning to get anything lower than an A in something as trivial as trig or college algebra.

>>8015465
Last semester a lot of it was just literal stuff I've seen before and this semester I've started to see a lot more new things but there is still old stuff.

>>8015476
Sorry, if I gave this impression. But I can see why you would say that.

>>8015480
idk, precal was the only math class I got a C in and I transfered to an awesome University after acing calc 1, 2 and 3.

>>8015464
Different anon here. Going into grad school for theoretical biophysics next year, coming from physics undergrad. It's pretty incredible that you're getting a project AT ALL as a (course-equivalent) freshman, even if it is a simple one. Having papers will really help for your grad school search. You don't really need the math for undergraduate research, in general, though having high-level statistics will help if you plan on fitting data to a model at some point.

Most of the math you do in E&M and classical is calculus, so I would say diving head-first into physics without even knowing if you like the math might be a foolish decision. If you're a freshman, like 18 or 19 or whatever, it's fine, just keep doing your thing; you'll eventually get up to the math. It really helped me that I instinctively knew it so when I learned something like "momentum is conserved" I could think about it physically AND mathematically.

A good way to know if you'll succeed or not at this thing is if you can do well in calc 3, or special relativity. Like, REALLY know it super well.

>>8015482
Literal stuff? So like, college algebra and trig?

>>8015487
theoretical biophysics m8 you looking for fucking welfare and debts or some shit?

>>8015489
Take one step back and there I am.

>>8015489
prolly highschool algebra with quadratic function or some shit

>>8015486

are you op? you just said in your post you haven't taken Calc 1 yet.

>>8015495
No but I disagree with ya

>>8015480
I will take this advice
>>8015487
I will also take this advice for when I can start to do more complicated projects.

Thanks, guys this advice really helps out a ton.

>>8015492
I'm looking at it kind of like an art degree; it's interesting for me but not practical at all. Same problem with any branch of theoretical physics, the way I see it. I don't really have any debt after my undergrad so I don't need to worry as much about debt. We'll see if I really enjoy the coursework/research next year when I actually start.

>>8015499
ye thats why im going in math, you always have that backup teacher plan if you fuck up good time

>>8015494
hmm, well that's pretty far behind what most physics people are familiar with, even as first semester freshmen. Maybe even taking calc 1 and seeing if you like it/can succeed at it could be a good metric to see if you should continue. If calc seems hard, moving to chemistry might be better for you? You'd still have to learn statistical mechanics though and that shit can get super tough.

>>8015497
Good on ya, man. Honestly, the only thing you really need to be is interested in it. You'll have tons of 10 hour days of homework, so passion is the only way to really get through that stuff and it seems like you've got it. Do you like intense challenge?

>>8015510
I have a passion and I'm committing to it. If it takes an intense challenge to get to where I want to be then I will do my best to overcome it.

>>8015515
well I mean do you ENJOY challenge is what I'm asking? Like, do you get frustrated on homework you don't know how to do or do you enjoy being stuck and trying new solutions? Weird question, I know, but it's because you'll end up spending most of your time being stuck on problems as a physics anything.

>>8015524
I get frustrated but I walk back and think of new ways to solve the problems and when I do I find it immensely satisfying. So a bigger challenge would be crazy satisfying to complete. In other words, yes I do enjoy a challenge.

>>8015527
That's good for physics then! Give it your best. Definitely do what the other anon said and try to put this stuff on the backburner once the math/physics starts to get too intense

>>8015531
Sounds good. Thanks for the advice and motivation.

>>8015534

I recommend getting exposure to the material before its explained in class. Makes understanding the material that much easier. Khan Academy is never a bad idea, as he explains the topics in absolute layman's terms.

Good luck.

>>8015365
I'm not American but how the fuck can you major in Physics without taking any physics courses ?