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/sci/ - Science & Math

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4216897 No.4216897 [Reply] [Original]

Sup /sci/entists?

To the point, should I continue my major in Physics (freshman at uni), or should I switch to PoliSci?

I have always and will always love and be fascinated with physics, but my math skills are terrible. I didn't even learn how to factor until sophomore year in high school. I've gotten C's in Calc I both times I took it in HS and uni. I have just always been slow at math - I really do try and study hard. I legitimately fear that Calc II will rape me.

PoliSci was my plan throughout high school until I decided that Physics would be much more prestigious. Still, that is the main thing keeping me in physics - that I have always seen Physics as the god of the sciences and a part of me feels that I would be a failure if I switched.

>> No.4216904

Well you can be:
A) An an untalented physicist in a sea of untalented physicists with a handful of talented individuals.
B) An untalented polisci major in a sea of untalented polisci majors.

>> No.4216903

If you aren't good at Math, I'm sorry but I don't think you are going far in Physics.

>> No.4216906

Also, I plan on applying to law school, so really, there is nothing I will do with the physics degree except have a physics degree.

Thanks

>> No.4216953
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4216953

OP can't factor

>> No.4216991

>>4216903
"Not being good at Math" isn't an unchangable state. OPs math proficiency is merely a thing of practice, and if OP is interested in physics, this should not be an obstacle. Sit on your hairy, fat arse like we all did and practice that shit.

>> No.4216998

>>4216906
If you want to go to law school, having a polisci or english major will be more helpful in the long run. That being said, a physics minor will look good on your app - I bet law schools don't get many physics minors. Drill calculus a few hours a day and go for the minor. Your inability to do math can be overcome.

>> No.4217006
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4217006

I was absolutely terrible at math in my teens, and early twenties. I worked job after meaningless job after high school.

As an adult, I returned to school at my local cc. Went back past the math level I tested into to solidify my skills. Yes this ate up years, but I was really learning the concepts necessary to excel. Because I had experienced what a shitty life was without education, it wasn't hard to bust my ass in each math class.

Now, I am transferring to a top notch school to study nuclear physics.

You can do this. You have a passion for the science. Slow down, and really absorb the math. Go read your old texts, and returned papers. It's up to you.

>> No.4217069

OP, if you really work at it, you will be able to get the degree. That said, if you're thinking about law school, I would advise for the polsci major as it will give you more of the skills for that route.

>> No.4217278

>>4216991
>>4216998
>>4217006

Serious practice will fix your math problems

>> No.4217289

who is OP's girl?

>> No.4217294

>>4217289
some /g/ camwhore

>> No.4217296

>>4217289
Not sure if she's really a girl. But she has some Youtube channel.

>> No.4217302

if it's really a problem of math, there are plenty of study aids, it only takes effort, like everyone else has said. most of the time it's not so much a lack of proficiency as it is a lack of understanding. try khanacademy.org. he's got math courses all the way up to and well past calculus.

>> No.4217304

>>4217294
>>4217296
what's her name? i have the distinct feeling i met her once on omegle, she showed me her picture and she looked exactly like that and she worked as a secretary at CERN

>> No.4217305

>>4217296
oh god if she's a dickgirl I would fucking die, my linetrap obsession was bad enough

>> No.4217321
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4217321

>>4217304

this interests me

>> No.4217334

>>4217304
What? /sci/ doesn't know about Rose? Well you can have her, /g/ is tired of this trap.

>> No.4217346
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4217346

>>4217304

>thinking he actually met her
>not knowing about the Rose phenomenon

>> No.4217348
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4217348

>/g/ is tired of this trap.

Nope.

>> No.4217350

>>4217346
>rose
>female

Similarly to a Rose on this board, they both have dicks.

>> No.4217353
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4217353

>>4217350
this

>> No.4217357

>>4217334
i think the girl i met's name began with an L and she was french anyway, mustn't be the same person but they look nearly exactly the same

>> No.4217358
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4217358

>>4217350
>>4217353

Unfortunately I'm pretty sure she's a girl.

We can dream though, can't we?

>> No.4217363

Why those two choices? Those (Poly Sci and Physics) are on the opposite ends of each other in pretty much all dimensions. Why not strike a balance? Try biology or chemistry. Or even psychology--which is probably still more rigorous than poly sci.

>> No.4217379

If you can't do math and want to pretend to be a scientist: major in CS, no math beyond HS anywhere in sight and you don't need to know how a computer works (that's CompE). Plus, then you will be able to go into <span class="math">Patent~Law[/spoiler] and have massive amounts of cash rain down upon you with the only mathematics you need to know is how to number figures.

Also if you fail law school, you'll have an exit strategy other than getting a teaching degree or lifetime at B.K. open to you....

>> No.4217394

A Philosophy/Theology/Religion would be a better prep for law school than pure polsci or english majors.

>> No.4217403

Maybe you should look into economics.

Part of it is social science.

Part of it is political science.

Part of it is mathematics (some very similar to that used in physics / natural sciences).

You can "test out the waters" so to speak and move in the direction you feel the most comfortable with.
Economics would probably support law better than physics. But physics is interesting as well and will probably give you a better grip of mathematically / conceptually complex topics than economics.


The comp sci guy has a point too though....

>> No.4217408

>>4217346
What is the Rose phenomenon? I googled it and didn't find anything.

>> No.4217410

>>4217408
search for google images for transsexual

>> No.4217431

>>4217379
>no math beyond HS anywhere in sight

What the fuck? What garbage-tier uni do you go to?

>> No.4217432

>>4217358
goes to the same university as me, i'm taking physics too but she's like 3 years ahead. seen once. she's now doing synoptic physics which is dumb. you can see on the qm website

>> No.4217445
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4217445

>>4217432
also never talked to her or made eye contact. beta here. boydoesitfeelgoodtobeanonymous.jpg if she knew the thoughts of her that went through my mind..

she's different now though. seems completely different from how she acts in her videos

>> No.4217467
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4217467

>>4217445
reminds me of the creepy fucker that appeared when the triangulate-rose shit was going down

>> No.4217470
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4217470

>>4217431
Infinite sums, recurrences, and logs are high school mathematics, if you HS sucked it not my concern. No school ~requires~ the classes that need any more for a BA.

>> No.4217483

>>4217467
you know i'm basically her but male? when i watched her playing the vidya i was like whatthefuuuck. thaat's what iii saaay.

>> No.4217485

>>4217470
Computer Science is not a science. Its a field of mathematics, with programming being engineering.

>> No.4217498
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4217498

>>4217485
Actually I think you'll find it has a lot more in common with magic.

>> No.4217499
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4217499

>>4217483
i'd say thats one of the reasons she appeals to so many neckbeards. good looking tomboys aren't that common.

personally i find her vocabulary and near perfect enunciation... intriguing.

>> No.4217501

>>4217483
>>4217445
also, this is what i look like so no hopes me trying to pick her up.
>>4217470
why no hate for engineers?

>> No.4217508

>>4217499
she speaks like me. i use the exact same words as she does. at a certain point i was freaked out by her videos (well the oldest ones mainly in which she was just me) you know the books video? she recommended books that only i had read. my favourite books was house of leaves :s. i feel that if i see her and talk to her she'll think i'm trying to be her. the look she wore in one of the videos? the faggy t shirt with braces? my look D:

>> No.4217545

>>4217499
>I'd say thats one of the reasons she appeals to so many men. good looking tomboys aren't that common.
Fixed. Unless you're a faggot.

>> No.4217546

>>4216897
do you enjoy physics enough to improve your maths skills?

>> No.4217560
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4217560

>>4217545
hey man everyone faps to their share of traps. this is 4chan man.

>> No.4217582
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4217582

>>4217302
>khanacademy.org
nuoh my god this is fucking amazing. thanks

>> No.4217597

Link to one of Rose's videos?

>> No.4217610
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4217610

>>4217379
>>4217379

that feel when my CS BSc has maths in it beyond high school level

>> No.4217619

>>4217610

Still, there is probably less math than required of a physics BS

>> No.4217629

>>4217597
youtube.com/randytaylor69
fap yourself out. the earliest videos are basically just me.

>> No.4217641

>>4217619

probably, but physics is pretty maths intensive


at the end of the day, a physics graduate couldn't do what a CS graduate could in their respective field, and visa versa

>> No.4217655

>>4217379
Worst advice. CS is basically all high mathematics. In some universities you don't even program 95% of the time.

>> No.4217664

>>4217379

> major in CS, no math beyond HS anywhere in sight
butt hurt libfag

>> No.4217708

>>4217655
>CS
>Math

pick one

>> No.4217733

>>4217708

Yup. No math whatsoever in cryptography! Deeeeeerp

>> No.4217766

>>4217733
This. It's what I study. How far along are you?

>> No.4217776

>>4217655
> CS is basically all high school mathematics. In some universities you don't even program 95% of the time.

Courses that will give you a cs degree (BA):
>intro to programming (programming)
>data structures (programming)
>probability (HS math)
>Discrete math (counting, graphs, HS math)
>Algorithms (retards everywhere thinking this is hard, HS level math and reasoning)
>Comp Arch (programming in assembly and computers)
>OS design (programming and computers)
>Compilers Theory (programming)
>Networks (programming)
>Numerical Methods (HS calculus and linear algebra)
>Computer Graphics (HS calculus and linear algebra with programming)
>Software Engineering (learning how to explain to others about "how you want to program but programming is very hard and your going to be late and over budget; we're sorry...", and learning how to do all the work and programming because your lazy team won't get off their asses)
>Video game exploration and history (pew pew pew)

Looks like 70% programming to me...

Take an intro sequence of gen physics or chem and you get the BS...

>> No.4217819

>>4217733
The cryptography is in my school math department. The computer security course in the cs department is 2 weeks of RSA (lol modular arithmetic and babies first group theory) followed by buffer overflows, writing root-kits and other none math topics...

>> No.4217841

>>4217776
>>4217819

Yup - sorry you guys go to shit-tier uni. Thats nice that you went through the work to compile a nice course list but it completely fails to mention anything related to scientific computing. As for your two weeks of RSA, "lol" indeed.

>> No.4217848

>>4217776

what aCS BSc actually looks like:

Network Fundamentals (NOT programming)
Introduction To Programming (Programming)
Introduction To Database Design And Development (Programming, Data structures)
Web Foundations (Programming)
Computer Organisation With Maths (Hardest stuff here is some basic calculus, A2 stuff, so higher end HS)
Software Engineering (Programming)
Advanced Programming And Data Structures (Programming)
Programming Language Concepts And Paradigms (Programming)
Mathematics For Computing (advanced calculus, lots of logic/boolean, stuff you wouldnt do in HS)
Operating Systems And Advanced Architectures (Assembly Programming)
Web Client And Server Programming (Programming)
Software Engineering Team Project (Programming)
Advanced Data Structures And Applications (Programming)
Theoretical Computer Science (Maths, lots of maths)
Open Distributed Systems (Programming)
Final Year Engineering Project (Programming)


basically, 85% programming, 15% maths, 100% God Tier

>> No.4217861

>>4217819
Wow, you should leave that school. I went to Tulsa Tech; we had great Cyber Security and Cryptography courses.