purplecthulhu

I got hooked on physics at age 12. It was always the obvious choice at school being interested in how thinks worked. At A level I was neutral about maths but grew to hate Chemistry.

With hindsight, I might have been better off as an Engineer, as the maths content of University physics was really beyond me. But I was disuaded by the pratical aspect of engineering, as I never enjoyed making physical things.

This is probably why I ended up a software engineer.

Okay. So I grew up reading Physics Bulletin: the pretty covers always sucked me in even if the contents boggled me). But then my Dad was a professional physicist. I read New Scientist as well--still do. Living next door to a large nuclear site does rather focus the mind on matters scientific and in nuclear physics in particular. I wonder how much interest I'd have taken if we'd not been shown around on our own guided tour of the site. Or if my mother hadn't studied OU science when I was little (all those afternoons building molecules, the map of the mid-Atlantic trench on the wall: these things make an impression when you're at junior school).

I loved Maths and Physics at school, despite the rather uninspiring Physics teacher I had for 'O' level. I liked the patterns* in Physics and the fact that there was so little learning--some equations and some laws--and you'd got it cracked. No practical exam too: whilst I rather enjoyed Chemistry practicals, I found them rather daunting. I loathed Biology. It had too few "sums" and seemed somehow less rigorous.

I didn't continue because of the exam system and school organisation: English, French, Maths, Physics didn't fit the timetable (and I'd done enough fighting of the timetable to get through my 'O' levels). Of course, being able to do those, or similar choices, would merely have postponed the inevitable crunch decision.

The degree I took was the easiest route into Oxbridge which is where (for some entirely unknown reason) I'd intended to go from about the age of seven or eight. But I was the only English student I knew who owned a computer--and tried to learn LISP and Prolog.

I think, Biology excepted, I liked all the academic subjects at school when they were challenging enough that I wasn't bored stiff. The strong, not necessarily likable, committed teachers--the ones who'd give you extra work if you got things done fast--helped make some things more interesting. My Physics teacher was boring and unispiring, but thorough. I liked thorough.

I chose 'A' levels a little too much on exam results. I added a new subject, Economics, which was the subject that fitted in instead of Maths or Physics. I also made choices on the assumption that I was heading for a modern languages degree, which I wasn't. My choices at 'A' level did not reflect what I wanted to do beyond university because I refused to think that far ahead, but I don't think I was given a great deal of information on what one did with ones studies for any subject (except for the wonderful survey done just before 'O' level which suggested that I confused the computer and would I like to be a museum administrator or cartographer?)

* Actually that's what I liked full stop: patterns. I liked Maths and Physics because of laws and patterns (Economics, too, come to think of it). I liked learning languages because there were rules of grammar that allowed you to build things up. I liked seeing how the plates moved across the earth over time (maybe that makes it patterns a processes). I enjoyed music because I got to see how the pieces were put together.... I despised the view of my head of English that everyone could write poetry and it was in free verse.

I'm not sure that answers any of your questions properly.

I had one science option at sixth form and actually opted to take physics. However, someone got the paperwork mixed up and I ended up being registered to do biology instead. My thought at the time was: "physics, biology, whatever, it's all interesting" so I just stuck with the timetable they'd given me. I didn't want to take a second science subject (i.e. physics as well as biology) because I wanted to keep a breadth of subjects and didn't want to end up specialising that early.

Consequently, I didn't have the science background needed to get onto a physics course at university. (I'd done maths at sixth form, but not to a high enough level for physics.) It might have been something I would have seriously considered, were it not for the fact I was eminently unqualified to do it. Looked really interesting though.

If you took, or are taking, a different subject, why did you choose that? And why that instead of physics?
My subject was in the liberal arts, primarily involved with writing, and a heavy emphasis on history, geography, sociology. The "instead" of physics was because I wasn't very good at the physics I did do, and felt both it wasn't as much fun, and it wasn't going to give me a good result for the investment of my time and effort. For what it's worth, in my university years, I had the opportunity to follow an interdisciplinary physics course, i.e. not one for professionals, and it was a lot of fun, as well as hard work. But I was rewarded with the "secrets" behind everyday phenomenon like what makes musical sound or how color exists. That was an enriching experience, and if more physics education could have been like that, perhaps... perhaps it could have led me to become more involved with the study.

How aware were you of what physics included while at school? And now?
I'm distinguishing between pre-university and university years, here. I already mentioned the interdisciplinary physics class (don't call it "physics for poets" unless that is a very common name, as I think that could identify the comment right off). I learned my school had a basic physics course, and took it in a misguided attempt to connect with one of my family. (Call that desperation.) It was an eye-opener, because while I stressed over algebraic equations that were sort of the "language" of the study, there was a lot more "nuts and bolts" than I'd realized. (The stress was entirely self-generated: apparently I wasn't All That Bad with the necessary math... but I was ignorant of that, at the time.) The second, university-level class clinched it for me - there was a lot of coolness, if only I could keep focussed long enough to perceive it. The trick was keeping focussed and I didn't seem very good at that. The professor was very helpful and supportive, so I don't know what else could have been done to get us to continue, if he was trying to recruit future physicists.

What made you interested in subjects at school? What influenced your choice of A-levels?
(With some fudging since my schooling didn't speak "A-levels") Generally I enjoyed the topics I performed well at, but also seemed happier to work hard on the humanities courses, language, art, history and the like. "Connection" would probably be the organizing principle, connection to the outside world, to my experience of it, explanations.

Fantasy: a cross-over class, sort of a history of science lecture followed immediately by the laboratory encounter to illustrate whatever principle had figured in that day's lecture. Who's that guy who does the science lectures every Christmas? (Someone around you probably hates him, actually.) That sort of thing is very engaging, although I'm still left with a "what do I do with this?" feeling.

Crazy(and full of natter)Soph

>If you've taken, or are taking, a physics degree, why did you choose the subject?

i liked maths and science
doulble maths at a-lelvel put me off doing a maths degree.
i still enjoyed physics so i did that.
first year of my degree put me off physics :)

i still enjoy the big ideas its just the annoyign maths which pissed me off.

I was pretty much equally interested in all the subjects I did at A Level (English, French, Maths, Physics). I have to admit I took Physics at Imperial because Physics was one of the courses with the highest results required for entry that I was even vaguely interested in and I was pretty sure I was going to get As. And I didn't get into Cambridge.

I took it at school because I was interested in science, and Physics was always regarded as 'harder' than Chemistry and Biology (which were kind of looked down on at my school).

I have sidestepped into the education sector because I'm not actually very good at the highly mathematical and esoteric phsyics required for high level degree work and find a lot of in conceptually interesting but procedurally boring, and much prefer the simpler stuff. And some contact with human beings.

Possibly not the kind of answers you'll be looking for, but honest at least.