Non-formal education
 

I'm looking for advice in this thread about my education.

Little backround:
I did two years of university towards a commerce degree, but dropped out to play poker. I also hated what I was studying and after giving a bit of philosphy a try, i got the final push and left. Poker is going well and i am only looking to learn as a hobby, not as preparation for another career. I hate formal learning and need to work on my on terms, plus i need time for poker. So, going back to school appears like a poor option for me.

Recently I have come to realize that I am very interested in physics and would like to be able to understand the math at high levels. So far i've bought myself a selft-teaching guide that goes over the fundamnetals. I have a brief history of time and just got the universe in a nutshell, but they lack the depth that i am seeking. I also have a linear alegebra book and calculus book from university and i'll obviously purchase whatever is necessary. Heres my question, though: is it possible for me to independtly learn physics at high levels? I don't see why i can't, but maybe i'm overly optimistic.

Re: Non-formal education
 

[ QUOTE ]
Heres my question, though: is it possible for me to independtly learn physics at high levels? I don't see why i can't, but maybe i'm overly optimistic.

[/ QUOTE ]
Most people would run into conceptual brick wall after brick wall and fail. If you learn well from books, you might have a chance to succeed, and the attempt may be satisfying whether you succeed or fail.

Your choice of books has been poor. If you are serious, I recommend that you get the textbooks used by classes for physics majors at elite universities, including the optional texts, and try to work through them. Do the exercises and experiments that you can. Also, you will need a lot more mathematics than calculus and basic linear algebra. For graduate-level physics, you'll need vector calculus, differential equations, differential geometry, modern algebra, real and complex analysis, etc.

Re: Non-formal education
 

[ QUOTE ]
is it possible for me to independtly learn physics at high levels? I don't see why i can't, but maybe i'm overly optimistic.


[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely! Albert Einstein and my avator are a testament to that. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

The Feyman Lectures in Physics is a classic, and a must read . Amazon should have it.

Although it is possible to learn high-level physics and math on your own, it might be helpful to have someone to talk to about your ideas and though process. Most university professors will be more than happy to spend time talking with anyone about the subject they love.

Re: Non-formal education
 

[ QUOTE ]
Your choice of books has been poor. If you are serious, I recommend that you get the textbooks used by classes for physics majors at elite universities, including the optional texts, and try to work through them.

[/ QUOTE ]

After going through the self-teaching guide this is my next move.

Re: Non-formal education
 

It's most certainly possible and you'll likely get there faster because you won't have to attend seminars and lectures that are irrelevant to what you want to learn. The hard part is motivation, though. The temptation is too great to just put it off without strict deadlines and fixed goals like exams. A good idea would be to bet an ambitious undergrad physics student that you can get a higher score than him on the physics GRE, say. That should give a good motivational push.