<p>i am 80% sure that i want to be a theoretical physicist. I am 3 years ahead in math and I would be doing computer science in 12th grade. i just want to know what classes should i take in high school that will help and what colleges would you recommend. thanks in advance.</p>
<p>this is my first thread so i did not realize that i put in college addmissions</p>
<p>I’m 100% sure you’re going to change your mind about what you want to be at least once, lol, especially because that’s such a specific profession. You need to chill out and experiment with stuff, take a variety of classes in freshman and sophomore year, find something you legitimately like, and pick classes accordingly for junior and senior year. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover you love writing or something.</p>
<p>You can match colleges to your specs and interests when you begin applying senior year. Now all you can do is focusing on school work, ECs, and standardized testing. I think it’s great that you know what you want to be so early, but be mindful that it’s always apt to change which is not a negative thing.</p>
<p>how many times do people usually change their minds because i already changed my mind once.</p>
<p>I thought you were 85% sure.</p>
<p>but that was 5 years ago.</p>
<p>the reason i want to be a physicist is to have freedom in what u research.</p>
<p>70% of people switch their majors in college. Very very few people that are absolutely positively sure they want to be a doctor end up even applying to med school. Only a 3rd of people who enter engineering actually complete it. That’s why you shouldn’t be too set on one profession. It’s great to research it, and heck even take a job in a related field to see if you actually like it. Maybe you will. Maybe you’ll graduate from college with a theoretical physics degree. But you probably won’t. I’m not insulting you, but skiboy101, you should know there are plenty of jobs that use higher level math. Have you ever thought about how an airport gets the bags from one end to another? Who coordinates that? Who writes the programs? Who designed the system? Those are three jobs that all involve higher order thinking skills. And that’s just in an airport.</p>
<p>To answer your questiosn, take as many challenging courses in high school as you feel comfortable with. Join some clubs related to science. When you’re in your second semester of junior year, then you can start asking questions about which colleges to apply to.</p>
<p>skiboy101, you should talk to some actual profs about what they do. It’s very rare that they actually get to select the topics they research, as it’s typically the case that the one who funds them selects the research topic.</p>
<p>I am currently a college student. I was 99% sure that I wanted to be an astronautical aerospace engineer from age 14-18. I began as a Physics-Space Sciences major in college, changed to Journalism-Print Media, and am now majoring in Elementary and Special Education. </p>
<p>Your best bet is to take a variety of courses in high school that appeal to your interests. Take a career interest inventory, research careers that you find interesting, research various fields of study, talk to people in different fields of study, join clubs, volunteer, and do some independant studying in your field of interest. </p>
<p>Just do your best in high school, and challenge yourself. Even as Seniors many people do not know what they want to be “when they grow up.”</p>
<p>Happykid has been dead certain of her career field since she was your age. Some people just are like that. You might be one of them too.</p>
<p>Since you are well ahead of the average student in Math, you need to be talking with your parents and the people at your high school so you can plan what you are going to do. Some students arrange to take high math courses at a community college or four-year college/university, and some just go ahead and start college early. </p>
<p>Lastly, choosing a major is one thing, getting into a college/university is another, and actually paying for college is still another. Talk with your parents about how they plan for you to pay for your education. How much can they afford to pay each year? If there isn’t much money available, spend some time in the Financial Aid Forum reading about guaranteed merit-based scholarships. If your grades and test scores are good enough, you may be able to go to college somewhere for free!</p>
<p>skiboy, I think it’s great that you have an interest in what you want to do in college and beyond. I know several teens who were like you and did indeed grow up to study and have careers in those fields. I am not one of them, however. </p>
<p>For those who WERE, what they did is talk to their teachers in high school and ask lots of questions about their recommendations as far as what colleges to look at, where to take advanced classes if the high schools didn’t offer what they needed, and more importantly, got involved in activities in and out of school in their areas of interest. See what’s out there where a math and science kid can get involved to help you find your path.</p>
<p>I have a nephew who has wanted to go to the Air Force Academy since he was maybe 9. He wants to study, the teach, political science. That has never changed and he’s a rising junior in high school. He’s involved in every possible EC at his school even partially related to such a future major, as well as Civil Air Patrol. He’s enlisted advisers to help his nail down the nomination to the Academy, choose classes, etc. He’s research other colleges as back-ups, and so on. I suggest you do something along those same lines but for your line of interest.</p>
<p>Teachers are usually willing to help a driven kid-at least in my experience. Good luck to you.</p>