I will be attending UCR in the fall or in the summer if i get accepted. I’am stressing out because i just got my MAE and ELWR and they aren’t looking too well. I got placed into Math 5 and English 4. My major is Physics, I was planning to join the Physics and Astro program but by the looks of these outcome I’am going nowhere. I enrolled for the Early start Academy for my Math class. At this point I’am just giving up. I heard a few people say that Physics is hard, I took Physics my Senior year and i didn’t understand the material to well because my teacher would teach use the basics and then give us AP worksheets. Anyways, am I “screwed”? I am seriously lost on what to do right now. and if you have gone through the physics major path will you give me some advice or anything that will help me?
Thank you.
Any major is difficult if you don’t genuinely enjoy the material. Given your past experiences with physics, why do you want to study it in college?
I was planning to get a Astronomy or Astrophysics degree but UCR doesn’t have one. However, I did take a Astronomy class which was extremely easy for me. I just though I could give it another try if I don’t like it then I will have to change my major. But then again I don’t want to risk my freshman year.
UCR does not require that you declare a major before you enter. Take your breadth requirements and as wide a range of electives as you can during your first two years. You’ll be in a much better position to determine a course of study then.
Take the Physics 40 series and see how well you do. Every engineering,computer science, and physics major needs to take Physics 40A, 40B, and 40C. See how well you do in that series. They get progressively harder. If you can do well in 40B and 40C then that is a good sign that you are preparded for Physics.