Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: Concerned About Grades



Another observation I have is that a lot of students who do extremely
well in other subjects/majors find physics much more difficult than
the other subjects, whereas students who are excellent physics
students through the upper-division level tend to find it pretty easy
to do well in other subjects. I have known lots of non-physics majors
who found their general education requirement physics course to be the
hardest course they ever took, while none of my fellow physics and
engineering majors found their general ed courses in the humanities,
history, etc. very difficult at all. This points toward the conclusion
that the combination of natural talent in physics and the diligence
required to do the work is rather rare. After all, it is well known
that careers in science and engineering pay quite well. Yet, there is
a shortage of Americans who get degrees in these areas. Surley more
people would enter these lucrative fields if they had the talent and
diligence required to do so. I include diligence in my argument
because I have observed that physics/engineering major courses
typically involve a greater quantity of required work than do courses
in majors in the humanities, history, etc.

The key here might be the diligence. I studied physics because I
liked it. I didn't have the highest GPA. I didn't get straight A's in
physics courses. I could have choosen other fields and had a
higher GPA, but I don't think in the real world GPA means anything.
Tim
Tim O'Donnell
Instructor of Physics and Chemistry
Celina High School
715 East Wayne Street
Celina, Ohio 45822
(419) 586-8300 Ext 1200 or 1201
odonnt@celina.k12.oh.us

"Chance favors the prepared mind." - Louis Pastuer