Thursday, August 25, 2011

My Introduction

Hello everyone. My name is Peter Perez de Corcho and I am at my fourth and final year at JU. I'm glad to be part of this blog, I'll be sure to visit frequently. I hope to learn a little bit from each of you as time progresses.

I am currently doing a double major in Mathematics and Electrical Engineering with a minor in Physics. I will be finishing at JU next Spring with my degree and Mathematics and I plan on finishing my engineering degree at Georgia Tech (if I get accepted that is). The field of engineering and math was something I knew I would get into at a very young age.

On my free time I enjoy playing guitar, listening to music, working out, and running. These hobbies help me keep my mind intact so that I don't go insane from the work loads we engineering/math/physics majors deal with. We all need our breaks from the books. Even Einstein turned to his violin when he struggled with his research and studies.

Now here is a question I have for you:
What are your thoughts on the Physics 111 course? Do you enjoy it? Do you despise it? Why?
Any thoughts on taking your physics knowledge any further?

16 comments:

  1. Hi Peter,

    My name is Katie Kelly, I am not sure why its making me post under anonymous, but so far I have enjoyed the course that I am taking. Although I have a feeling that it is going to get much much harder and im nervous. After I take this course, I will have to go on and take Physics II in order to apply to grad school, so I am hoping that this stuff will come easy to me or atleast managable!

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  2. Hey Peter,

    I'm Lauren Prince. I have enjoyed Physics so far (even though it has only been a week). I'm feeling confident right now, but I know this course will become challenging and that makes me nervous. I plan on taking the MCAT next year, so Physics II is definitely in my future. I really like the idea of a blog. Looking forward to getting to know you. I'm sure I will be asking for some tutoring!

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  3. Hello Peter,
    My name is Nayade Moreno. It is nice getting to know you! I am really liking Physics class. I like how we are learning about kinematics and how we can apply it to our everyday life. You mentioned that from a very young age you knew you would end up studying something related to engineering and math, are these somewhat related to Physics? If they are, can you provide a life-example where the three subjects are interconnected?

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  4. Hi Peter!

    My name is Shandale McKay. Its only the first week of class but I think I will enjoy this class. I am nervous because I know that the class will get harder but hopefully I will do well.

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  5. Hi there! My name is Megan Zellner. Physics is okay so far, but I am nervous because I have heard a lot of bad reviews from some of my friends who took Physics in high school. So far, though, I have enjoyed this course and I have an open mind about it. After this class I have to take Physics too, so I'm hoping to do well!

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  6. Hey,
    My name is Morgan Derner. I actually was dreading physics but now that I have started looking through the textbook I have found that I am actually somewhat interested in the topic. I hope that I continue to enjoy it as the semester goes on

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  7. Hey Peter,

    I did enjoy the introductory physics class I took in high school, so I'm hoping this one will shape up similarly. I appreciate the subject matter and focus of the science, so it is quite interesting. As for taking physics further, I was planning on taking Physical Oceanography (if it's offered again at JU) as one of my upper level Marine Science courses.

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  8. @ Katie Kelly
    Don't be nervous! It'll move at steady pace. It will only get harder if you make it harder.

    @Lauren Prince
    I would be glad to help you out in the future. Don't let the nervousness get to you, that's the worst thing for someone taking a physics course. It will go well if you allow it.

    @Nayade Moreno
    The course becomes much easier once you see the real life applications of physics (kinematics is my favorite). That's how I fell in love with the subject matter.
    Engineering applies physics to real life concepts structured through the light of mathematics. An example (a little wild) is a circuit board. Engineers construct these circuits boards using the concepts of physics and describe their properties with mathematics. It's this connection of applicable physics with mathematics that led me on the path to electrical engineering.

    @Shandale McKay
    It will get harder, but that's your choice. You will need to put in the effort, but you will understand the concepts through practice.

    @Megan Zellner
    Keeping an open mind is the right way to enter a physics course, great start. And don't let your high school friends scare you, we are all different with our comprehension of science.

    @Morgan Derner
    That's awesome! I did the same when I first took physics. I spent my free time looking through the text to get an understanding of some concepts (I still do it today, but that's expected from a nerd like me).
    If you enjoy the class then you are sure to pass with flying colors.

    @Alissa Gilmer
    That's great! As I told Morgan above, if you enjoy the course then you will do well. You may even have a change of heart and continue with your studies of physics. Physics plays a nice part in Marine Science, just google 'Marine Science Physics' and see for yourself. Really interesting stuff.

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  9. Thanks for the reassurance Peter! I know having a positive attitude and confidence will make all the difference in the world:)

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  10. This is my first physics course so I am not sure exactly what I will be interested in, yet. I did get my hands on Brain Greene's The Elegant Universe and just sat there in awe as I thumbed threw it. So, what do you think about the String Theory?

    Jessica Lang

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  11. @ Jessica Lang
    Great to hear your interest in the subject matter. I never read the book, but I do know basis of it. String theory...it's mind blowing yet so simple. I followed a lot of Michio Kaku's (co-founder of string theory) work on it in the past.
    I do believe in most of the concepts behind the theory. Everything in the universe vibrates at some frequency. It's the same idea as a guitar string vibrating when it is struck. Each musical note vibrates at a specific frequency. The same idea constitutes for string theory where all matter is made up of these tiny strings vibrating at a certain frequency. It's as if everything works on music (that's my take on it as a guitarist).

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  12. Thanks Peter,
    It is great getting to know more about the link in all you majors and minors.
    A question:
    Can kinematic equations be used in higher level mathematics? Can you share an example with the class?

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  13. Hello Peter,

    I am probably a bit late, but late is better than never I suppose. My name is Reynold Ly. I am a biochemistry major at JU. I am also a Jacksonville local like Lauren here. My goal is that I want to become a biomedical scientist. I am not sure what field yet, but I am currently interested in biochemistry, pharmacology, and cancer biology. I do not have much of a physics background, but I hope what I gain from this course will help me understand the physics side in the biomedical field.

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  14. 'Ello Pete,

    My name is Kelsey Irvine and I'm majoring in Bio to one day be a vet. So far this course has been frustrating at its worst and and "hmm, I didn't realize that" at its best. I've enjoyed getting to meet the bloggers. It's nice getting to have a face/personality to the posts rather than just a posting. I hope you will enjoy being a part of this blog and dealing with the physics students.

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  15. Physics is an awesome class.Also it makes you realize how much physics is involved in your daily lives.

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  16. There is no doubt physics is fascinating.

    Jessica Lang

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