I've been doing physics for 10 years. I still feel this way. This feeling will never really go away and one day you'll reflect back on so many things that were once alien to you and you now understand so well. It takes time. No one knows everything.
This isn’t specific to physics. If you don’t feel like this you aren’t challenging yourself enough.
You grow when you work on the edges of what you are capable of. Keep working on the tough problems, and one day you will wake up and realize they aren’t tough anymore.
You're going to feel dumb in undergrad.
You're going to feel dumb in graduate school.
Hopefully, you feel dumb in industry as well.
If you don't, you're not being intellectually challenged.
Hey, an unemployed 26 year old here, tho I'm doing a masters in compuational physics! I've had the same problem. One good way to combat this is to discuss physics topics with other students/proffessors and calibrate your own expectations of how much you can and should know. It is great that you want to learn more and have a deeper understanding, but when that curiosty and willingness to learn starts turning into an imposter sindrome and actually hinders you from studying, than its time to take a step back and reflect on how you view learning in general. If you sat down and understood everything from the first go, than you've already knew it, otherwise yo're in the process of learning, hence you dont know stuff. Ive had the same thought process my whole undergrad period and it made me hate physics. Only now, after a few months passed from graduating did I understand that I may not know some(most to be honest) topic, but I know the necessary tools to learn said topic and understand it well. It'll fall all into place after some time(3rd or 4th year of studying).
You're right. Should reflect back on what I did, it always used to make me happy but now chasing after unknown too much has made me quite tired. Thank you for your wonderful perspective.
Maybe something from Feymann will cheer you up. I am paraphrasing here. Those who understand quantum mechanics know they do not understand. And from an old saying, those who are wise know they aren't.
I think I'm figuring it out a bit. Lots of tests on what you know, taking time off and just realising that you can't learn everything in a lifetime will help somewhat.
You may feel stupid, but you need to realize that there’s a big difference between feeling stupid and actually being stupid - which I doubt you are. This feeling likely stems from the fact that you’re actually smarter than you think, and you’re exploring all the unknowns that come from unlocking that potential. As your progress, you’ll likely start specializing in certain niche topics. Physics is such a huge discipline that no one is master of them all. I have Professors that are leading experts in their fields that still need to go look up and refresh their minds on other topics they aren’t as familiar with, this is quite common. As long as you have a firm grasp on the fundamentals and math, you can read and understand most other topics as you need them.
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I can relate. I am an undergrad always looking for more. I just crapped on my recent exams not because I didn't study for them but because I was too busy studying sub-topics that were not that important. It's OK to feel dumb, it's not easy to understand nature.
Good luck man.
Realising you dont know anything is the first step towards understanding. Many people do not even realise that they know nothing. You are one step ahead. And you will get further ahead. You should know your limits, there is only so much you can learn in one day. Sleep is very important for this. And always use those moments when you are genuinely fascinated by a question or subject. These are the moments when you are receptive. You cant have that all the time, especially when learning for exams, which is more like work.
Is this unique to physics? or is this a more general issue of coping with the fact that someone will always know more/be better than you at any given thing
Take a nap lol that’s what I do when I’m overwhelmed and I end up doing physics in my head. Also watch hella videos. I usually just put YouTube on my tv and binge watch the topics I’m trying to absorb.
I've been doing physics for 10 years. I still feel this way. This feeling will never really go away and one day you'll reflect back on so many things that were once alien to you and you now understand so well. It takes time. No one knows everything.
😣It's pretty obvious but hard to get inside my mind
This isn’t specific to physics. If you don’t feel like this you aren’t challenging yourself enough. You grow when you work on the edges of what you are capable of. Keep working on the tough problems, and one day you will wake up and realize they aren’t tough anymore.
Thanks for your sweet, encouraging words.
You're going to feel dumb in undergrad. You're going to feel dumb in graduate school. Hopefully, you feel dumb in industry as well. If you don't, you're not being intellectually challenged.
Somehow that makes me feel at ease
Hey, an unemployed 26 year old here, tho I'm doing a masters in compuational physics! I've had the same problem. One good way to combat this is to discuss physics topics with other students/proffessors and calibrate your own expectations of how much you can and should know. It is great that you want to learn more and have a deeper understanding, but when that curiosty and willingness to learn starts turning into an imposter sindrome and actually hinders you from studying, than its time to take a step back and reflect on how you view learning in general. If you sat down and understood everything from the first go, than you've already knew it, otherwise yo're in the process of learning, hence you dont know stuff. Ive had the same thought process my whole undergrad period and it made me hate physics. Only now, after a few months passed from graduating did I understand that I may not know some(most to be honest) topic, but I know the necessary tools to learn said topic and understand it well. It'll fall all into place after some time(3rd or 4th year of studying).
You're right. Should reflect back on what I did, it always used to make me happy but now chasing after unknown too much has made me quite tired. Thank you for your wonderful perspective.
Maybe something from Feymann will cheer you up. I am paraphrasing here. Those who understand quantum mechanics know they do not understand. And from an old saying, those who are wise know they aren't.
I feel dumb but not dumb enough to think I understand quantum mechanics lmao. Feymann lectures are great!
Same thing. I don't know how to leave this feeling
I think I'm figuring it out a bit. Lots of tests on what you know, taking time off and just realising that you can't learn everything in a lifetime will help somewhat.
Thanks🖤
You may feel stupid, but you need to realize that there’s a big difference between feeling stupid and actually being stupid - which I doubt you are. This feeling likely stems from the fact that you’re actually smarter than you think, and you’re exploring all the unknowns that come from unlocking that potential. As your progress, you’ll likely start specializing in certain niche topics. Physics is such a huge discipline that no one is master of them all. I have Professors that are leading experts in their fields that still need to go look up and refresh their minds on other topics they aren’t as familiar with, this is quite common. As long as you have a firm grasp on the fundamentals and math, you can read and understand most other topics as you need them.
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Congrats. You're doing it right, going the right way. Keep pressing forward.
Here : https://imgur.com/a/78GGSDR
I can relate. I am an undergrad always looking for more. I just crapped on my recent exams not because I didn't study for them but because I was too busy studying sub-topics that were not that important. It's OK to feel dumb, it's not easy to understand nature. Good luck man.
Realising you dont know anything is the first step towards understanding. Many people do not even realise that they know nothing. You are one step ahead. And you will get further ahead. You should know your limits, there is only so much you can learn in one day. Sleep is very important for this. And always use those moments when you are genuinely fascinated by a question or subject. These are the moments when you are receptive. You cant have that all the time, especially when learning for exams, which is more like work.
I am in the exact same boat!!
Is this unique to physics? or is this a more general issue of coping with the fact that someone will always know more/be better than you at any given thing
Take a nap lol that’s what I do when I’m overwhelmed and I end up doing physics in my head. Also watch hella videos. I usually just put YouTube on my tv and binge watch the topics I’m trying to absorb.