logs:
[
{
"timestamp": "2025-10-02T04:26:34.495Z",
"message": "made the study guide from the blog [detailed guide for self learning physics](https://www.susanrigetti.com/physics)"
},
{
"timestamp": "2025-10-05T04:28:37.283Z",
"message": "working through first three minutes and it's extremely information dense, feels like i have to keep a note open and write down every sentence i dont understand so that i can spend more time learning about it.\nvery intruiging and intense."
}
]study guide
detailed guide for self learning physics
high level books:
- the first three minutes by steven weinberg
- the character of physical law by feynman
- the particle odyssey by frank close
- black holes and time warps by kip thorne
- the theoretical minimum ( ~level 5 )
- the feynman lectures on physics ( levels 5-6 )
- deep down things: breathtaking beauty of particle physics ( during level 7 )
course type material
1. Mechanics
book: University Physics by Young and Freedman
All Chapters of Mechanics
Learn calculus alongside from MathAcademy to assist with this
2. Electrostatics
book: University Physics by Young and Freedman
All chapters on Electromagnetism
You absolutely need to finish basics of calculus before you move on from this
3. Waves and Vibrations
books: Vibrations and Waves by French Vibrations and Waves by King
both are essential and contain different problems and solutions
Start working through Linear algebra, complex analysis, real analysis, partial differential equations and ordinary differential equations around now.
4. Modern Physics
book: University Physics by Young and Freedman
Work through the Thermodynamics chapters and Modern Physics chapters
You should still be continuing mastering the math in the above section because that’s all the math required for undergraduate physics
5. Classic Mechanics
book: Taylor’s Classical Mechanics
supplement: Morin’s Introduction to Classical Mechanics with Problems and Solutions ( great problems to work through ) Problems and Solutions in Introductory Mechanics by Morin ( contains great problem solving strategies and even more great problems )
You absolutely need to finish all of the math from above before you move on from this
6. Electrodynamics
book: Griffith’s introduction to electrodynamics WORK through EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM in the book
supplement:
Div, Grad, Curl and All that by Schey - short textbook on vector calculus that is very helpful when trying to work with vectors in electrodynamics
a student’s guide to maxwell’s equations by fleisch - maxwell’s equations are essential in understanding electrodynamics. this book is the best supplement on this topic
7. Quantum Mechanics
book: Griffith’s introduction to quantum mechanics
the book on quantum mechanics and every single problem is worth solving
8. Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
book: Schroeder’s An Introduction to Thermal Physics — very clear and straightforward explanations and examples
9. Undergraduate Elective
- Biophysics: Biophysics: An Introduction by Glaser. A solid introduction to the principles of biophysics.
- Electronics: Basic Electronics for Scientists and Engineers by Eggleston. Accessible to anyone who has worked through the basics of electrodynamics.
- String Theory. A First Course in String Theory by Zwiebach. The essential introduction to string theory.
other related reading and content which enhanced my experience: the last question sci fi but very physics inclined and made me curious to study more about energy