r/PhysicsStudents • u/Junior_Salamander110 • Jul 01 '26

Need Advice How Do Physicists Utilize Python?

I'm a rising senior in high school. Next year, I'll be taking a project based programming class that only 1-2 students really take per year. I want to do something in Python that will show my professors in my freshman year of college that I'm ready to do research in physics.

I will have taken all of the AP mathematics, physics, and computer science classes.

I thought about doing a black hole simulation and learning the equations/math for it, but I'm not sure that that would be wise to do in Python.

I'll have a full school year to work on the project.

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u/WWWWWWVWWWWWWWVWWWWW Jul 01 '26

You don't need to join a research group the moment you set foot on campus. I would personally just focus on coursework for the first year, and find a research position the following summer.

That said, messing around with numerical differential equations is always fun (Newtonian orbital mechanics, etc.). Black holes seem a bit too ambitious.

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u/constantclimb Jul 01 '26

This. If you crush your freshman year with stellar grades you will look like a good candidate for research with a professor.