What to consider before taking a physics course (given a mathematical background)? I'm a Computer Engineering major, but when I was in high school I was a very poor student.  I didn't pay attention and I didn't think I was capable of succeeding in classes like Math and Science so I just didn't care.  I'm much older now and a bit wiser, and because I'm back in school, I realize I may have some potential. 
I've always loved science and math but never appreciated it.  I left high school knowing only pre-algebra.  Now 8 years later I taught myself Algebra through reading and practice, and started attending a community college and placed directly into their Pre-calc class without any Algebra classes.  I successfully passed Pre-Calc, Calculus 1 and currently in Calculus 2 all with A's.  
I've never taken a Physics course before, but I'm extremely interested in the topic.  Will my success in Math translate into success with my upcoming physics courses (calculus based physics is where I'll be starting)?
Is there anyway to prepare to learn physics so that I have a higher chance of succeeding in the course?  How much of understanding physics is just natural ability?
 A: There is no way to tell for sure, physics (especially theoretical) is, however, largely dependent on mathematics so good knowledge of mathematics will certainly help. There is, nevertheless, a certain distinction to be made:
Mathematics is purely abstract while physics deals with applying this abstract apparatus to our real world observations. In other words, in physics, mathematics is used just as a tool for understanding our world with mathematics being the means. Mathematics, on the other hand, is focused on studying this abstract language and it is the ends. Nobody here (except for maybe you) can judge which of these fields suits you better.
There are people for whom mathematics is interesting for its own inner beauty. Mathematical thinking is clear and logic and some people find it appealing. Physics, on the other hand, requires taking this nice and complex mathematical language and making it suitable for a given physical problem. That often requires crude generalisations and making lots of approximations that, to someone, might lack the clarity of pure mathematics. For such people, mathematics is a better choice.
But there are also people who can understand mathematics, but it is a bit too abstract for them. They might need a clear picture behind mathematical concepts that mathematics by itself cannot provide. For such people, physics can be much more appealing because of its accent on real world providing this simple picture.
There is, naturally, also a lot of people in between who can enjoy both mathematics in physics (but possibly one a bit more than the other). Without all context, it is impossible for anyone to judge, into which of these group you belong. The best way to find out is to try and see. Just remember: there are lots of fields in physics and some might be of more interest to you than others. So if, at first, physics seems a bit boring, you might just need to find a different field. And if none of the fields in physics really suit you, that's alright, too; you can just stick to the math.
