Transition from lower division to upper division as a physics major

[skwissgaar]

I'm finishing up my 2nd year of college at a local CC transferring to university in the Fall working on a BS in astrophysics and math minor. I've worked out my schedule so far for the next 3 years (taking an extra year due to some general ed's not transferring) and it looks like for all but my last 2 semesters, I'll be looking at 9 units of upper division physics a semester; about 3 classes per.

My question is, with the usual 3-4 course introductory calc-based physics sequence (mechanics, E&M, waves/optics/modern physics), how much does the difficulty ramp up once you reach upper division physics courses?

 

[R.Mesri]

My college offers a few upper division courses in each of the major areas of physics, like advanced mechanics, statistical mechanics, and quantum mechanics, but I was wondering if the difficulty jump between intro and upper division courses is more a factor of the content being covered, or if the professors generally expect more from you in terms of problem solving ability and mathematical prowess. It's definitely true that upper division courses are more difficult than introductory courses in terms of the content being covered, since they typically require an advanced understanding of the foundations and principles of the subject matter. However, the amount of difficulty also depends on the instructor teaching the course and the type of course. For example, a course focused on theoretical physics may be more mathematically intensive than one focused on experimental physics. Ultimately, it will be up to you to research the courses you plan to take and talk to your advisor or peers who have taken the courses to get an idea of the difficulty level.