PhD Programs for Mathematical Physics (Experimental Condensed Matter Physics)

[Ege Artan]

Look, you are already screwing up. Rather than waste time trying to find a research project worthy of you, you should find one now. Yes, as a freshman you will likely be metaphorically washing test tubes rather than Solving The Mysteries of the Universe.

You should do whatever you can. Be grateful. Be humble. Be helpful. Learn.

I am not really getting what this reply was about. I am already spending time looking for research projects, I just came here in my free time and asked for an answer to a question which I thought was pretty straightforward. And I do know that what you said metaphorically is 100% going to happen in the first year, but I could not find an answer to my question in this comment.

I am trying and being (I hope so) as grateful as I possibly can, but not getting an answer to what I asked and being lectured on simple (but important) lessons which I already know of just feels like I am being scorned.

 

[Choppy]

Could you please explain what I should be learning or looking for during my undergrad research, what will be the main takeaway points?

When I was an undergrad I met Bert Brockhouse (Nobel Prize in Physics 1994) and I asked him if he had any advice for a young person interested in physics. He told how important it was to develop "green thumbs." What he was talking about was the same thing Mary Boas introduced in her Mathematical Methods textbook when she talked about the difference between knowledge and skill. The cultivation of one's scientific skill set comes through practice. And I think that's at least one of the more important things one gains with research: skill development. And not only in terms of techniques, but project organization and design, systematic investigation, data analysis, working effectively as a member of a team, learning to write up results, learning to present and defend your work... even developing the ability to persevere on a problem on those days/weeks/months when everything you do doesn't seem to work. So to that end, when looking for an undergraduate project it's important to think about the specific skills you want to develop.

The other thing that comes to mind is that these kind of experiences are your best window into what life as a graduate student -> post-doc -> academic is going to be like. Even if you get nothing else out of them, they will give you insight into this life. So if you're interested in the "theory" side of things, look for research projects with people who work in this area, on problems that seem interesting to you. If it turns out that all the stuff you think is so cool in the lectures is actually quite mundane when you start working with it on a daily basis, it's a lot better if you figure that out over a summer as an undergrad than after you've committed to a four-to-six year project on the stuff.

 

[Ege Artan]

When I was an undergrad I met Bert Brockhouse (Nobel Prize in Physics 1994) and I asked him if he had any advice for a young person interested in physics. He told how important it was to develop "green thumbs." What he was talking about was the same thing Mary Boas introduced in her Mathematical Methods textbook when she talked about the difference between knowledge and skill. The cultivation of one's scientific skill set comes through practice. And I think that's at least one of the more important things one gains with research: skill development. And not only in terms of techniques, but project organization and design, systematic investigation, data analysis, working effectively as a member of a team, learning to write up results, learning to present and defend your work... even developing the ability to persevere on a problem on those days/weeks/months when everything you do doesn't seem to work. So to that end, when looking for an undergraduate project it's important to think about the specific skills you want to develop.

The other thing that comes to mind is that these kind of experiences are your best window into what life as a graduate student -> post-doc -> academic is going to be like. Even if you get nothing else out of them, they will give you insight into this life. So if you're interested in the "theory" side of things, look for research projects with people who work in this area, on problems that seem interesting to you. If it turns out that all the stuff you think is so cool in the lectures is actually quite mundane when you start working with it on a daily basis, it's a lot better if you figure that out over a summer as an undergrad than after you've committed to a four-to-six year project on the stuff.

Thank you a lot for the insight, I was looking for an answer of this caliber!

I am seriously considering to take part in a research project in my uni, even if I do not get to do something active, I will still try to follow them and contribute to the project as a contributor. What you said makes complete sense, I am only seeing theory for maybe 2 hours nonstop in a seminar and that is it for the whole week, makes a ton of sense to take part in a project.

Do you think people will be accepting towards a first-year student? I will still try my shot, as you miss all the shots you don't take, but I want to know what people will react beforehand so that I can prepare myself to it. Will they just not care about my request even if it is just being there or will they be accepting?

 

[Choppy]

Do you think people will be accepting towards a first-year student? I will still try my shot, as you miss all the shots you don't take, but I want to know what people will react beforehand so that I can prepare myself to it. Will they just not care about my request even if it is just being there or will they be accepting?

You might get a mixed bag of experiences. Some people are quite happy to talk research opportunities with undergraduates. Others will only do it because it's an expected part of their academic mandate. As a general rule, preference tends to lead toward more senior students... for the most part they have more experience and are expected to be more productive. But even if it doesn't work out right away, sometimes the fact that you've shown an interest early can get you to the front of the line later.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Do you think people will be accepting towards a first-year student?

Not really. You don't know anything yet. You are 25-30 courses behind where you need to be to start the sort of research you want to do - or, put another way, about 20,000 hours of work short. You just finished high school - you simply are not ready to do most tasks required of theoretical physics.

 

[Ege Artan]

Not really. You don't know anything yet. You are 25-30 courses behind where you need to be to start the sort of research you want to do - or, put another way, about 20,000 hours of work short. You just finished high school - you simply are not ready to do most tasks required of theoretical physics.

Please read what I said before prior to answering some questions.

I explicitly said that I am not expecting to get an active research role. I simply said will I be able to tag along the research and see how it is done by just being there and not actively contributing. Getting to know the process, people, and ideas. You answered the question: "will they give a first-year student an active role in a research program?". I did not ask this, so I do not get why you are answering it.

You are acting as if I do not know what I don't know, and trust me I do. As I've said before, I watch and participate in a lot of seminars and I get how much of stuff I need to know. You having a presumption on someone this way feels kind of disrespecting.

 

[Ege Artan]

You might get a mixed bag of experiences. Some people are quite happy to talk research opportunities with undergraduates. Others will only do it because it's an expected part of their academic mandate. As a general rule, preference tends to lead toward more senior students... for the most part they have more experience and are expected to be more productive. But even if it doesn't work out right away, sometimes the fact that you've shown an interest early can get you to the front of the line later.

Thank you a lot for the answer.

I guess I will just ask profs in person or cold e-mail them to just tag along/audit their research project. If they let me to, then it is what I wanted and if they do not, then I did not lose much.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Please read what I said before prior to answering some questions.

People might misread that and think you're being a...well, drawing conclusions.

I did read it. Now, I know you don't think you have anything to learn from us, just like you didn't think you had anything to learn from Toronto. But you're just as correct now as you were then.

Students take effort. Undergrads take a lot of effort. The lower you go, the more effort it takes. "Tagging along" means "take time away from what you are doing and explain it to me". Some of this is time compensated for by getting at least a little work out of the student. If you can't do any work, you are a pure liability.

Now, in the experimental world, the same forces are in play, but the moral equivalent of washing test tubes can mitigate it somewhat. Perhaps this si beneath you, and perhaps experimental work is beneath you, and perhaps even Toronto is beneath you. Does it really matter if that keeps you from your goals?

 

[advhaver]

Considering your past experience, do you think practical research and lab projects translate much to theoretical physics apart from the general scientific methodology?

Sorry for the delay. I was sick, and then I was traveling.

I have no experience in this matter save my own. I did what I thought I enjoyed most. There wasn't a specific plan.

I'm not sure where to start with this. There's a lot more to experimental work than just the measurement of things.

Though I might be completely wrong about this, I suspect that one of the aspects of my application that worked was that I was willing to do any work in the lab to get the project to succeed. That included going outside my academics and learning to design simple electronic circuits.

But if you are doing research merely to check a box, it will backfire.

I did research because I enjoy it. I have always preferred it, which is why, despite initial pressure from my family, I chose the study of pure physics/maths instead of engineering (mech) or finance (quant).

In addition to my college theses and research work in the lab, I am working on research (not funded or supported by the college or the lab) in areas of physics and maths that interest me. I consider myself fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to work in a research lab after graduating in May and starting my PhD in August. I know it means I do not get a break after graduation, but I need to grab every opportunity at my age.

 

[advhaver]

just tag along/audit their research project.

"Tagging along" means "take time away from what you are doing and explain it to me".

Ege, Vanadium is right!

Please do NOT ask any professors about "tagging" along. You will likely not get a reply, or worse, they might blacklist you as a lazy person who just wants to jump on a moving train.

Research requires you to be a self-starter. You need to initiate topics and discuss ideas that YOU have with your PI. Your PI will assist you and advocate for you, but that's where it stops. He/She/They will not let you "tag along". Consider yourself lucky if they hold your hand a little during the initial months. I was lucky. I am in infinite debt to my PIs (I had 2).

 

[advhaver]

Do you think people will be accepting towards a first-year student?

Due to COVID-19, most labs were shut during my freshmen year. Heck, we even had to do our classes remotely. Despite this, I did manage to snag a research project in my first summer on campus. Part of this might have been that I took a Physics TA opportunity on my second day on campus. This TA work was mundane. The first "job" I was given was to sort resistors by value (for 75 freshmen electrical engineers). But I did it happily. I'd do it again if I had to.

So, the answer is yes. If you show willingness to do ANYTHING that can help the project, you will get the opportunity to participate in research in your first summer. Forget "washing test tubes," I was prepared to sweep solder splatter off the floor and sleep in the lab if that's what it took.

Instead of asking, "Can I tag along?". Ask, "What can I do to help?"

Hope this helps.

P.S.
"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well." - Dr. Martin Luther King