I agree that it was discouraging. But if you are planning on going to graduate school and can't answer the question asked in the OP yourself, I'm not sure you should be encouraged... I disagree that it was rude. I think it was quite honest.
I can't tell you how many students I've had in classes I've taught and how many students I knew in my own classes when I was younger who professed a love of science and general interest in physics. They really wanted to know the big pictures of the universe. They were truly interested in how...
Typical citizens could learn much more music than they do without being virtuosos, but they don't. Why is that?
Typical citizens could learn much more baseball than they do without being MLB players, but they don't. Why is that?
Typical citizens could learn much more about art without being...
A YEAR of physics? C'mon. At least make AlternateHistoryEinstein realistic with a graduate degree in physics and a fairly precocious talent for the natural sciences.
When I took QM at the undergrad level (Griffiths) I found it too easy. And I think that I learned more than if I found it hard. Because the content required for the class was easily done, I was able to do all of the problems in Griffiths and really sit and play with the material. I may have...
What's the alternative? Bury my head in the sand? Observing where students from my school went with their credentials being known variables seems like a good way of assessing how well prepared I am to go into industry should I need to. I don't understand your points at all and I think you have...
Again, I only speak from anecdotes, not statistics. But...
I never said that it was easy or that they used their skills from their PhD. I also never said anything about going into engineering. But, I don't think I've seen anyone go from their PhD at my school to somewhere making less than 80k...
A Fermi problem is a problem done using only order of magnitude estimates (and, more strictly, only mental calculations and without looking anything up!). A canonical example would be to estimate the number of piano tuners in Chicago or leaves on trees on trees in a park.
I'm a grad student in condensed matter theory and I double majored in math and physics as an undergrad. I don't regret taking any math class and I often wish I knew more math. However, I'd advise being extremely careful sacrificing physics courses to take more math. Take physics courses with...
Although folks here have quoted some numbers, I'd like to point out two pieces of completely anecdotal observations on my part.
1. During faculty searches at the school where I am getting my PhD (a large school in the top tier of many areas of physics research, say in the top ~10-20 overall...
Sure, and I think the students have largely no option. That's the beauty of being the professor, you get to implement whatever inefficient, asinine policies you want. It doesn't mean it's the most educational modus operandi.