Don't be disheartened if you can't figure out questions after trying for a long time. I took a upper-division logic class on Godel's Incompleteness Theorems, Model Theory, etc. and it took me a few hours to understand what the questions on the assignments were EVEN ASKING. I spent over 100 hours...
The following is the sequence I would recommend given your background.
First and foremost: 1) Learn Linear Algebra! If you want a proof based approach I would recommend reading the chapter you need from Hoffman/Kunze, otherwise you can learn the computations and basic ideas from Gilbert Strang's...
Has anyone heard back from UCLA Logic Summer School? I haven't received a rejection letter but I also haven't heard ANYTHING. Has anyone else been rejected or accepted to this program? Does this mean I'm on a wait list?
If this is the summer between your first and second year then definitely go home and see friends and family. Spend your quality time during the summer having a break and just don't worry about school! If this was in between your second and third year then I may have different advice, and if this...
Would it be a good idea, in preparation for a PhD program in Theoretical Physics, to just double major in Math as well as Physics in order to get a really firm grounding in Math?
Yeah, I did a combined honours degree in both Physics & Mathematics at UBC, I took 6 one semester.
-3 Math Courses (1 300-level, 2 400-level)
-2 Physics Courses (both 400-level)
-1 Philosophy Course (300-level)
And it was absolutely insane! 9 classes is absolutely impossible, I don't believe...
No way! Zif. 8 or 9 classes? That's literally impossible. I did 6 classes one semester and was totally swamped... there's no way they did good in those classes.
4 is a light-load if you are working part-time or something, 5 is the regular amount for full-time school, and 6 is really hard!
For a 3.8 - 4.0 GPA I would suggest to study for 50 hours a week outside of class during undergraduate school. You can afford to uphold a schedule like that (~10 hours a week per class) easily with taking most of saturday and sunday off and having two 4-hour outings throughout the week. Just be...
I thought I was ahead of the game when I took AP Calculus in Grade 11 (at age 15) and finished Multivariable Calculus when I was 16... since when is it normal for people to know calculus when they are 8-11 years old? D:
I would recommend doing this if it means that it opens his possibilities for taking Physics 30 (Grade 12) and higher level physics. People NEED to know physics, I just stress that. Scientific literacy is so important today in order to have responsible citizens with a cosmic perspective that have...
I would suggest getting a handle on introductory:
-Geometry (Areas, Volumes, etc.)
-Trigonometry (to the extent that you understand the Unit Circle, the trig ratios, graphs, and functions)
-Permutations and Combinations (not necessary, but will be later on in University)
-Functional Analysis...
Thank you, I didn't mean to hi-jack the topic or anything. Just wanted to point out that there are ways of intuitively understanding even the most complex problems when you have certain mathematical definitions and constructs to work with. Currently working on Section 2: Elementary Mathematics...
CyberShot,
I'm working on writing a book that I think you will like. I go over mathematics from it's beginnings and work with intuitive use of complex calculations, etc. Mathematics and even Physics really is intuitive to the core all the way through until graduate school, (while the later may...
Honours Calculus I (Math), The Ancient World (Classics), Metaphysics (Philosophy), Epistemology (Philosophy), Philosophy of Space and Time (Philosophy), Introductory Particle Physics (Physics), Physical Cosmology (Astrophysics), Special Projects (Physics Research)
Why is this topic not stickied? This has been amazingly helpful for me as I am applying to Graduate school and the awesome posts just keep coming from Vanadium and twofish-quant.
@twofish-quant (or anyone): Do you happen to know off the top of your head which school has a reputation for...
In Alberta from my experience it generally goes like this:
A+ = 4.0 = 97% +
A = 3.9 = 93%-96%
A- = 3.7 = 90%-92%
B+ = 3.3 = 85%-89%
B = 3.0 = 80% - 84%
B- = 2.7 = 75%-79%
C+ = 2.3 = 70%-74%
C = 2.0 = Below 70%
There is no "set" percentage, it's based on z-scores and a bell-curve normally.
Not...
The most direct path to become a theorist or experimentalist in a sub-field of physics is to obtain a PhD in Physics. Generally you will need to choose either experimental or theoretical work as you will find yourself stretched thin between the two.
In order to start learning higher level...
Alright, are there any other reasons than a change in perspective? I know this a fairly considerable reason but would you be able to give me any other reasons?
I have two other options for graduate schools inside Canada, these are University of British Columbia and University of Waterloo. Would...
Hi,
I'm going to be applying to graduate schools for next fall semester and am finishing my last semester in a Bsc (Honours) Astrophysics program at the University of Alberta.
I know a lot of the professors in the department here and have some that I know would be more than willing to be my...
Murmillo,
Continue to work hard during your undergraduate and I would suggest transferring to a larger/recognized school after two years so that you graduate from somewhere with recognition rather than Nebraska Community College where no one will take you seriously for graduate school if you do...
If you are looking for relatively smaller class sizes in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year and are intending on going into either nanotechnology, particle physics, planetary dynamics, geophysics, or space physics I would suggest University of Alberta as they have connections all around the world and an...
This thread has been extremely helpful for me as I am applying to graduate schools right now for direct-entry into a Physics or Astrophysics PhD program after completing an Honours degree in Astrophysics. I've only heard positive encouragement from my professors at the undergraduate level, with...
I wasn't intending on pulling a philosopher_k and sabotaging the thread or something, I assumed that this was just an open discussion. The OP did not seem fairly directed and it was my presumption that it would be reasonable to ask about myself as well, as we are both in the same general...
Anyone have some help relating to my post? I'm thoroughly researched out graduate schools for Astrophysics and I would really like some other options than the ones I have already posted.
Maybe I'm a little slow, but to maintain a high GPA in the latter years of undergraduate school I have to sell myself short on sleep... >_>
I can't imagine how much harder graduate school will be.
Doing an undergraduate in Astrophysics at University of Alberta. I'm applying to Caltech, Penn State, University of Arizona, University of Texas at Austin, and Arizona State University for Graduate school in Astrophysics (Anyone know any other upper-level universities that have good graduate...
I'm so glad that idiot got banned. What an absolute fool, I hope he attempts University so he garbages himself with how hard it is to juggle 5 upper-division courses.
Also, I think Topher925's adviser voted 20+ hours! Haha.
Can we please get some responses to this? This is probably the most important question I've seen in the Academic Guidance forum in a month. We should get some excellent responses from those who have been down this road before and then sticky it!
Referring to anyone who was talking about taking Linear Algebra and Calculus in High School:
I was in an AP program in High School and graduated with University credits in Calculus I, Linear Algebra, and Classical Physics. University-level courses, Calculus I all the way up to l'hospital's...
Pure Math 30 (Grade 12) in Alberta is:
-Transformations of Functions
-Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
-Geometric Series
-Trigonometry
-Permutations and Combinations
-Statistics and Probability
-Conic Sections
This is a little unrealistic. I would shoot for Calc 1 in Grade 12, taking it second semester after you finish Grade 12 Pure Math. If next year in Grade 9 you can just master the really basic stuff of adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing fractions. Then start to learn factoring and solving...
If you read topology for breakfast then:
Design a Mobius strip, that when projected onto a 2-dimensional plane will not be solvable with Whitney tricks.
That was my downfall with English and Social! I hate opinion-based marking. Just study harder and you'll be fine. I found High school harder in the sense that the environment sucked and the majority of the class is full of retards so it is really an impediment to your learning (not to be...
Well, if you plan on studying any of those fields you better be prepared to go to Grad school! Any of the Universities I recommended would prepare you for attending an excellent graduate school in the states, or somewhere in Canada (U of T and UBC offer excellent astrophysics PhD programs)...
Please stop worrying about graduate school and work through your introductory geometry, topology, statistics, calculus, linear algebra, etc. courses before you dream about Cambridge.
Manage an A+ in all of them and you'll be fine for them taking a peek at your application.
Yeah, studying 10 to 12 hours a day is manageable if it's something you like and are really interested in... which I am. But 20 hours a day as you were saying I honestly had to do some weekends, it's not fun at all.
University of Alberta has a great Geophysics and Astrophysics program with...