Professors Definition and 117 Threads

Today was my first day in astronomy. My professor, going over the general syllabus and what we'd be doing during the course, asked about good and bad sources for learning. Naturally, the responses for good materials included textbooks, science articles, etc. Bad sources were 'the internet'...

I've always wondered about this. Do professors actually get paid for doing research or teaching? Is teaching actually a side job for them?

Telling your professors what your major is... I think this is definitely a lower level topic, but a couple of days ago one of my professors asked me what my major is and when I told her...she knit her eyebrows and gave me a look of...scorn I guess. I am not sure really, but it was not a good...

Hi all, this post regards my attempt to get into a math phD program. I have just completed my undergrad BS in math with nearly a 4.0 g.p.a., and I've already taken both the subject and general GRE exams and scored well enough where I would have been able to get into programs. The problem I...

First of all, I am a rising Senior in high school. I plan on becoming a research professor. I plan on double majoring in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering during my undergrad studies. Why do I want to take a such drastic path of life? Well, my life long ambition is to understand and...

I was just wondering if any of you professors read the comments on ratemyprofessor.com about yourself. My professor last semester said he went and looked it up whenever he needed a good laugh.

Back in February I started sending out emails to professors who were doing research, the first three reply back saying they would be in Europe and that they couldn't use me for the summer. After that I've emailed ~8 other professors (Not all at once, but I wait a week for a response) and none of...

Like online pdfs, what do professors use? They look really compatible with LaTeX too

It seems that most professors seem to have positions open for undergrads (although undergrads don't need pay). But what about graduate students? Is it a good idea to *always* email any prospective advisor, asking him if he has open positions available for new grad students? It seems that...

My impression is that very few of them do in my department. In fact, these days, it seems that many Earth scientists are often the most vocal environmentalists. But were they more common in the past? Was there ever significant conflict between Earth scientists due to this?

I'm considering math grad school right now. I attend a small liberal arts college, and there are virtually no research opportunities at my school. I've never done math research before, and I would like to get a feel for what it's like. Would it be a good idea to e-mail professors from a local...

Yes, I know, it's a *very* crazy idea. :p But, you know, you might actually be very surprised. It probably has a higher chance of actually working when it comes with professors who openly embrace the blogosphere, like Sean Carroll. Has anyone else tried this?

Why do so many professors list "National Merit Semifinalist" on their CVs? I mean, most of their later accomplishments should easily supersede the NMSF award on their CV. And I know people with high school achievements better than the NMSF, but who refrain from mentioning them. But yet, they...

And if they do, have there ever been exceptions? Sometimes, the webpages contain some really valuable content. :(

For example, here's a e-mail I recently sent to a professor. ""Hello Professor XX, Do you know if any theoretical work has been done on the atmospheric evolution of a tidally locked planet facing a red dwarf star? Especially a planet whose atmosphere freezes over on the cold side, but...

I have plans to do research for two professor, all the while running public observatory sessions, which will be minimal, but also alongside a full courseload. My Courseload: Differential Equations University Physics II Intro to Engineering Introduction to Systems engineering English So...

Do you think that they are better at teaching the course or worse at teaching the course, as compared to newer professors who might have taught the course for only a couple of times? Obviously, I realize that there is no clear-cut relationship. *But*, there are certainly patterns to look for...

I'm a junior math major who is strongly considering applying to math grad school. I was wondering, how do students let professors get to know them better so that those professors can write strong letters of recommendation? I go to a small college where it's basically impossible to do research...

I'm a pure mathematics student (undergraduate) and wondering what does assisting a professor in his research usually involve? And how would you get a position (unpaid/paid)? Thanks for answering! EDIT: Another question, I've always heard that graduate schools usually prefer research over...

Many of them grew up on Linux so I'd expect them to be able to configure computers well. Yet, for some reason, many of them seem to be very averse to Windows. Of course, Macs allow you to use the terminal and to easily install applications. But is this the only reason? Or are there others? In...

Are these types of recommendations common? Can they be extremely helpful? Here's the thing: when you do research, you're not really talking about the big picture - you're merely in for the small details. I'm more of a "big picture" person than a "small details" person, and most of my insights...

It's a pretty common topic at phdcomics. :p But anyways, what do they feel about them? Do they consider it a positive thing or a negative thing? Certain administrators HATE this (well, certain people who hate "weird" people would hate this, or I guess, people who are obsessed with keeping their...

I know it's frequently done. Just a question - what sorts of questions do these professors ask when they reply to these emails? (and are there certain professors more likely to reply than others - maybe profs looking for grad students or professors in less competitive fields?) Do they ever ask...

What % of professors in, say, physics, would be familiar with real analysis/abstract algebra/topology? What about, say, the material in senior level CS courses? How about professors in astrophysics, theoretical biology, earth/atmospheric sciences, and chemistry?

I posted this question a few months ago, but got no responses, especially after it got moved to the homework help forum. Since then, I have asked several professors, many of whom I expected to be experts in this area, and I've been given several different shaky sounding responses. So, I'd like...

I'm going to university this Fall (freshman) and, having been repeatedly encouraged to make connections with professors/find a mentor/network, am wondering...how? In high-school, the kids who had good relationships with teachers usually just hung around their offices and chatted. I have trouble...

This is sort of off-topic, but I couldn't find a better forum to ask in. I'm writing a paper for my internship, and I need to refer to one of my professors for purposes of background information. I want to do this in a professional manner. Should I say Professor Xxxx Xxxxxxx, Ph.D.? Should...

This is sort of off-topic, but I couldn't find a better forum to ask in. I'm writing a paper for my internship, and I need to refer to one of my professors for purposes of background information. I want to do this in a professional manner. Should I say Professor Xxxx Xxxxxxx, Ph.D...

Hey! Today I had an incredible class of electromagnetism (level of Jackson's book, i.e. upper undergrad level). I'll explain. My professor is a "genius" in the sense he can do very complicated mathematics/physics without thinking 1 second, he already know the answer. He speaks well (never...

It seems to me many professors or teachers that are labeled as "bad" or "mediocre" may have been labeled as such because their students were the ones who were actually the mediocre ones. I came to this conclusion after an interesting incident in my Intro to Chemistry class, where the...

This is a two parter, feel free to respond to one, two or no parts: 1)I'll be taking a grad level sequence in mathematical logic and possibly another in analysis with measure theory. I also have taken a couple independent studies in algebraic geometry ( my university does not normally offer...

I am an undergraduate student and I started looking for summer research opportunities. There are no opportunities at my own university and only a single REU (one of the most selective ones in the country, no hope of getting in) on the topic I am interested in. That's why I thought I might ask...

My teacher today said that we had to buy these $50 dollar clickers to answer all questions rather than simply answering questions on paper for free , because university set standards that all classrooms should use clickers , whether the professor, department, or college like the idea for their...

This is really disappointing! Germany: 100 professors suspected of Ph.D. bribes http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090822/ap_on_re_eu/eu_germany_university_investigation Well - academicians are only human. So much for the Ivory Towers. :frown:

Hey all, are adjunct professors allowed to supervise graduate students?

I have just finished my PhD in Statistics. My Masters Dissertation was on the topic of Accelerator Driven Nuclear Energy Systems. I would be very interested in continuing research on the subject as a post-doctoral student.

I want to ask a professor or two about possibly doing research for them. I'm only a sophomore and my major is Astronomy and Astrophysics. His field of research is loop quantum gravity, string theory, cosmic matter-anti matter asymmetry, singularity resolution, electroweak symmetry breaking and...

My university has only one math professor that I actually like and I will only take math courses taught by that one professor. This is because he teaches mathematics from an engineers standpoint by providing a lot of examples and application problems. He teaches this way because he is not a...

So, I'm filling out applications for graduate school. In each of the applications there is a section to mention the names of any professors you have contacted. I have yet to contact any professors at any graduate institutions. I know that this can help in getting accepted to competitive...

So my physics professor is around 68 and his grading methods drive us all up the walls. He's very old school and it seems as though he will pick one person a class and give them the A. His grading methods change from test to test so we never know how to present the material. In one test he'll...

I emailed a few professors in my physics department about opportunities for undergrad research in their labs. some of them never responded to my emails. But I am still interested in their researches, should I just go to their office and show up unannounced?

Do they give you a set amount just for "being on the faculty"? Do you get paid per class? Do you get paid per article or book published? How much of your payment comes from your university and how much comes from other sources such as NSF grants? Specifically I am interested in how math...

Hi, I guess this is a question that is directed more towards any of the Professors here at the forums, although anyone with advice is more than welcome to. I always wondered why Professors would only cover certain chapters from the textbook. Although I know that time is one of the limiting...

Hey everyone, I was wondering, specifically if the Professors or teachers could answer this; as to whether you have ever seen someone who has failed a course in their first year of university but was still able to maintain a very good CGPA? Something in the 3.50 range, that is though after...

If math professors observed that their students who don't perform well in their foundation to proofs class and abstract algebra class, there not going to do well in any other math course? My math professor told me about a study of 200 students who did not do well in their analysis class who...

Do you think sociology professors are to the left, economics to the right on capitalism? I do!

Advice regarding confronting professors about their research I am a first year physics student and very interested in being involved in research in some capacity (even if that means being a volunteer lab monkey), however most 'official' avenues of undergrad research involvement are through...

I'm taking this course in German, GERM101. It is a course in basic German language and vocabulary. I really want to learn this language, but this professor is somewhat discouraging me. She expects ALOT of work. This usually not a problem. I like to think I have a good work ethic, but she is...

All my classes are just profs doing proofs. Great. Too bad the tests requires us to use what we prove to calculate something. For example, my prof spent the first two lectures proving cross and dot product identities (the ones found on the inside covers of many math or physics books). Why...

Ok, not all professors are grumpy, and those that are are not so all the time. But I mean give me a break! Today I asked my prof. for my dynamics course about a certain question in the tutorial, and he replied "Do you go over your notes aat the end of the day?" To which I said no, as I usually...