Undergrad Definition and 870 Threads

Some background: I've never been good at math, although I'm finding that it doesn't necessarily mean I'll ever be good at it. However, when I was younger (US grade K-7) I was always an A+ student across the board; I've always loved learning and even though I experienced some turbulence, that has...

Ok, so I am just finishing my AA as a physics major and on the fence about two different universities to finish my BS. One of them is more well recognized as far as physics goes (University of Florida). However, being a non-traditional student, it would put me a substantial distance away from...

I'm a junior in university right now, hoping to attend grad school for physics. At my school, all physics students have a senior research project, and the professor that I'm most likely going to do my project with is a string theorist. The project is very theoretical (i.e. no computers; purely...

Hello, Right now, I am a Freshman who is double majoring in Mathematics and Engineering. I am considering getting my Masters in Math, and was wondering if they look at the difficulty of courses you took in Undergrad? Right now, I am taking Physics 1 and a lab (which is worth 5 credits). I...

Hey guys was wondering what you thought about teaching english the summer between graduate and undergraduate. I've been accepted to a PhD program in engineering for fall 2014. However I don't know what to do with my summer. I was thinking that spending my time traveling teaching English might...

I'm about to begin my third year of a physics major and I want to do units that will best prepare me for honours and post-grad studies in theoretical particle physics and/or particle cosmology. My core physics units will cover quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, electrodynamics, special...

I've been given the opportunity to write programs for two different professors working on separate papers (one math, one physics), and when published they say they will list me as a coauthor. With the first, I sort of resisted a little, because I don't see the amount of work I did as really...

Hey Forum, So I am in my final semester in my undergraduate program for Biology. I am going into bioimaging field of study, so I took on a research elective utilizing a scanning electron microscope. I am also taking a one credit directed study in microbiology which is used to combine and...

Hi all, I'm a grade 12 student in Winnipeg, who's looking at options for where to go for undergrad. The two main options I'm looking at right now are the University of Winnipeg, and the University of Waterloo. At both, I'd want to take Physics with a Mathematical stream. UWinnipeg is far...

Hi I am a 20 year old college student currently studying at my local community college. I am getting the itch to transfer sooner than expected. This coming spring will be my second college semester and I should have 26 credit hours done by the end of May. If I continue with my grades I don't see...

I'm currently an undergraduate (Junior) math major at NYU. I decided to study math for the challenge, and so far, I have loved it. It's been fascinating and satisfying. Having said that, I'm currently at a crossroads. I have absolutely no idea what to do. Let me elaborate; I'm not sure...

I am majoring in Mechanical Engineering, and I found a research opportunity I really want (it focus on Fastening and Joining). I want to take classes relevant to this area, but my university offers different areas to specialize in as an Undergrad, so which one should I focus on in order to take...

I've beeen searching over and over the internet to figure out what would be a good robotics project, but with a strong relation with physics. Please don't argue that everything in the universe is physics, i agree absolutely, but my colleagues in Engineering Physics are doing projects related to...

I want to go into aerospace engineering and I have really messed up in high school (not going into details) long story short I am definitely not getting into some big name school I am trying to improve but I am beginning to realize how little of an impact I am having. I am not going to stop...

TLDR; obviously it'll be helpful if you read the whole text, but I appreciate the wall of text may put you off, so I've summarized each paragraph: Third year chemistry undergraduate at Oxford whose interests lie in physics instead. Chemistry course has a significant physical leaning, especially...

Hi, I'm an undergrad student in India doing a BS program. I've studied all the subjects for past one and a half years and now have to choose one to major in. I'm really torn between physics and chemistry. Unlike many other people I have no firm idea about what I want to do in future and is...

I am helping my son (who is a junior) begin researching colleges. He has always planned to go into engineering, but is now leaning toward majoring in physics. He knows he will need to get a masters degree, and probably a Phd at some point if he stays in physics. When he was looking at...

Hi all I have had two "official" research experiences/projects in the last year. The first one was in plasma physics and now I am doing one in the math department in operations research/statistics. Both projects were interesting and resulted in presentations at symposia/conferences. The...

Does it matter where you get your BS in physics? I'm going to a not-so-known university and I don't really like the physics program mainly because it doesn't exist anymore. It is located in Texas and they have shutdown some of the undergrad programs here because some universities are not...

I was wondering should I date as an undergrad or wait till I go to grad school, Or wait till I am done with school. And how important is it to find someone that has common interests that you share. I thought maybe I would find a girl that has a strong interest in physics that way it would give...

I am in my Second year of physics right now and I am just curious what the major changes from the first 2 years of math and physics take place in the third and fourth years. What should I expect? How can I prepare for these years and do well?

I will be finishing up my AA in May 2014 and looking to transfer to either Florida State University or University of Florida. In the beginning of last year, I had heard that as far as a physics major, FSU was superior. They were not only the best for physics in Florida, but in the entire...

My kid is considering going to Cambridge to read maths. I've been reading everything I can find about the University, especially all the official stuff on the web. I've also looked at Tim Gowers's blog, comments from MIT people on their exchange program, and other stuff (including posts here)...

Hello, I was not sure quite where to post this but settles on here. I am a 15 year old and I am having an issue. I desperately want to train for the IMO and I know what material I need to cover and then ill do past problems and so forth. The books I intend to use to learn the material are G H...

I'm having a hard time choosing between ANU and UoM for undergrad physics. Which one do you think is more internationally recognised and offers a better education?

Hi everyone! So I'm about to enter my 4th year in an honors physics program (in Canada if that matters) and my biggest concern is that I don't know what to do with my life after, what field to get into, etc.. things like that. and honestly I'm not even sure if I like physics anymore :(! I do...

I'm attending a college in the top 10 in math/physics. I did really well in HS, scored in the 99th percentile, etc. That whole time I guess I'd be considered depressed. I was lazy and slept through all my classes. Never turned in work. I was unmotivated. This started in late elementary school...

I'm facing the possibility of going to UC Berkeley for undergraduate. I will be majoring in physics and possibly double majoring in math. I have a few questions: 1. How can I stand out in a class of 100 students and find an opportunity to coauthor a research paper or two before I graduate...

The aim of my research is to show that some set (#) axiomatically perceived as deviating from the non-'0' entity will subscribe to a non-'0' collection (#) of perspectives (interpretations) on said finite characters from the finite interpretations (predicated on only 1 of 5 senses a.k.a. vision...

Hi people! My long-time goal is to pursue a PhD in astrophysics. Since an undergraduate in astrophysics is not available to me, I'm looking for alternatives. There are two cool engineering programs at hand: one in civil engineering, the other one in informatics engineering. Both are...

Hello; I wonder which one of the following textbooks is suitable for mathematical physics undergrad course: 1:) Mathematical Methods: For Students of Physics and Related Fields by "Sadri Hassani". 2:) Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences by "Mary L. Boas". Thank you in Advance

Hi I will be graduating with an MChem (4 year integrated Masters Chemistry Degree) next year and I'm thinking about potential PhD's to go into. I was just wandering what kind of flexibility you have in choosing what field you go into. I was looking at some programmes in physics that have...

Hello, I am in a bit of a dilemma. I am right before my undergrad degree and I have been torn apart between physics and mathematics. I have never really studied physics, very little in high school, but it seems fascinating to me and I figured that just because I didn't have a chance to study...

Hi, this fall I'll be a senior in high school and with the Common Application nearly out, I need to finish my final college list. The reason I'm posting on this forum is because my goal is to ultimately attend grad school for a PhD in physics. This is my current list that I've come up with after...

I'm just starting back to school as for a BS in Physics and my plan is to follow that up with a PhD. While I can largely get my BS as a part time student over the next 4 years, when it come time to work on the PhD, I'll of course have to do school full time. I do have a plan in place where most...

Hello PF, I'm trying to get my prospects for REU and other research opportunities figured out, and when I might apply for them. Through my university's honors program, I am already guaranteed at least one research opportunity. That is, however, further down the line in my studies. My...

Hey guys- To all of you out there who have already done your undergrad degree in physics, what have you learned most about the college experience? What are some pieces of advice that you wish you had known when you started college? Any / all comments appreciated. :)

Hey everyone. This is something I've been wondering about lately. I'm currently in a community college, with plans to transfer to a university, and eventually go on for my doctorate(I'm majoring in physics). How unusual would it be to spend an extra year as an undergrad to take more upper...

Hi everyone. I've had my BS in physics for 5 years now, and I'm looking to brush up on some areas that I never covered in my undergrad career. Specifically, I'm looking for an undergrad computational physics textbook that I could use to work through some "real-world" physical examples and...

I was wondering which specific physics courses I should take while still in undergrad if I'm interested in experimental plasma physics (and might study it in grad school). I've taken all the intro courses for the major branches (electro theory, mechanics, QM, optics, thermal physics...

Hello All. I am planning for Undergrad and I am interested in having a part of Aerospace Industry and like to work in Boeing, Cessna etc. I have searched this Forum were some posters posed that Mechanical Engineering is more suited than Aerospace in Undergrad,if you are going to do MS in...

Here's the situation: I started working on an engineering degree right out of high school but I left to pursue nursing after 3 semesters. After a semester in nursing I'm considering returning to the sciences by working toward a B.S. in physics, starting Spring 2014 (I need to give nursing one...

I finished my run through of quantum with a book equivalent to Griffiths. Should I go through it again with a more advanced quantum book, or should I move onto something like QFT (maybe an easier book like Zee)? I'm going to be doing research involving anti-hydrogen, so I'm not sure if I...

I'd like to pursue an undergraduate degree in either physics or chemistry, starting this fall in Europe (where students must choose what to study before commencing studies). Both are physical sciences that study matter, albeit from different perspectives. How could I decide which one to...

I am an undergrad at a pretty high ranking university, my GPA is acceptable but not phenomenal, and my research history, while it's there, is not phenomenal either. I don't think I will be able to get into a PhD program anywhere close to the ranking of my current institution. But I do want to do...

Okay, so I'm a grade 11 student in Canada, and my goal is to become an aerospace engineer. For the past few months I've been doing research and though that Carleton University's Aerospace Engineering program seemed good. However, after reading various threads on this site, I'm contemplating...

Hey everyone, I'm in a bit of a pickle. I just finished my first year of undergrad (started as a math major), and I'm still terribly lost as to what I want to major in, mainly because I'm not sure what I want to pursue as a career after college. For the most part, I know that I want to go...

I am wondering what publications/journals are good for someone new to the field (just finished my first year of undergrad)? I am looking for resources that are fairly well-rounded. I have not decided on my sub-field yet, and want to have reading materials that will show me the latest ongoing...

Has this occurred to you folks during your undergrad days? How did you overcome it? It seems at this point, my fear of failure is stronger than my passion and my abilities combined which is a very dangerous mindset to have. As they say, misery loves company and I was just wondering if...

I was just wondering, what book would you suggest for me as a undergrad student going into 1st year at university. I will be completing an honours in math and physics, and I just want some material to self-learn over the summer and to keep myself occupied. My prior physics knowledge includes...