"Catching Up" before graduate school

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around preparing for graduate school in physics, specifically addressing study resources and strategies for success. Participants share their backgrounds, concerns about coursework, and recommendations for textbooks in areas such as thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Homework-related
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, Sam, seeks recommendations for study resources before starting graduate school at Cornell, expressing concerns about being underprepared in thermodynamics and other subjects.
  • Another participant asks about Sam's specific courses and whether the focus is on coursework or qualifying exams.
  • Sam indicates a focus on fall courses, mentioning likely subjects including thermodynamics, E&M, and quantum mechanics, but not having a definitive list of classes.
  • Textbook recommendations include Kittel for statistical mechanics, but some participants suggest alternatives like Pathria, Kardar, and Huang, noting Kittel's undergraduate level.
  • For quantum mechanics, suggestions include Sakurai, with one participant emphasizing its elegance and high-level background requirement.
  • A participant shares their personal experience of reviewing class notes and textbooks over the summer before graduate school, highlighting the benefits of diverse pedagogical approaches.
  • Another participant notes that Cornell typically uses Sakurai and suggests Pathria for statistical mechanics due to variability in textbook choices.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no clear consensus on specific textbooks, as participants recommend different resources for statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. Some participants agree on the importance of preparation, while others focus on different aspects of the transition to graduate school.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of familiarity with the specific courses and textbooks used at Cornell, indicating a lack of definitive information on course materials. There are also differing opinions on the best resources for foundational topics.

Who May Find This Useful

Incoming graduate students in physics or related fields, particularly those transitioning from undergraduate programs and seeking study strategies and resource recommendations.

Sam I Am
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Can anyone recommend good study resources before entering graduate school? I'm going from an "unknown" state school to Cornell, and I'm worried about being underprepared for courses. I have taken two semesters of E&M and Quantum (Griffiths), one semester of mechanics (Fowles & Cassiday) plus self-studying Lagrangians and Hamiltonians for the pGRE, and had no textbook for thermo so I'll be starting from scratch there.

I am unable to find the textbooks used for the courses specific to Cornell, so if anyone has any ideas there that would be fantastic, otherwise just generic study resources (preferably cheap, since I'll be buying books for the fall also). I'll also be studying Hassani's "math methods" book for the fall since I can get it for free.

Also, if anyone has generic tips for success in my endeavors, please pass them on!

Cheers,
Sam
 
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Do want to get a jump start on your Fall courses? If so, what classes will you be taking?

Or are you more concerned about passing your qualifying exams? What exams will you be taking?
 
DrSteve said:
Do want to get a jump start on your Fall courses? If so, what classes will you be taking?

Or are you more concerned about passing your qualifying exams? What exams will you be taking?

I won't be taking the qualifying exams until my second year (I think), though I guess incoming students get a free crack at it in the fall of their first year. I'm more worried about fall courses, though not so much a "jump start" as "catching up to everyone else".

I don't know specifically what courses I'll be taking, but I'm sure thermodynamics/stat mech, E&M (which I'm not so worried about), and quantum will be in there.
 
Sam I Am said:
I won't be taking the qualifying exams until my second year (I think), though I guess incoming students get a free crack at it in the fall of their first year. I'm more worried about fall courses, though not so much a "jump start" as "catching up to everyone else".

I don't know specifically what courses I'll be taking, but I'm sure thermodynamics/stat mech, E&M (which I'm not so worried about), and quantum will be in there.

Then

Stat Mech - Kittel
E&M - Jackson
QM - Cohen and Tannoujdi or Suzuki
 
I would recommend Pathria, Kardar, and Huang for stat mech. If I remember correctly, Kittel is actually an undergrad book.

I would highly recommend Sakurai for QM. That is one of my favorite physics books. It does assume a pretty high level background,but is a great book. The second chapter is especially elegant.

I think there is a pretty high probability Cornell might use Sakurai and Pathria, they are pretty standard.
 
Excellent, I will see if I can find a cheap used copy of those.

Thanks!
 
You're being really smart, Sam I Am. The summer before graduate school I spent my evenings (I had a summer job) going over class notes, reading different textbooks, and re-doing tests and homework assignments from key undergraduate courses. It was IMMENSELY helpful when I started graduate school which, for me, was a step-change in difficulty compared to undergrad.

In particular, I read all the textbooks my undergrad library had in my particular specialty. I found that taking the time to learn the slightly different pedagogical approaches and the different perspectives they gave in each of the books was incredibly helpful in building up my own intuition. It was a serious time investment (and I kept my partying to a minimum) but it paid off handsomely.
 
Cornell follows Sakurai/Gottfried and Yan for QM and Stat Mech tends to be all over the place so I'd say go with Pathria to be safe.
 
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