Engineering to Physics: Guidance for Undergraduate Students

[Mayank Agrawal]

Hello everyone!
I am 3rd year Mechanical Engg. student at one of India's good institutes...
I want to switch from Engg to THEORETICAL PHYSICS after my Undergrade. But I don't know how to start or what would be the proper way to study on my own Ug physics.
It will be very helpful if anyone can provide me some guidance...
I am also looking forward for my Grad after Ug but that may not be possible right after UG, ( there might be delay of few years) so please provide me some guidance on this also...
Thank to everyone in advance...

 

[BvU]

See if you like the recommendations by Gerard 't Hooft, a sympathetic Nobel prize winning theoretician !
And take your time.

And, oh yes: Hello Mayank, welcome to Physics Forums !

 

[ZapperZ]

Hello everyone!
I am 3rd year Mechanical Engg. student at one of India's good institutes...
I want to switch from Engg to THEORETICAL PHYSICS after my Undergrade. But I don't know how to start or what would be the proper way to study on my own Ug physics.
It will be very helpful if anyone can provide me some guidance...
I am also looking forward for my Grad after Ug but that may not be possible right after UG, ( there might be delay of few years) so please provide me some guidance on this also...
Thank to everyone in advance...

I've asked this before, and I will ask it again:

https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...s-with-bs-in-engineering.613409/#post-3955029
https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...oretical-physicist.778976/page-2#post-4899256

Zz.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

You've gotten some good advice. I would emphasize that the best approach may differ by country and by school.

Contact some physics faculty at the grad schools that interest you and get their feedback.

 

[Mayank Agrawal]

I've asked this before, and I will ask it again:

https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...s-with-bs-in-engineering.613409/#post-3955029
https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...oretical-physicist.778976/page-2#post-4899256

Zz.

Thnx to all,but I am confused about how to study like Electricity&Electromagnetism- i am following MIT video lectures but then there are Two courses- basic and advance, so which one to take or both or should i complete basic first and then move to advance or complete each chapter with basic+advance.
I can give time to study and understanding the concepts but stuff like what to read and from which book/site,I am totally stuck there bcz there is lot of stuff and everyone provides different recommendations so which to follow.
please help me with this.

 

[BvU]

dear Mayank,

I'm a pretty old experimental physicist, close to retirement. Always liked theoretical physics, but realized the abstraction levels required to really contribute are very high indeed. So I graduated and PhD'd in experimental particle physics. Did CERN summer schools for theory and for computing - which suited me far, far better. Never did accelerator physics at all (sorry, Z).

When reading your post #5 I have to conclude Courtney's advice is very valuable for you at this point: you are obviously searching around and rightly so. Do some tests (if you can afford the fees) and especially: talk to others.

 

[Mayank Agrawal]

dear Mayank,

I'm a pretty old experimental physicist, close to retirement. Always liked theoretical physics, but realized the abstraction levels required to really contribute are very high indeed. So I graduated and PhD'd in experimental particle physics. Did CERN summer schools for theory and for computing - which suited me far, far better. Never did accelerator physics at all (sorry, Z).

When reading your post #5 I have to conclude Courtney's advice is very valuable for you at this point: you are obviously searching around and rightly so. Do some tests (if you can afford the fees) and especially: talk to others.

Thnx BvU, i was searching about it and I came across the idea of doing M.Sc (2 year course) from an Indian institute and then after pursuing Ph.D so that I will be having academic background to get into PhD and also surviving there cz only getting there won't do any good.
Please tell is it worth pursuing??
thnx...

 

[BvU]

Please tell is it worth pursuing??

No good looking for support here. It has to be your own decision and the best you can do is make that decision on the basis of the information you can gather plus your own gut feeling. For me it has been worth it. I wish you the best of luck !

 

[Mayank Agrawal]

It has to be your own decision and the best you can do is make that decision on the basis of the information you can gather plus your own gut feeling. For me it has been worth it. I wish you the best of luck ![/QUOTE]
thanx a lot BuV..
So now I am going to start studying the UG physics course, so I have made my plan- First Video lecture(MIT/ other university) and then book and after that examples and problems, so is it fine or would you like to add something to it??
thnx...

 

[ZapperZ]

thanx a lot BuV..
So now I am going to start studying the UG physics course, so I have made my plan- First Video lecture(MIT/ other university) and then book and after that examples and problems, so is it fine or would you like to add something to it??
thnx...

So how would you evaluate your knowledge in each of these subjects? How would you know you have mastered the material at a level that all physics undergraduate should know? More importantly, how would you convince the schools you will be applying to that you have such knowledge? Do you think that just claiming that you know undergraduate classical mechanics, E&M, QM, Thermo/Statistical mechanics is sufficient?

BTW, I am still skeptical that you actually understand what "theoretical physics" is, and why that term, especially in this context, is ambiguous.

Zz.

 

[BvU]

I suppose in many universities an EE BSc is considered qualification nowadays ?

 

[ZapperZ]

I suppose in many universities an EE BSc is considered qualification nowadays ?

Is it? If a physics dept. has more applications than what they can accept, what would make that EE degree holder more desirable than someone with a Physics degree? And especially in THIS case, where he isn't going to use his EE degree as a leverage to work in experimental physics, or detector physics, etc... where that EE degree can actually be useful. Instead, he's thinking of going into "theoretical physics"!

Zz.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

So how would you evaluate your knowledge in each of these subjects? How would you know you have mastered the material at a level that all physics undergraduate should know? More importantly, how would you convince the schools you will be applying to that you have such knowledge? Do you think that just claiming that you know undergraduate classical mechanics, E&M, QM, Thermo/Statistical mechanics is sufficient?

BTW, I am still skeptical that you actually understand what "theoretical physics" is, and why that term, especially in this context, is ambiguous.

Zz.

These are some great points. Grades have their weaknesses, but grades in physics courses from an accredited university will be viewed as a better indicator of accomplishment in physics (and preparedness for grad school) than any self-assessment.

The Physics GRE will also be viewed as a valuable indicator.

 

[Mayank Agrawal]

So how would you evaluate your knowledge in each of these subjects? How would you know you have mastered the material at a level that all physics undergraduate should know? More importantly, how would you convince the schools you will be applying to that you have such knowledge? Do you think that just claiming that you know undergraduate classical mechanics, E&M, QM, Thermo/Statistical mechanics is sufficient?

BTW, I am still skeptical that you actually understand what "theoretical physics" is, and why that term, especially in this context, is ambiguous.

Zz.

The only possible answer I could come up with is USING OTHER UNIVERSITIES EXAM PAPERS FOR MY EVALUATION. n DISCUSSING PROBLEMS WITH ALL U GUYS as much possible n with my some college friends of Physics Department to check my concepts..

For ur questions- " how would you convince the schools you will be applying to that you have such knowledge?", considering this question, I thought that M.Sc would be good for that...as in India some universities allow this if I pass their entrance exam n convince them in interview...n my current college also accept less than 1% candidates for UG so this also counts in India...
Being enrolled in M.Sc before Ph.D wouldn't be a good ?
..your advice will be highly useful..

 

[Vanadium 50]

how would you convince the schools you will be applying to that you have such knowledge

I think you should start by using proper English and not text speak. Don't use "u" for "you" or "n" for "and".

 

[Mayank Agrawal]

I think you should start by using proper English and not text speak. Don't use "u" for "you" or "n" for "and".

Thanks,I will take care of that.