How to strenghten your preparation?

[Esquer]

Hello everyone! I am about to finish my master degree and to start my PhD and I am very excited about it! There is something, though, that worries me a bit: sometimes I feel I don't have very good and solid basis. May be due to forgetfulness with time or due to a bad study when I was younger and unfortunately a bit irresponsible, but on some subject I feel a bit insecure. I would like, somehow, to review the fundamentals and keep myself trained in order to not forget the most important things.
From these thoughts came my two questions:
Which are for you the things that a physicst must absoulutely know? And what do you suggest for reviewing the basis?
Thank you everyone for the answer

 

[Stella.Physics]

hello there. I think that one of the basic things to a physicist is Mathematics so one should have a solid background. Now, when you say "review the fundamentals" and "most important things" I guess it really depends on the field of your PhD really. Physics is about so many things and fields and each one, has fundamentals of its own. So, you should review certain basic knowledge that has to do with your topic.
So, what is your Master about?

 

[Esquer]

I focused my studies most on atomic and solid state physics. And in the end I will work mainly on superconductivity.

 

[symbolipoint]

Hello everyone! I am about to finish my master degree and to start my PhD and I am very excited about it! There is something, though, that worries me a bit: sometimes I feel I don't have very good and solid basis. May be due to forgetfulness with time or due to a bad study when I was younger and unfortunately a bit irresponsible, but on some subject I feel a bit insecure. I would like, somehow, to review the fundamentals and keep myself trained in order to not forget the most important things.
From these thoughts came my two questions:
Which are for you the things that a physicst must absoulutely know? And what do you suggest for reviewing the basis?
Thank you everyone for the answer

Why you need to ask the question if you are finishing a master's degree in the subject?

 

[Esquer]

Because I will be defending my master thesis in one month and starting my phd in 2 (January 2017). So I actually finished the "studying" part, meaning that I don't have any more class to attend.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

That's a pretty broad question. It's not a short list.

My approach was to work with the Fenyman Lectures and re-take undergrad courses in Quantum Mechanics, Stat Mech, Classical Mechanics, and E&M. It worked, I passed the MIT PhD qualifying exams.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

That's a pretty broad question. It's not a short list.

My approach was to work with the Fenyman Lectures and re-take undergrad courses in Quantum Mechanics, Stat Mech, Classical Mechanics, and E&M. It worked, I passed the MIT PhD qualifying exams.

Never underestimate how much more you learn and how well you really master the material when you take (more or less) the same course, especially with a different professor. Everything moves in slow motion and you finally get it - I mean really get it.

 

[Esquer]

That's a pretty broad question. It's not a short list.

My approach was to work with the Fenyman Lectures and re-take undergrad courses in Quantum Mechanics, Stat Mech, Classical Mechanics, and E&M. It worked, I passed the MIT PhD qualifying exams.

Thank you! I think I will follow your approach, trying to keep myself trained doing small exercise (like the ones of the GRE) from time to time