Is Summer School a Good Option for Completing Minor Requirements?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility and implications of taking summer school courses for an undergraduate physics major at UCSD, specifically focusing on mathematics and philosophy classes to fulfill minor requirements. Participants explore the pacing of summer courses compared to regular quarters and the potential impact on retention of material.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about the condensed nature of summer courses, questioning whether it would affect their understanding and retention of material in PDEs and complex analysis.
  • Another participant warns against taking both PDEs and complex analysis in the summer due to their reputations for difficulty.
  • A suggestion is made to focus on general education requirements instead of challenging math courses during the summer.
  • Some participants note that summer school requires different study habits and that the workload can be overwhelming due to the accelerated pace.
  • One participant proposes that taking only one math course along with a philosophy class might be more manageable and beneficial for retention.
  • Another viewpoint suggests that if the student focuses solely on one math course, they may retain the material better than if juggling multiple subjects.
  • There is a recommendation to prioritize math over philosophy for its relevance to physics, with a distinction made between rigorous and computational classes in terms of stress and complexity.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express concern about the difficulty and pacing of summer courses, with multiple competing views on the best approach to course selection. No consensus is reached on whether taking both math courses is advisable.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the importance of considering personal study habits and the potential for burnout when selecting summer courses. There is also a focus on the relationship between the subjects and their relevance to future physics courses.

Who May Find This Useful

Undergraduate students considering summer courses, particularly in mathematics and philosophy, as well as those interested in balancing course loads and retention strategies.

Brian T
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Hey all,
I'm currently an undergrad physics major at UCSD. I'm thinking about taking a few classes over the summer so that my course-load for next year will not be too unbearable (my schedule is already packed).

The courses I plan on taking over the summer are:
(1) PDEs
(2) Complex Analaysis
(3) ~ Maybe a philosophy course

I am trying to taking these classes to get my philosophy / math minor sooner so I can focus on physics.

My question is, how is the pacing of summer school, for those of you who have experienced it? A class during a normal quarter is 10 weeks + finals, whereas a class over summer quarter is 4 or 5 weeks + finals. Would the material be too condensed? I have read the summer syllabus for the math classes and the syllabus for normal quarters; they cover the same amount of material but in a lot less time. I want to have a good understanding of mathematics to prepare me for upper-div physics courses. Will taking these courses over the summer sacrifice some retention of the material covered?
 
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I haven't yet taken either of those math classes, but from what I've heard about them I would not want to take even one of them over the summer. Let alone both of them. PDEs has a reputation of being a very difficult class, and complex analysis does as well.
 
QuantumCurt said:
I haven't yet taken either of those math classes, but from what I've heard about them I would not want to take even one of them over the summer. Let alone both of them. PDEs has a reputation of being a very difficult class, and complex analysis does as well.

Maybe I'll stick to philosophy over the summer. I need at least 8 credits to apply for Financial Aid :P
 
Ussually people take math course they have self studied for credit during short semesters. If you have any other general education requirements, complete those instead.
 
Summer school is tough. The pace is faster, and the same study habits that worked for the semester won't necessarily work in the summer. Just like you are getting twice as many lectures per unit time, you will have twice as much homework. Devote the same time to homework, and you get in a big mess in a hurry.
 
Alright thanks for the advice everyone
 
Taking all 3 of those (if they happen at the same time) sounds rough during the summer. I would advise doing only one of the first two in addition to your philosophy class.
 
I think in terms of increasing retention and also preventing burnout, it makes the most sense to take just one of the mathematics courses.

The material will be condensed but if that's all you're focusing on then you'll have plenty of time to keep up. Also, since you'll be spending a significant amount of time focusing on only that material over a period of 1.5 months, I'd say there's a high probability of retention. You'd be surprised how much you retain if your mind isn't going back and forth between 4 or 5 different subjects.

I'd also recommend math over philosophy for a couple reasons:

1) It's more related to physics than philosophy is. This means it will give you some added preparation for your main courses next year.
2) It might be nice to have a philosophy course during the fall/winter to take a break from all the math and physics.

If you're taking a rigorous complex analysis course then I would suggest that over PDEs. The less stress you have while trying to digest that material, the better. If it's just a computational class then I'd say take PDEs over the summer because the PDE class will be more complicated.
 
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Great. I figure I'll go with 1 Phil and 1 math. I'll have to double check to see if complex analysis is rigorous or computational
 

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