Taking Physics II over the Summer

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around the challenges of taking Physics II during a condensed summer semester, which lasts only five weeks. The individual is currently enrolled in Physics I and aims to stay on track for graduation while preparing for upper-level courses and graduate school. Concerns are raised about the potential impact of the abbreviated course on their understanding of key concepts, particularly in Introductory Electricity and Magnetism (E&M), which is crucial for the Physics Graduate Record Examination (PGRE). The advice emphasizes the importance of self-study both before and after the course to ensure a solid foundation in the material, highlighting that thorough preparation is essential for success in future physics studies.
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I have a bit of a dilemma coming up over the this summer. Due to the small size of my physics department most courses beyond Physics I and II are only offered once every year. I am in Physics I now and plan to take Physics II during a short semester over the summer(5 weeks) to get on the right track to be able to take upper level courses and graduate on a reasonable schedule.

I plan on studying ahead so that I will already be familiar with the concepts before I even take the course but how detrimental to my overall physics education will the short semester be? I hope to go forward into grad school so I want to make sure have a good basis in Intro E&M, which our physics II is, and I also know question from this class will often come up on the PGRE. I am setting myself up for trouble for taking the abbreviated semester? Unfortunately, at this point delaying my degree by a year would really hurt, any advice?
 
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do lots of studying on your own... I mean both before and after the class starts and finishes, respectively. You need that solid foundation.
 

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