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.
lubuntu
Messages
464
Reaction score
2
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?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
do lots of studying on your own... I mean both before and after the class starts and finishes, respectively. You need that solid foundation.
 

Thread 'Should I pursue a masters degree after 4.5 years working in IT?'

I graduated with a BSc in Physics in 2020. Since there were limited opportunities in my country (mostly teaching), I decided to improve my programming skills and began working in IT, first as a software engineer and later as a quality assurance engineer, where I’ve now spent about 3 years. While this career path has provided financial stability, I’ve realized that my excitement and passion aren’t really there, unlike what I felt when studying or doing research in physics. Working in IT...
View full post »

Thread 'Should I submit 860 PGRE?'

Hi everyone! I'm a senior majoring in physics, math, and music, and I'm currently in the process applying for theoretical and computational biophysics (primarily thru physics departments) Ph.D. programs. I have a 4.0 from a basically unknown school in the American South, two REUs (T50 and T25) in computational biophysics and two semesters of research in optics (one purely experimental, one comp/exp) at my home institution (since there aren't any biophysics profs at my school), but no...
View full post »

Similar threads

Admissions Plasma Physics PhD from an EE undergrad
Replies
4
Views
1K
Physics knowledge advice for a Civil Engineering undergrad
Replies
8
Views
2K
Other Would it be advisable to take an extra year before graduating?
Replies
8
Views
3K
Schools Can I recover from this poor performance in my 5th semester?
Replies
4
Views
1K
Courses Which math course should I take (as a physics major)?
Replies
6
Views
3K
Admissions Advice on how best to spend my time for graduate school applications
Replies
15
Views
2K
Programs Questions About Referrals for Physics REUs (for Undergrads)
Replies
4
Views
2K
Courses Math Course Advice -- Harvard freshman planning to double major in physics and mathematics
Replies
41
Views
5K
Admissions Comments on my physics PhD applicant profile
Replies
4
Views
3K
Programs Physics degree to med school? please help
Replies
2
Views
1K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top