What courses youv'e enjoyed the most?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around participants sharing their favorite courses in physics, mathematics, and engineering, as well as their experiences with various professors. The scope includes personal reflections on course content, teaching quality, and the impact of instructors on learning experiences.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express enjoyment in courses such as mathematical logic, classical mechanics, and special relativity, highlighting specific topics like Gödel's theorems and the history of relativity.
  • Others mention a dislike for thermodynamics, with some stating it became a strength through further study, while others found it challenging and unenjoyable.
  • Several participants emphasize the importance of the professor in making a course enjoyable, suggesting that teaching quality can significantly influence students' perceptions of a subject.
  • Courses in advanced mathematics, such as complex analysis and abstract algebra, are noted as favorites by some, while others reflect on their experiences in engineering and computer science courses.
  • There are mentions of specific professors who had a positive impact on participants' learning experiences, with requests for others to share similar experiences.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share a variety of personal preferences regarding courses and instructors, with some expressing strong opinions about specific subjects and teaching styles. There is no consensus on which courses are the best, as experiences vary widely.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note that their enjoyment of a course can be heavily influenced by the teaching style of the professor, suggesting a subjective nature to the discussion. Additionally, there are references to specific textbooks and teaching methods that contributed to their learning experiences.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering courses in physics, mathematics, and engineering, as well as those interested in the impact of teaching quality on learning experiences.

  • #61
In my major/area of interest:

1. Combinatorics
2. Linear Algebra
3. Calculus II
4. Theory of Computation
5. Object Oriented Programming

All of these courses were taught by great professors and were the right level of rigor for me at the time, so I learned a lot and was sufficiently challenged. Of course, two or three of my courses from this semester (Linear Algebra II, Graph Theory, and Topology) might earn a spot of their own in a few months.

Other courses I quite liked:

1. Cinema Survey
2. Film Adaptations
3. Survey of Rock Music
4. Science Fiction Literature
5. Microeconomics
 
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  • #62
Caramon said:
Honours Calculus I (Math), The Ancient World (Classics), Metaphysics (Philosophy), Epistemology (Philosophy), Philosophy of Space and Time (Philosophy), Introductory Particle Physics (Physics), Physical Cosmology (Astrophysics), Special Projects (Physics Research)
Since we're at the same institution, then I guess that means you'd recommend this course? I'm namely thinking of taking it next year (sophomore), although I'm not completely sure I want to waste credits and time on Arts courses :smile:
 
  • #63
I enjoyed QM last semester. The professor was a TA for Feynman at Cornell. I thought that was interesting.
 
  • #64
Portfolio Optimization - Michael Best

best class ever =D!
 
  • #65
Undergrad (UMD-College Park)
Stellar Structure and Evolution: J.P. Harrington
High Energy Astrophysics: Cole Miller
Computational Astrophysics: Massimo Ricotti
Solar System: Doug Hamilton
Quantum II: Dieter Brill
Classical Mechanics: Z. Chacko
Differential Geometry: William Goldman
Intermediate EM: Ted Jacobson
String Theory: Sylvester James Gates

I also had Professor Brill for quantum I, but I took that class too early. I was not ready for it, so I didn't get a lot out of the class. I took quantum II a year later, and it was great. And Cole eventually became my honors thesis advisor (neutron stars!). Both him and Professor Hamilton really enjoyed acquiring hydrogen filled balloons and blowing them up in class. Professor Harrington seemed really boring at first, but he would surprise you with an extremely dry sense of humor, and clearly loved the subject.

Professor Jacobson was sort of standard while presenting material out of the book, but he gave interesting examples. He would always say something like, "I was reading the other day, and found something interesting..." It kept the class interesting. He came into an SPS meeting and was supposed to talk about his research, but he spent most of the time talking about "a subject he finds more interesting than his own research (theoretical GR)."

My string theory course wasn't really a standard undergraduate course on the material (if such a thing is standard). He used his own notes, and was a very engaging lecturer. Unfortunately, he missed around 6-8 lectures, since he was busy advising President Obama. I suppose I can't blame him. His post-doc filled in for him, and we had a good rapport with him.

Grad (CUNY)
I've only had one semester, so far, but I really liked my quantum (Leon Cohen) and classical mechanics (Tobias Schaefer).

But really, I don't think there was a physics/astronomy course I didn't like. There were some math courses that were presented poorly. It turned me off math for a couple years, but now I want to take more classes after seeing Ed Witten and Sir Michael Atiyah give talks.

Edit: Forgot the first! In high school, I took an astronomy course with a very passionate teacher. He was actually simultaneously working on his Ph.D. (astrophysics) while teaching high school. I was thinking physics/math at that time, but just had to go back to astronomy after that class.
 
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