What Electives Do Physics Students Usually Take?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the elective courses that physics students typically take alongside their core curriculum. Participants share their own course selections and inquire about the implications of choosing easier electives, often referred to as "bird courses," in relation to graduate school applications.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant outlines their current coursework in chemical physics, noting a mix of advanced math and physics classes, and expresses curiosity about common electives among physics students.
  • Another participant questions the term "bird course" and shares their perspective on evaluating applicants, indicating that they do not prioritize elective choices unless they are particularly unusual.
  • A clarification is provided on what constitutes a "bird course," with a participant expressing a desire to balance challenging physics classes with easier electives to manage workload.
  • A later reply emphasizes that off-topic courses can be interesting if they demonstrate a coherent interest in a field, suggesting that such choices might be viewed positively in graduate school applications.
  • One participant shares their own course load, which includes a variety of physics and mathematics classes, highlighting the demanding nature of their studies.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the value of "bird courses" in graduate school applications, with differing opinions on their relevance and impact on applicant evaluation.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the significance of elective courses in graduate admissions remain unresolved, and the discussion reflects varying perspectives on the importance of course selection.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering their elective options in physics programs, as well as those interested in the implications of course choices for graduate school applications.

Howers
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Just curious, what do physicists usually take on top of the regular course work?

Myself, being enrolled in chemical physics have the following time table this year:

Organic Chemistry I & II
Advanced Calculus w/ Vector Analysis
Waves and Oscillations, then Electrodynamics
Physical Chemistry (aka Thermodynamics then Quantum Chemistry)
Abstract Math then Linear Algebra II

...

So I know most physics do the 2 maths and 2 physics, but what electives do you usually do?

I was thinking of taking a bird course next year... because this is pretty hard. Do grad schools care that u take 1-2 bird courses per yr?
 
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What's a 'bird course'?

When I look at applicants to our program, in general I don't care about the overwhelming majority of courses because everyone takes them- and that includes many of the elective classes. If there's an obvious oddball, I'll ask why they took it- that includes non-physics oddball classes. I also always ask what their least favorite class was, why it was their least favorite, and what they would do differently to prevent that situation for reoccuring.
 
Bird course: a course you can fly by with no effort, ie. a easy filler course.

What I mean is I want to do say 3-4 real physics classes and have an extra I don't really have to study for. I can't handle doing 3+ sciences anymore, so I'm wondering if filling them in with off topic courses would affect grad status.
 
Oh. Ok.

Well, personally, it makes no difference to me when interviewing candidates. OTOH, if the off-topic courses are structured in a coherent way that reflects an underlying interest in a particular field of study, that's potentially interesting and useful because it shows that the applicant has curiosity as well as focus.
 
I am completing my second year..

This semester:
Linear Algebra
E&M
Mechanics & SR
Quantum
Astronomy

and 4 labs to go along. It's tiring!
 

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