Courses Which is more challenging -- Graduate vs Undergraduate Physics Courses

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The discussion centers on the comparative challenges of undergraduate versus graduate physics courses. Many participants agree that graduate courses tend to be more conceptually and technically difficult due to the specialized nature of the material. While undergraduate students often have access to a variety of resources to help understand difficult concepts, such as textbooks and online platforms, these resources become limited in graduate studies. However, some participants note that their performance improves in graduate school due to increased maturity, experience, and a better understanding of study techniques. The consensus suggests that while graduate courses are more challenging, students often find them easier to navigate due to their enhanced skills and confidence in applying concepts learned during their undergraduate studies.
Josh0768
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When first encountering them, did you find your undergraduate physics courses or your graduate physics courses to be more conceptually and technically challenging?
 
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I found my grad physics courses to be way more challenging, for one major reason. As an undergrad, if you struggle with a particular concept, there are plenty of other resources. If you struggle in Griffiths quantum, maybe you can find a different explanation (that might "click" more) in Sakurai, or by looking at Khan Academy, posting for homework help on this forum, etc. Once your education gets more "specialized", those resources become few and far between.
 
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I think the content of the graduate courses was more difficult, but I was a better student in grad school than I had been as an undergrad. I was older, more mature/serious about studying; plus I had four years of undergrad experience in "learning how to study," if that makes sense.
 
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Undergrad courses were harder for me, because I was still struggling with the math.
 
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Dr. Courtney said:
Undergrad courses were harder for me, because I was still struggling with the math.

Same, senior ugrad and grad courses have so far been easier because I'm not struggling with learning concepts I'm just instead learning on how to apply them.
 
Hi all, Hope you are doing well. I'm a current grad student in applied geophysics and will finish my PhD in about 2 years (previously did a HBSc in Physics, did research in exp. quantum optics). I chose my current field because of its practicality and its clear connection to industry, not out of passion (a clear mistake). I notice that a lot of people (colleagues) switch to different subfields of physics once they graduate and enter post docs. But 95% of these cases fall into either of...

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