Why Do New Members Surge on This Forum During This Season?

[rootX]

I am really sorry for posting this general topic here ; I couldn't find any other place.

So, here's what I observered:
The rate at which new people join this forum is exceptionally high during this time of the year.

So, just wondering why?

 

[cristo]

Because the US universities are starting back?

 

[azila]

yes my university just started and I am not so great at physics as you must have seen by the rate at which i post problems but I am glad that you help out and I am indebted to your help. Thanks...

 

[rootX]

lol,

oops.. I missed out one thing. [Edit: I forgot now, what I missed...]

If person X joins this forum, he would not post question immediately.
my subjective probability < 0.5 (that he wudn't post something)

but if that above thing is truth(person X joined and didn't post anything) then
the person X knew about this forum before... but "it" just waited for its university to start..
and that's kinda strange.
or maybe ...

dammit, I always get interested by trends, and I end up doing some really serious analysis on them...maybe I would do some similar kind of job when I grow up lol

P.S. Canadian universities start on September 9...
I would have one week of orientation(that would be next week)-me a froshy

I didn't know that the US universities have started already.
I think I have got my answer.

[conclusion]:
Person X came to knew about this forum from his friend!

"I am indebted to your help. "

I am making huge profits while investing my time
one of them is happiness!

 

[cristo]

I imagine (although I've not been here long enough to remember any trend from year to year) that people join at the beginning of the school year since they either have not got comfortable enough with their tutor to ask for help, or have not made friends with other students in the class to work with. Students need not obtain the address of this site from their friends, but may simply do a google search-- I imagine PF is quite high up on many searches.

 

[azila]

I just did a google search...I don't have tutor, we have T.A's which are teacher assistants but the TA that we have leaves immediately after class. Also, I have friends in the class but they don't understand the problems that I don't understant and then I post them here for help. Thanks again to everyone that helped me.

 

[rootX]

kind of funny that I also found this through google lol .

anyways, you can do all sorts of funny stuff with these trends..
like would this site need an automatic spam blocker, say in the year 2010,
or predicting future problems.

Prediction is incredibly difficult, especially that of the future -- N. Bohr.

Maybe it's not that difficult.

P.S. I joined this forum in april (during my grade 12 physics)
and my knowledge marks were raised from 90(in grade 11) to 99 in grade 12(got bonus marks in two units tests)!
Though, I was using like 5 textbooks(and many times, I corrected my teacher), but I think this forum also contributed a little. (I never asked many questions, but just tried to answer them). Like solving all the class questions in less than 60 seconds, alone with the calculator! --I guess this only due to this forum lol
and second, I could have forgotten all Physics stuff, if I hadn't joined this forum lol
and third, I found Irodov's book!