Will I Learn What I Need in Physics University Courses?

[Joey21]

Hello people.

This is the first time I'm gping to ask a question on this forum, and I'm not sure If I'm supposed to post it here, if I'm not, I'm very sorry webmaster o moderator :P .

But anyway, this September its my turn to start uni, and of course, I've chosen physics. The problem is I've been looking at the course and the subjects etc and it seems to me that I'm going to miss out on big things like differential geometry and tensor calculus, things that I will need to study, say GR or quauntum mechanics. And I also feel like I'm not going to get taught enough of that lovely stuff either.

So my question is, will they teach me what I need yo know to understand things properly? My main worry is leaving the degree and still feeling like I don't know squat.

I don't know if any of you know anything about the Bolonia plan in Europe, but at least in Spain, and o be more precise, La Laguna University in the Canaries all it has done is taken a lot of knowledge out of degrees.

 

[physics girl phd]

I don't know anything of the plan you mention at the end of your post, but I'll say this:

Yes, universities do vary in their quality, regarding both quality of instruction and perhaps course requirements for the degree, generally there's enough flexibility for you to take courses beyond the requirements (aka. "electives"). So it's good to be a bit concerned and be looking into this. But regardless of where you go and what you study, remember this: The university experience you have will be largely what you make of it. Try to take courses with professors who other students have judged as quality professors (difficult, but good as instructors). Choose your electives carefully to complement your degree and fill in areas that meet your particular goals. Also, take advantage of opportunities outside formal instruction by attending talks by guests brought onto campus by campus leadership and your particular department (aka. colloquium speakers) and by joining a research project under the guidance of a professor. And take advantage of times when class is not in session to participate in research somewhere else (or take a term to do an internship).

 

[Ryker]

Are you sure you're going to skip the subjects you mentioned? In Europe, I haven't see any university that would have you go through courses actually named Calculus I, II, III etc. , but that's because they cover the content in classes named, say, Mathematics I, II etc. or cover it in other Physics courses. You should check out whether that's the case at your university, as well, perhaps by e-mailing people at the Faculty of Physics, if the info isn't available on the website.

 

[Nabeshin]

physics_girl_phd has given some good advice, and like her I'm not at all familiar with the European program you mention but I will speak a bit to the concern you have about those courses you're missing.

1) Tensor calculus isn't really a whole course in itself, or even a large part of one. Sure, it's useful to know how to use and manipulate tensors in a variety of physical contexts (especially GR), but you will learn that in the physics class, not a separate course.

2) Differential geometry is entirely absent from an undergraduate physics education -- and for good reason: It doesn't really apply to any undergraduate subject matter. Even an undergraduate course in GR will not really touch on it, and you'd have to be in a grad level course to begin learning it. That said, most grad GR courses will not assume you've had a formal course in diff. geometry so they'll teach everything you need to know.

Note: Neither of these are particularly useful for QM.

I'm also not sure what you mean by you're not going to be taught "the lovely stuff"...

 

[Joey21]

@physics girl phd

Thank you, that was a very inspiring post. I've actually read it about 10 times already :D.

@Nabeshin
Thaks for the response, it was also quite helping.
OK, sorry for the mistakes. I'm sort of a bit too excited about starting university and well, I get out of hand when writing about it. . With lovely stuff I meant well, QM and GR and all that mind boggling world of knowledge. Sorry for calling it that, but I just love it.

THANKS AGAIN.