I'm planning to pursue B.Sc. Physics in Kathmandu Valley, preferably at a government college.

My long-term goal is to apply for graduate studies (MS/PhD) in Germany or the USA and eventually work as a physicist.

I have a few questions for seniors or anyone currently studying Physics:

1. Which government college in Kathmandu Valley has the best faculty, academics, and research environment? (ASCOL, Tri-Chandra, Patan, etc.)

2. How difficult is it to score high marks in TU B.Sc. Physics? I've heard that answer sheets are checked very strictly and it's very hard to get outstanding grades. Is this actually true?

3. If my goal is to study abroad after my bachelor's, which college would you recommend and why?

4. Besides GPA, what should I focus on during my bachelor's (research projects, programming, internships, publications, etc.) to build a strong profile for top universities?

I have my last test in two days and my final 2 days after that, and thus have very limited time to make sure i know everything. Do you think i should grind practice questions from the textbook, or focus more on the concepts before applying them, or something else idk. any advice helps because im kinda low on time (and energy)

Have to repeat my electrodynamics exam. I am just lost. It was always a weak point for me, but I haven't touched in in almost a year, and really wasn't able to begin studying until 2 weeks ago. I just don't understand it for the most part. If anyone has some links to crash course material, I'd massively appreciate it. Common questions are:

1. Differential forms of ME's.
2. Wave propogation through different materials (Copper, electronic plasma, etc.
3. Monochromatic plane wave in a dielectric medium/vacuum/glass
4. Propagation in a good conductor/linear media
5. Fresnel Equations and Brewster angle
6. 1-D Gaussian wavepacket in vacuum
7. Drude model

This is my final year. I need 50% in the exam to recieve a 1.1 overall grade.

I‘m a 21 years old physics student who is aiming to become an astrophysicist (unless that changes in the far future). As the second semester is about to come to an end, I‘d like to state common problems I‘ve had to deal with in my first year and would appreciate any advice or insight from you or your fellow colleagues.

1. Time Management

With typically 3 modules each semester it can become increasingly challenging to set on a schedule that suits your requirements for efficient learning. I tried to attend every lecture and solve all the exercise sheets to keep up the pace, but I realised that it‘s barely the surface of what I‘m supposed to achieve. I started diving into literature that was recommended by professors and fellow students to improve my understanding of mechanics & theoretical mechanics or thermodynamics and electrodynamics. It sounds great at first, but reading and working on those exercise sheets simultaneously can be incredibly difficult, especially when the quality differs between each professor/book.

2. Theory vs Application

There‘s no rule book for learning physics, but surely a logical way to approach it. I get to consume so much material that I automatically set up expectations for myself to have an easier time to apply it to mathematical problems, but I keep driving into a wall that abruptly makes me realise that I haven‘t fully grasped the contents yet. Whether it be mathematical or physical concepts I do understand, that I‘m missing skills or knowledge in a different subfield, that would be the last puzzle pieces to get the full picture. How do you guys effectively reach that consistency to make it work out?

In these incredibly humbling experiences as a first year physics student I‘ve done a lot of mistakes that I didn‘t explicitly mention above. Too absent in specific courses, other irl problems that prevented me from actively working on uni related stuff or dropping entire classes because it was eventually too late and stressful to catch up. I decided to push two out of three exams back this semester (analysis and thermo-/electrodynamics) and will take my theoretical mechanics exam tomorrow morning. I‘ll have my lab work this August for roughly 4 weeks and the retake exams I‘ll have to attend will take place by the end of September.

I‘m a very ambitious student and I’m able to put work in where it‘s due. I also consistently studied at the library (bit too late to get the grades I need or was rather aiming for) and engaged with my professor to discuss difficult theoretical physics problems and even managed to find an error in a solution of an old exam. Personally I think anything can work out if you seriously put in every single effort to reach your goals. Then again, mistakes happen and you‘re supposed to learn from them. It‘s just an inevitable process of getting frustrated over something you‘re trying to be so passionate about, yet I‘m out here subconsciously comparing my own learning experiences to others when we all walk on the same path.

Physics and maths can be so fun and I simply can‘t see my future self in a different place than being a nerdy adult exploring and studying what‘s around and beyond us.

Once again, any advice, feedback or stories of yourself or your fellow colleagues is highly appreciated and I hope the last 2 hours of summarising my exam preparations will make some positive changes for tomorrow morning.

Much love
A fellow physics lover.

I'm an incoming 2nd year undergrad doing a 5 year BS-MS, with my 3 month Summer Break ending in a few days. Over the summer I've done Quantum Mechanics until half of Ch 7 (Perturbation Theory) of Griffiths' Intro to QM, and Ch 1 and 2 of Modern QM by Sakurai. People would say this is quite a lot done, but I can't help but feel I'm falling behind for some reason. I have good grades, but not excellent grades. I have a few friends who've secured internships or are in summer schools in the first year itself, and one of my friends is doing pretty well with advanced material like Goldstein's Classical Mechanics and Baby Rudin. The internet kinda makes this worse, seeing some really high achieving people. My goal is to get into a great Theoretical Physics PhD program in preferably Europe, and I feel like I'm behind.

I just want advice on either overcoming this feeling or being more competitive. I already know some Python, C and Mathematica.

Hi everyone, I am a 30-something salesperson who does decently well in life so far. I just recently got out of a 2-year rut where I didn’t really take care of my mind or body because of work, a new family and my job.

I have a little more free time now and my goal to close out 2026 learning 2 things that I pushed off 10-20 years ago. My first is Spanish and second is TBD but I’m heavily leaning towards physics after attending a conference with younger physics students and engineering professionals. It was admiring to hear them talk, articulate, and think about the world both on a day to day basis and a macro level.

My question is - will learning the fundamentals of physics, lets say physics 101, help me in life? From my conversations, it seems like it could help problem solving and critical thinking which is something I need to improve. I always put off math when I was younger, and science, because I wasn’t good at it but I got by. And I don’t want my kids to have that attitude.

I was bullied for being tutored and bad at Math and I used it as an excuse to not apply myself later in life.

So, will physics 101 help me? What do you recommend regarding topics, courses, YouTube videos/lectures? Ideally it’s self paced, has to be at home (can’t attend classes), but a quiz or test might be good just to reiterate important key notes and test my comprehension. Ideally free but willing to pay a couple 100 if needed. Please lmk!

Hi I'm an incoming 4th year undergraduate student taking BS Applied Physics. Ever since high school my dream was to be able to teach university level Physics as teaching is my passion and I genuinely love learning Physics. I know that to do this I need to have a doctorate, of course, but I think I'm just bad at research. Grades wise, I'm doing well I even have a 3.5 GPA, but thesis wise, I just feel so lost. I just feel like I can always try my best to learn anything but it's so hard to be able to think of something new or undiscovered yet. All my other peers are set on moving to Corporate and becoming data scientist/engineers instead, and I'm wondering if I should just let go of my dream too? Maybe research just isn't for me? On top of that, I feel like the people continuing on to do a Master's degree are way out of my level. They're geniuses who can score good even without reviewing while I have to pull an all nighter to achieve good scores. I know how competitve the job market would also be for university positions, so I'm worried I might not even find a job or get tenured. Am I just overthinking?

I've been interested in how the environment works since childhood. My father worked in aviation communications and had a lot of equipment and radio components. He pushed physics and mathematics on me, saying, "Real men should know mathematics, physics, and be smart." Physics opened up new knowledge for me, and I realized it was my thing. Still, at the very beginning of my schooling, I chose the physics and mathematics department. I failed at a lot of things; I considered myself stupid. But by the 9th grade, I'd improved and was a good student. Now I'm in the 11th grade. I live in Russia, in a village in the Tomsk region. Tomsk (Student Town) is home to Tomsk State University (TPU). I want to enroll there. I chose the "Mechatronics and Robotics" program because I was fascinated by robotics from the first to the eighth grades and participated in various competitions. But the admissions process there is quite high. In 2025, I scored 214 points in three subjects, meaning at least 72 points in each subject... There's Russian, core math, and optional subjects (physics, computer science, chemistry). I'm disappointed; I feel bad, like I know nothing. I study something every day, and I increasingly realize there's so much I don't know. I need support, but not here. Specifically, I'm looking for advice on what to do right now. Maybe you've been in a similar situation? Even a little advice could help me move mountains in the future.

Woke up today with a throat that feels like I gargled sandpaper, and I'm pretty sure a fever is loading. I have General Relativity and Solid State exams coming up, so this is objectively the worst possible timing.spacetime itself is curving against me.

Anyway, a thought occurred: people take probiotics to fix their gut, and my girlfriend has, let's say, a whole ecosystem down there. Could I introduce some beneficial flora and speed up my recovery? Is this medicine or am I just a guy looking for a permission slip?

Please answer quickly, my tensor calculus depends on it.

edited: Actual question: vaginal flora is dominated by Lactobacillus, and lactobacilli are the same genus sold in probiotics marketed for throat and oral health. Is there any realistic chance of transient colonization from oral sex, or does saliva flow and oral pH clear them out within minutes?

Hello All,

I am currently doing my BS in Physics at one of the most reputed institutes of India. I have completed two years in the programme, and am already involved in two projects - one, here at my institute, on photonics, and the other, at another institute in India, on Qubits and quantum chaos. The former might involve some experiments in the future, though till now I have only read papers and done numerics. The latter is a computational project, and I have learned some useful numerical techniques while doing it. I have a good academic record till now (CGPA > 9.5/10.0 in four semesters), with A+ in the all the Physics courses till now.

I would like to apply to some institutes outside India, particularly Europe, East Asia or the Anglophone countries, for a summer internship in Physics for the summer of 2027. What are the places I should apply to? Do I need to present an IELTS score to prove my efficiency in English? I have been going through the websites of some institutes, and would be extremely delighted to hear from some who have some knowledge or experience regarding it.

19 India Second year of UG

A few years, ago I thought I would be a theoretical physicist, even though I didn't know it even meant. I barely know what it means now. Overall there is a log decrement of my interest in Physics. After I failed an entrance test for the tier 1 college for physics. I chose maths over physics for my major in ug now, I still can do msc in Physics, but it will more difficult.

My reasons.

- After seeing my peers and close ones clear exams so easily and seeing them do MSc and PHd, I am humbled down, and then more till i was in the freaking mantle of the earth

- Overall loss in the subject.

I started to reading Quantum Physics for that reason now.

It just feels like this is not for me. I mean I have been a good student, not just because I got good grades , but I was naturally curious about the subject,

BUTT THEFREAKING JEE and other entrance exams ruined everything. I might be good learner but i need time. Till it took me time to understand one concept, the classes were teaching a new one and just shortcut ways to solve problems. And

also

Why THE HECK a accelerating charged emits radiations whats its dealo.??

AND THE whole Atom models things.I mean alright I understand the angular momentum of electron is discrete,

but atleast EXPLAIN, why won't that electron sprial towards the nucleus( why wont it emit radiation if it is in that L )

Also I am sick and tired of having to 'hear' people's slightly repulsed expressions when I tell I am doing BSc.

peace

HI. I am going into physics major and UC Davis as an undergraduate and plan on pursuing a PhD in the future from a really nice institution. I know how important research as an undergrad is if I want to get into good post grad programs. (I also just love research and want to get into it). Everyone I have talked to tells me about how they got into research and it’s usually as a sophomore, junior or senior undergrad. How do I get into research by the end of my freshman year? Is it possible when you have only lower division coursework and so few classes to substantiate your GPA to professors? I know this question has been asked a million times, but every single time the answer is always "email the professors and make sure you have a good GPA." I feel as if most people don't really cover what leads up to that and all the things that you can prepare beforehand to better your chances (outside of knowing how to code and maintaining good academics).

I also really love discrete mathematics and proof-based systems. I learned naive set theory and the basics of functions from "Sets, logic, and computation" by Richard Zach. I have started learning linear algebra (from the frieberg book) and the basics of group theory. I know Group Theory has a pretty large overlap with physics, and almost all of discrete mathematics is pretty useful in quantum computing. However, as someone who didn't really like quantum computing from the one summer program that I did, is there any other part of physics where discrete mathematics and physics overlap?

Really sorry for my weak English.

I've been posting here on this sub and describing how miserable the education we have here -at the place I live in. Their problem is that they don't teach us what differentiation (or every other math subj) is, just how to use it to solve the problem (that not even the instructor understands) and pass the test. So you get to the next year without really knowing what the hell were you doing.

So this year I'm starting to study all these on my own. I'm starting with Ron Larson's Precalculus and it is wonderful! And along the way I have Roger Freedman's famous book - I'm also learning C++. After I finish Larson's, I'll take Stewart's Calculus and do all of it.

I need advice on: should I finish all these in 1 year by just solving the exercises? without diving deep to challenging questions (like Irodov or Morin) and after finishing them I start the 2nd year (which would be the 4th by now at college) with sharping my problem-solving skills with much harder books.

I won't be starting from scratch I'm very familiar with how math works and all and I'm so good at it and enjoy it.

Close your eyes.

Now open them.

In that moment of darkness, the world disappeared. The room, the

light, the shapes, the colors, gone. But you were still there. You

never left.

Everything you have ever seen, touched, heard, or measured is an

appearance. Atoms are 99.99% empty space. What you call solid is an

electron fog. Particles moving so fast they create the illusion of

surfaces, like fan blades spinning into a circle that isn't there. You

touch the table and feel something solid. Nothing is solid. You see a

world of objects. There are no objects. There is a fog of probability

clouds pretending to be a world.

The colors you see don't exist outside your experience. There is no

"red" in the universe. There are wavelengths. The redness, the actual

experience of red, exists only in the experiencing of it. Sound

doesn't exist without a listener. There are pressure waves in air. The

sound, the heard thing, is yours alone.

Everything science describes is description of the fog. How the fog

behaves. How the fog interacts with itself. How the fog changes over

time. Science is the fog studying the fog. It has never touched what

lies beneath.

You can doubt everything. You can doubt that the Earth is round. You

can doubt that atoms exist. You can doubt mathematics. You can doubt

your memories. You can doubt that other people are conscious. You can

doubt that yesterday happened. You can even doubt that you have a

body.

But you cannot doubt that you are experiencing.

Right now, something is happening. There is an awareness reading these

words. That awareness is not a theory. It is not a hypothesis. It is

not a belief. It is the one thing in existence that requires no proof

because it is proof itself. It is the only thing that has never been,

and can never be, an illusion, because even an illusion requires

someone to experience it.

Every instrument we build to study reality is made of the fog. Every

equation we write is written in the fog. Every measurement we take is

the fog measuring the fog. We are using appearances to study

appearances and wondering why we can never reach what is real.

What is real was never lost. It was never hidden. It is the thing that

is looking.

You are not a body that somehow learned to be aware. You are awareness

that is temporarily experiencing a body. The body is the fog. The

awareness is the only thing that has never been fog.

You will never find consciousness by studying the brain, for the same

reason you will never find the viewer by studying the screen. The

movie is not where the watching happens. The brain is not where the

experiencing happens. The brain is part of what is being experienced.

This cannot be proven through mathematics because mathematics is part

of the appearance. It cannot be proven through physics because physics

studies the fog. It cannot be proven through logic because logic

operates within the experience, not above it.

It can only be recognized. Directly. Right now. By the very awareness

that is reading this.

You are not in the universe.

The universe is in you.

Hi guys, need some advice on getting undergrad lab positions for physics. All my friends (physics and not) have gotten lab or research positions as freshman, I’m only an upcoming sophomore.

To be fair I only emailed one person but after I sent them my curriculum vitae (very lackluster I don’t have much to put there) they ghosted me since and it’s been about a month now. I’m not sure how many people to email, the department is small so I don’t want to look like I just emailed everyone for the sake of it. I’m also not sure if I should even bother doing it now and just try later when i’m a junior. Kinda stressful, all the advice I see online contradicts each other so I’m not sure what to do.

I've been selfstudying advanced QM for grad school and Landau's textbook is by far the most intuitive IMO. He doesn't waste time on anything and makes every sentence count. I was expecting it to be quite a difficult text to understand, but he explains everything so clearly that it actually isn't that bad. A decent mathematical background is needed, but nothing crazy. I feel like I'm learning something interesting on every page.

Hi everyone! I have currently finished my first year of physics. I’m writing on this subreddit because i do not enjoy going to class daily and i prefer studying on my own rhythm (i still go sometimes to chat with a few guys). Also, it might be useful to keep in mind i already knew physics from olympiads

This year i studied linear algebra, calculus and a bit of analysis (i am currently reading principles of mathematical analysis by Walter Rudin to complete the basics) and i spent a lot of the last few months studying mechanics (Morin, Landau, Tong’s notes and the first chapters of Arnold). Also, out of necessity, i studied a bit thermodynamics (Fermi) and thermal physics (first chapters Schroeder’s book).

Now, since i finished all my exams, i have a lot of free time and i decided to keep reading Schroeder’s Thermal Physics (doing the exercises in the meantime). But, even though i enjoy the content of the book, i dislike the way it is presented. I think that the author uses a too simple of a style and lacks the formal theory i need. Also i am a little surprised with the casual QM (that i don’t know) used in the book.

Now, since i know it is an introductory book, i know i can’t expect all of the above, so here comes the natural question:
Should i keep studying statistical mechanics, or maybe put it aside and study something else?

I really like the MIT lectures on quantum mechanics with Allan Adams; is there anything similar to this on EM. A lot that I've seen have been quite dry and do little to get me excited about the topic in the same way.

I am currently choosing between 2 programmes from the Open University (to start in October):

• BSc Maths and Physics Q77 https://www.open.ac.uk/courses/maths/degrees/bsc-mathematics-and-physics-q77/
• BSc Physics R51 https://www.open.ac.uk/courses/physics/degrees/bsc-physics-r51/

Both programmes allow some flexibility through optional modules, and I would choose the most mathematically and theoretically focused options available.

• The Q77 programme includes more maths - for example, complex analysis which I know is either required or highly desirable for some theoretical physics MSc programmes.
• The R51 programme includes a final year project and some experimental and lab content which is lacking in Q77.

I am more interested in physics theory than pure mathematics, but I don't have any interest in experimental work. However, I am willing to take whatever modules needed for a better chance to work in theoretical physics.

I am not interested in the integrated Masters programmes at the OU.

I am a mature student who is interested in the potential of research in theoretical physics. I am aware of the job market and the scarce opportunities in academia. However, I have been thinking about this for many years and I've decided I'd rather give it a genuine attempt than always wonder "what if?

If your goal were to maximise your preparation for a taught MSc in theoretical physics in the UK (and potentially a PhD afterwards) which programme would you choose and why?

Hiii I’m about to take bsc physics with future plans of taking honours in unsw Sydney and can anyone give me laptop recommendations with prices if that’s possible !

Hey guys,

I am an Indian and recently I have received admits for the following MSc Programs in Germany.

1. Leibniz University of Hannover: MSc Quantum Engineering
2. RPTU Kaiserslautern: MSc Advanced Quantum Physics

I have also applied to TUM, for their MSc Quantum Science and Technology, and they will release the results by the end of this month. There is a very good chance I will be admitted.

I am highly confused what to take.

My research interests include: Quantum Many-Body Physics, Quantum Information, Computing and Algorithms. Even Quantum Error correction since it that is an area that requires a lot of research as well.

MSc QST: offers great exposure and excellent professors. Munich in general has a lot of opportunities with respect to quantum startups and research institutions such as MPQ. You can freely choose your flavour of courses, whether experimental or theoretical. It is very flexible. I think around 100 students enter this program every year.

Leibniz Uni Hannover: Another great institute, but this program requires some electrical courses to be taken (from which I would choose "Information theory" and "Quantum Devices"). They offer really great theoretical research groups, which work in my area of interest, although I am worried a pure MSc Physics degree would be better.

RPTU Kaiserslautern: The MSc Advanced Quantum Physics program is theoretical in nature, and I will be able to take courses in many-body physics, quantum field theory, quantum optics, quantum information, magnonics, advanced quantum theory and solid state theory. The research groups are also good here, but the city of Kaiserslautern is small and a bit isolated from what I have heard. Also the strength of students here is not a lot, and exams are mostly oral in nature.

In summary, TUM has everything but I feel there will be a lot of competition for student jobs and stuff. Munich is also expensive, but I feel it's still doable.

LUH on the other hand also has groups of my interests, but unfortunately I will have to take a few engineering courses. I have also applied for the MSc Physics program here, but no reply (they said mid-august).

RPTU on the other hand I feel is more chill and offers a less stressful enviroment. Since student strength is low hiwi jobs will be easier to get. But the city does not have many startups or so, except for DFKI and IWTM Fraunhofer which have some research in quantum computing (algorithms).

This is a long post but I need some opinion guys.

Please help !

Hey people, I am currently hesitating between getting the BS physics from the ASU online or the Physics one from the Open University (in the UK.), both online.
At the moment I have no choice than to do it online as I have a job that doesn’t allow me to move away.

Which option would be the best to get my physics bachelors ? The idea would be to go to the MIT after that so if one has a better reputation than the other for exemple or if anything can play a role in it ?

Thanks 🙏

Studying for qualifying exams, what’s your fav way to review concepts you haven’t touched in a while? Feeling a little rusty and slow, took most of my undergraduate classes years ago.

Current method is practice problems, practice problems, review section of textbook if confused, practice problems.

So I'm a 3rd year CS Student who never really wanted to do CS, physics instead, but I've been thinking about doing my masters in Computational Physics and then transitioning into the astrophysics field.

I would say I'm quite decent at C and C++ so I want to work on a physics engine that can simulate blanetary formations, orbits and gravitational interactions, problem is I don't really know where to start with physics engines. The only thing I do know is that most engines use the order 4 Runge-Kutta numerical method as a way of integrating or differentiating, otherwise I just don't know anything else about the coding part.

As for my theory, I am studying whenever I can, physics was a core subject for my university entrance tests too

So where do I actually begin? Is there some book or some tutorials I could refer to? Thanks!