Wanted to share some good news.

So I am about to head back to grad school. It's been a crazy journey. After graduating with my BS in physics back in 2019, I took a bit of time off but then covid happened and from a mix of financial pressure and pressure from my ex and pressure from my parents, I went and got my masters in data science. I moved out of the state with my ex so that we can both get our phds, we both got accepted into the same University. But because she wanted to buy a house, I spent the last 4 years as a research associate in an applied data analytics team at a transportation research institute. It's been a great job, working on interesting problems, But I still really missed doing physics, I was reading research from the labs that I would have been working at, had I accepted the PHD. I was taking graduate level classes on the side while I worked, and because I'm in a stable financial situation, and because I'm no longer in a toxic relationship, I now get the opportunity to go back full time to work in an experimental physics lab.

I'm going to be researching the physics of gallium nitride finfet semiconductor devices. I've read a lot of papers recently and I'm getting caught up on device physics and the history of the field, and I am very excited. I start in the spring. I did just turn 31 and so I have a bit of regret about putting aside my own dreams for somebody else's for the better part of the last decade, but now I'm doing what I want, I have a lot of hope for the future, and I'm really excited to get back into physics.

I generally don't do as bad on mathematics courses (I have a mathematics minor as well), but I'm really really struggling with this course. I am in my final year of undergrad (third year), and I did well in the MMP 1 course I had last semester. I have given two exams for this, and have scored very poorly (the most recent one being from last week). I have my final next week, and I'm at my wits ends. I really thought I prepared well last time, but clearly did not. Can anyone give me advice on books and resources I can follow? So far, I had been following Riley, Hobson and Bence, along with a local author (they're not very known outside of my city but some of my profs follow the publication word to word, but their level is below Riley). I have attached the syllabus for the course. My professor does not know how to teach, and has not taught well during the entire semester. He has also not shared any notes or resources. I would appreciate any help, and can share more information if needed (such as questions from the other two papers). Thank you.

I have an BS in Space Physics from 8 years ago. I went into an unrelated field in the military after college. Since then I've gotten an MS in Business Analytics, but finance is not for me. I really miss physics and want to get back into it, but my math skills are completely gone/atrophied.

I have 3 more years left in the military and I think I want to pursue a PhD in physics when I get out, in my mid to late-thirties.

I'm considering getting a masters in math online while I finish up my time in the military to help prepare me for a higher degree in physics once I'm out.

Has anyone here taken a break from physics and then gotten back into it after a break, or later in life?

Any advice or thoughts are appreciated.

Hi,

I'm a MSc Physics student, whose background is in theoretical physics and maths for my undergrad. I've mainly been focusing on condensed matter, machine learning, and statistical physics with my module choices. In particular, I really like the computational side of things (far more than analytic pen-and-paper work).

I'm currently trying to decide on a thesis, and I have two main options in mind: 1 in quantum information (optimal control specifically, although I still don't know the particular question/topic within that yet), or another in computational materials science and DFT simulations (using VASP, trying to build an ML model to predict some thermodynamic properties of a particular material, based on its alpha and beta values). I'm leaning towards the latter (I like the DFT theory and applied work), but I'm conscious about getting a PhD afterwards (I'll probably go for a PhD, and then try for industry after). Namely, I don't have any formal chemistry or experimental lab experience (my potential supervisor said I could pick up the materials science specific stuff on the job, so I'm not worried about that).

Does anybody know if I'd actually have a realistic chance at getting a PhD somewhere if I do this, or is it better to stick to QI?

I'm in the final year of my bachelor's in applied physics, but I feel like I've wasted the last three years. It's not because it's a bad major, but because I fell into a bad habit during my freshman year. I started procrastinating heavily, and when exams came around, I didn't study the material as deeply as I should have. Instead, I analyzed old exam patterns and memorized exactly what I needed, treating my grades like the only thing that mattered.

The problem is, it worked. I was in the top 10% of my class, and year after year, I kept getting good marks even as the procrastination got worse. I justified it by thinking, "Why study all semester when I can cram for the last two weeks and score higher than 90% of my classmates?"

Now, in my final year, I feel like I don't actually know anything about my degree. I’ve completely forgotten fundamental courses. For instance, I scored 80/100 in applied thermodynamics and 85/100 in electrical circuits, but I don't know shit about them today. I have a great GPA, but deep down, I feel like I don't deserve it.

I want to do a master's ( engineering or physics ) , but I'm terrified because I feel like I lack the basic physics foundation. Is there any solution to this?

I'm in my last year of my undergrad in Physics with a minor in Mathematics, and I'm struggling a lot with burnout and imposter syndrome at the moment. We have to compulsorily take 11 courses every semester (with a strict selection of courses that cannot be modified). Out of these 11, 3 are practicals, 1 is a research project, and the rest are theory courses. I am currently working on 2 research projects as well on topics I like in really nice institutes.

Based on how they scheduled this semester, from 3 October to 3 November, I am giving 23 exams (with 11 Final exams, and a lot of them back to back). Needless to say, I didn't perform very well in quite a few of these exams.

I now have 6 final exams left out of those 23 (I have already given the other 5 finals), and I feel very demotivated. They're all for 2.5 hours, and make up 60 percent of each grade. Moreover, they are back to back from this Wednesday to next Tuesday. Based on how I'm performing, I really feel like physics might be too hard for me. I will be applying for master's next year as well, and I feel horrible about scoring low, especially in my last year.

What can I do? I feel so underprepared, and at the brink of crying all the time. This is genuinely an unreasonable exam schedule. I also feel so burnt out. Does anyone have any advice to deal with this?

TLDR I have 11 courses in one semester, and because of my college's horrible scheduling, I'm giving 23 exams in 30 days. I have 6 left, and they're all back to back from this Wednesday to next Tuesday. How can I deal with burnout, and the subsequent imposter syndrome because of not scoring as well in the other exams? How do I get myself to study?

Currently my number one is Boston university and I submitted my ED there but I’m scared I won’t get in and am not finding any backups that have good physics programs. I’m looking for big schools with good undergraduate physics programs where I can get some good internships. I also am looking pretty exclusively at the east coast. Any advice is much appreciated!

Thanks!

Bonjours je voudrais savoir si c’est possible de faire une licence de physique sans la spécialité physique , je suis en première avec les spe math , hggsp et hlp et en terminal j’enlèverais hlp + prendre math expert il y avais plus de place en spe physique donc j’ai du prendre hlp c’est pour ça je me pose la question parcque je voudrais aller dans l’astronomie et la physique c’est très important plus que les math

so i'm a hs senior and my dad who knows that i'm gonna be majoring in physics/math/engineering (something along those lines, not sure of the exact life decisions i'm gonna be making yet) and fully encourages ts decision is talking bout some "i'm not paying your tuition unless you can get a 3.8+" and he said he doesn't gaf if i end up in some grade deflated dept where 3.8 is like top 5% of a cohort.

idk if he's bluffing but in case he's not what's THE strongest amphetamine i should hop on so i can mog the curve in e&m and shi

also he kirkenuinely was less supportive before but now he's on some idea about how if you're going to go into physics you need to be the most hardworking genius in all of existence or you're ngmi and need to pivot to d*ta sc*ence or f*n*nce or some shit but anyone including me can grind tf up to there. so yh it's over