This is a follow up to my article on what I'd have done differently in my degree (sort of). I'm talking about decisions that definitely benefited me that maybe not everyone would have made (or did make). This doesn't mean you should follow my decisions! Especially if you aren't looking to pursue a theoretical topic in physics academia. If however that is your goal, this may offer useful ideas for how to approach some decisions through your degree.
I didn't have any specialised 2nd year options that impacted my 3rd year
This may not apply to other physics courses but in at my previous uni there was a 'core' of 2nd year courses which every student (no matter their specialisation) had to take at some point. As a result, those who had specialised courses in their 2nd year had to take a 2nd year course in their 3rd year (hope that makes sense). This was true of particle physics and astrophysics course in my case.
The immediate issue I have with this is that you are robbed of a third year level course. This is not good in my books, you lose a significant portion of higher level teaching. Furthermore you end up stuck between two years in your 3rd year, this created no end of logistical and administrative issues for these students. This is not what you need in your third year.
If you can specialise in maths/theory in your second without consequences then do so!
I was willing to take modules on other areas of theory
You may not be able to fill your 3rd year module choices with options you love. Chances are you'll have to compromise on your modules, I certainly did, the term allocations and timetabling simply didn't add up unfortunately. I made sure that the module I took that I wasn't so interested in had a reasonable amount of theoretical content, in my case I did a module on 'superconductors and magnetism'. Solid state isn't my thing but the theory kept me reasonably interested and also taught me a fair bit.
My point here is that if you have to compromise, stick to a topic with a fair amount of maths in it. A module that focuses on the experimental side will not help you in theory!
I didn't take any 'easy' options
This might seem kind of arrogant so let me explain...
It's fair to say that in any physics course 3rd year there are some options that are trickier than others. I think if you're interested in theory its definitely worth taking the trickier ones because these test you and expand your capabilities more. There is also no point in trying to play your module choice so you get a high mark (not at this stage anyway). Academics know which topics are harder than others so if you come up against someone who took harder modules than you... they will know.
What I'm trying to say is don't pick a course because you think you'll get a higher mark on it because it's 'easier'. Pick the courses you want to do, you'll probably do best on those anyway.
I had a very clear idea of where I wanted to go by 3rd year
Arguably I had a clear idea well before 3rd year but the point is that I could tailor my options very specifically to my goals. For some people this wasn't the case and they did a mix of everything. This is ok but don't expect two experiment focused modules to help your case in a theory PhD application...
Try and have a clear picture of your career goal if you can, if you want to go into academia it's beneficial to have a strong idea of the field you want to be in. This will inform your module choices well.
Now this doesn't mean you have to know the title of your future project! But you should ideally know what sort of area you want to be in, i.e. particle theory or condensed matter theory.
I learned to love maths as much as physics (perhaps more so than physics...)
Physics students who have an equal passion for the mathematics they are using tend to get on much better in theoretical modules. Many of my colleagues saw maths as a tool box which they dragged their feet in learning. This meant for example that a lot of the particle physics orientated students didn't take advanced classical mechanics, so they would go into studying QFT next year without knowing Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalism (lots of catch up).
To me that's a serious disadvantage for someone looking to studying particle physics from any angle. Loving maths means I enjoy all aspects of theoretical physics and don't see doing maths as just another task I have to do before the fun stuff... I actually enjoy it just as much! It also means I don't get put off by 'maths heavy' modules, which are usually the most useful ones.
By nature of physics you will learn at lot of maths at uni, probably more maths than 'physics' depending on who you ask. It's best to enjoy them both, it will make your life a lot easier.
