My Degree: What I did right (I think)

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.

My Degree: What I would have done differently

A bit of a cliche topic perhaps but I'm aiming to communicate some useful lessons I learned in the hope you can make use of them. My degree was certainly not perfect and that was at least partly due to decisions I made, so here's a critique of some of them.

Disclaimer: You'll note that most of these are things I neglected to do, that's a character trait not a general rule. I don't follow the whole 'you regret the things you don't do', don't take that away from this article.

Not talking with academics enough:

This is first because its probably my biggest regret! In my last year I sat down with a few theorists and had some in-depth career discussions with them but apart from that I had minimal contact with the academic staff in my department. I asked questions in lectures from time to time, also provided answers to questions thrown to the audience and occasionally asked questions after lectures had finished. It would be fair to say that no member of academic staff would really recognise me or know my name, I blended into the background.

Now my regret about being in this position is that I saw other students who actively engaged with academic staff on regular basis benefiting from their improved student-academic relations! They found it easier to seek the help of lecturers with regards to coursework problems or material they were struggling with. Many of them also engaged in high-level discussions regarding material beyond the current course level or current research, the benefit of this was immense. This enabled them to converse with entire groups of academics and become an edition of the academic culture at the uni.

I feel that this is something I really should have made more of an effort on, by asking lecturers more questions after lectures for example. I would advise you to try and develop a good working relationship with your lecturers and other academic staff, it will really benefit you (as well as being good networking).

Not pushing myself beyond the taught curriculum early enough:

Whilst I read outside of the course throughout my entire degree I didn't really push myself to study higher level material regularly until my third year. This was something I did readily at GCSE and A-Level but I had a bit of a blip for two years, for some just and some unjust reasons. I would encourage you (if you want to pursue physics in academia particularly) to look above the course material and always stretch your mind.

This not only prepares you better for the next stages of study but also continually improves your problem solving skills and makes current work easier in comparison to your extension work! It also feeds into achieving conversations with lecturers, often they are more likely to converse with a student who is extending themselves beyond the course and becoming a more rounded physicist. It also help to read about the area they are researching...

I benefited a lot from pushing myself in this way during my final year and would encourage you to do so from the very beginning of your degree! The students who did this were often top of the class.

Not spending enough time in the library:

It didn't dawn on me until about halfway through my degree quite how useful the following things were:

• Knowing the library's collection of physics texts and knowing what they are good for
• Using whiteboards and having a good size of study space
• Using library space in the evening when other students are often being loud outside your accommodation
• Getting out of your accommodation to provide a fresh environment when you are struggling to work

Plain and simple, the library ended up being a very good friend of mine and I'd suggest you befriend yours!

Not maintaining a hobby:

I spent the best part of six years getting a black belt in a martial art, I carried on training in that and another for a further two years before I came to uni. Needless to say it was a serious hobby and I put a lot into it. 

When I went to university I made a moderate effort to find a new club to join, I tried out two other classes but I didn't do more than that. I didn't really like either of them and I told myself I would look elsewhere. In the end I never did and I spent three years without a hobby I still have a serious attachment too. 

I regret that decision and would encourage you to pursue your hobbies as you transfer from A-Level to uni and throughout your degree if you can.

Organise your study from the offset:

I didn't initially structure my studies and it took me until about my third year to figure out how to get it right. I would suggest not leaving it that long...

I've mentioned before that I struggle with schedules and I require an element of flexibility but everyone needs a timetable of sorts, I didn't implement a stringent enough one early enough. I had periods of time where I was handing in multiple problem sheets the night before they were due through my first two years, this was purely due to scheduling problems of my own making.

Plan ahead and get work in ahead of schedule if you can! This is far more easily achieved with a good schedule in place. And revise from the outset... more on this another time.


So there's five things I think I should have done differently in my degree, fingers crossed you won't end up regretting similar decisions in yours!