The Test Of All Tests Is Coming
TLDRThe speaker discusses their upcoming comprehensive exam at NMSU, a crucial test for their PhD candidacy in Physics. They explain the exam structure, which spans three days and covers quantum mechanics, statistical physics, classical physics, and electromagnetic theory, including both written and oral components. The speaker shares their study strategy, which involves analyzing previous exams, focusing on key topics, and using preferred problem-solving methods like Lagrangian formalism and ensemble theory. They also mention the importance of understanding concepts over memorizing constants and the challenges of studying from comprehensive textbooks like Jackson's 'Classical Electrodynamics.' The video provides insight into the rigorous process of preparing for a high-stakes academic examination.
Takeaways
- 📚 The speaker is preparing for a comprehensive exam, which is a significant milestone in their graduate school journey at NMSU.
- 🔍 The comprehensive exam covers advanced topics in quantum mechanics, statistical physics, classical physics, and electromagnetic theory.
- 📝 The exam has both a written portion, which spans three days, and an oral component that includes problem-solving on a blackboard.
- 🚫 Failure to pass the comprehensive exam after two years of study would mean not being allowed to continue with the Ph.D. program.
- 💡 The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying patterns and relationships in physics, rather than memorizing every constant or pre-factor.
- 📈 The speaker has been studying by analyzing previous comprehensive exams, noting the topics tested, and focusing on areas likely to appear on the exam.
- 🎓 The speaker plans to share their notes and solutions with other graduate students to help them prepare for future exams.
- 📈 For classical physics and thermodynamics, the speaker prefers using Lagrangian formalism and ensemble theory, respectively, as these are areas they are most proficient in.
- 🤔 The speaker acknowledges the challenge of covering all material from the comprehensive book 'Jackson EM', and decides to rely on their professor's notes and homework problems for studying EM theory.
- 📉 The speaker admits to feeling overwhelmed by the breadth of potential topics that could be included in the EM section of the exam and opts for a strategic approach to their study plan.
- ⏳ The speaker does not plan to release any update videos until after they have taken the comprehensive exam, indicating a focused approach to their preparation.
Q & A
What is the first major test a graduate student in physics at NMSU takes?
-The first major test is called the qualifying exam, which is an eight-hour test covering advanced undergraduate level physics.
What does the comprehensive exam consist of?
-The comprehensive exam spans three days and tests the student on quantum mechanics, statistical physics, classical physics, and electromagnetic theory. It includes both a written portion and an oral part.
Why is the comprehensive exam crucial for a student pursuing a PhD?
-The comprehensive exam is crucial because if a student does not pass it, they are not allowed to continue their PhD, which could mean wasting two years of work.
How does the speaker plan to prepare for the comprehensive exam?
-The speaker plans to prepare by studying previous comprehensive exams, noting the topics within the subjects that are tested, and focusing on understanding patterns and relations rather than memorizing constants.
What is the speaker's strategy for studying statistical mechanics?
-The speaker plans to use ensemble theory for all classical thermal problems, as it was a successful strategy for classical physics during the qualifying exam.
What is the speaker's approach to studying quantum mechanics?
-The speaker is focusing on understanding the topics tested in previous exams, using resources like the book by Sakurai, and noting the emphasis on certain principles like the uncertainty principle.
What is the speaker's view on the importance of remembering constants in physics problems?
-The speaker believes that while some constants are important for solving problems, the main focus should be on understanding the underlying patterns and relations rather than memorizing every constant.
What does the speaker find challenging about studying for the comprehensive exam in electromagnetic theory?
-The speaker finds the breadth of topics covered in the book by Jackson for electromagnetic theory overwhelming and decides to rely on their professor's lecture notes and previous homeworks for studying.
What is the speaker's plan for studying classical mechanics?
-The speaker plans to review their notes and previous homeworks, focusing on a broad understanding of the subject and prioritizing other areas like quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics.
How does the speaker intend to share the knowledge gained from studying for the comprehensive exam?
-The speaker intends to create videos solving previous exam problems after taking the test and share these with other graduate students to help them prepare more efficiently.
What is the speaker's attitude towards the comprehensive exam?
-The speaker views the comprehensive exam as a very big deal and the last test they will ever have to take in grad school, which will determine their ability to pursue their PhD uninterrupted.
Outlines
📚 Grad School Exams and Preparation Strategies
The speaker discusses the structure and importance of exams in the physics graduate program at NMSU. They mention the qualifying exam, which is an eight-hour test on advanced undergraduate physics topics, and the comprehensive exam, which is a three-day test covering graduate-level subjects like quantum mechanics, statistical physics, classical physics, and electromagnetic theory. The comprehensive exam also includes an oral component. The speaker emphasizes the high stakes of these exams, as failing them can prevent a student from continuing their PhD. They also touch on the differences in exam nomenclature between universities.
📝 Study Techniques and Note-Taking for Comprehensive Exam
The speaker outlines their study strategy for the upcoming comprehensive exam. They have been reviewing previous years' exams, which are available online, to identify the topics being tested. The speaker focuses on key areas within quantum mechanics, such as the uncertainty principle, perturbation theory, variational methods, time evolution, scattering theory, and addition of angular momentum. They also discuss their approach to studying statistical mechanics, including the use of ensemble theory and partition functions. The speaker highlights the importance of understanding patterns and relations over memorizing constants and prefactors.
🧠 Prioritizing Study Topics and Managing the EM Challenge
The speaker talks about their study plan, prioritizing quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and classical mechanics over electromagnetic theory due to the vastness of the latter. They express concern about potential gaps in their preparation for the EM section of the exam, acknowledging the daunting task of covering all topics from the comprehensive textbook by Jackson. The speaker plans to rely on their professor's lecture notes and previous homework assignments for their EM study, aiming to maximize their overall performance on the exam by focusing on areas where they feel more confident.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Graduate School
💡Qualifying Exam
💡Comprehensive Exam
💡Quantum Mechanics
💡Statistical Physics
💡Classical Physics
💡Electromagnetic Theory
💡Study Methods
💡Partition Function
💡Jackson's Classical Electrodynamics
💡PhD Program
Highlights
The speaker is preparing for a comprehensive exam in grad school which will determine if they can continue pursuing their PhD.
The comprehensive exam spans three days and covers quantum mechanics, statistical physics, classical physics and electromagnetic theory.
In addition to the written portion, there is an oral component where they can ask you to solve problems on the board.
The oral exam is used to ensure you have a research direction and are making progress in your PhD.
Previous comprehensive exams are available online to study from, though solutions are not provided.
The speaker is analyzing past exam problems to identify key topics and areas to focus on for their preparation.
They are taking notes on specific topics within quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics and classical physics that are emphasized on the exams.
The speaker is not focusing on memorizing constants and prefactors, but rather understanding the underlying patterns and relationships.
For classical physics problems, the speaker is using Lagrangian formalism as their primary approach based on their proficiency with it.
They experimented with using ensemble theory for classical thermodynamics problems, but found it was not as straightforward as applying it to classical mechanics.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the derivations and coming to the classical equations from statistical mechanics, rather than the other way around.
For studying classical electromagnetics, they are relying on their professor's lecture notes which distill the key points from the comprehensive Jackson textbook.
The speaker plans to prioritize studying quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics and classical physics, while still reviewing EM, due to the vast scope of topics that could be covered.
They will be doing problem-solving practice from their notes and past exams rather than diving deep into the Jackson textbook.
The speaker acknowledges they may have a weak point in EM due to the breadth of topics, but believes focusing on their strengths in quantum, stats and classical will maximize overall performance.
They will be making their comprehensive exam notes and solutions available to other grad students to help streamline the preparation process for them.
Transcripts
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