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Theoretical Physics - How hard is hard?

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  • #32
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 16,720 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I would have said the geneticists tbh. For anyone viewing this section, please note that there was a toss-up between saying 'yeah but physicists don't have sex' and the above. I went for the more smart-alec-y reply in the hope that someone will come along and slag off the TPs. 'Cos, well, someone has to do it.


  • #33
    PurpleFistMixer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,851 ✭✭✭PurpleFistMixer


    Decerto wrote: »
    I just got my TP timetable and was delighted with the lack of lectures before i realised it was only the maths section:(
    It is a bit weird the way they did that... though I'd seen that timetable already on the maths department site so I knew what was going on, I'd have liked to get the entire timetable... Spose we'll find out on Monday.

    But Myth, everyone knows physicists are the most attractive of all scientists. We get lab coats, but we don't necessarily smell of weird things. AND we have death rays.


  • #34
    antiselfdual
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 170 ✭✭antiselfdual


    I noticed the first year TPs have already mastered the art of hanging around aimlessly outside the Salmon today, that amused me... welcome to your next four years...


  • #35
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 16,720 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Physicists do indeed look great.


  • #36
    PurpleFistMixer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,851 ✭✭✭PurpleFistMixer


    antiselfdual wrote: »
    I noticed the first year TPs have already mastered the art of hanging around aimlessly outside the Salmon today, that amused me... welcome to your next four years...
    Yeah we is cool. Or we were being typical newblets and having no idea where we were meant to be going or what we were meant to be doing.

    Myth: I hope whoever is teaching us LaTeX wears that on the first day. Or every day. You know you can take a person seriously when they're smoother than an eel.


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  • #37
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 29,528 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    Morbert wrote: »
    I don't think that's entirely fair or accurate. Maynooth's TP course can be undertaken in either 3 or 4 years, and certainly isn't anaemic, as many people in my year have went on to do Masters in colleges ranging from Oxford to Imperial. The primary difference is the 3 year course assumes you have more mathematical maturity and are comfortable with reading abstract statements (1st year is essentially skipped).

    Yeah, you're right I was being overly harsh. I didn't really know enough about the 3 year course so I should probably have just shut up about it! I was just surprised that a 3 year course was an option (which introduces a good life lesson for TP students - do appropriate research before coming to a conclusion). I will say that the Maynooth MSc students seemed to struggle more in our QFT and GR classes, but that may have been anomalous to my year.


  • #38
    Morbert
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,457 ✭✭✭Morbert


    Podge_irl wrote: »
    I will say that the Maynooth MSc students seemed to struggle more in our QFT and GR classes, but that may have been anomalous to my year.

    Yar, I have to say that Trinity's modules are much more carefully structured than Maynooth's; if you pick the wrong modules in Maynooth, it is possible to be thrown into the GR classes without a smidgen of experience with Electrodynamics and Tensors, for example. Trinity (from what I've seen so far) does a very good job of relating theoretical physics topics to the relevant fields in mathematics. (Although the 3 year course in Maynooth forces you to take the relevant maths modules, so I would guess that it's primarily a problem for the 4 year degree students like me :D.)


  • #39
    Gallardo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29 ✭Gallardo


    Hey I'm a SF TP student. I had alot of trouble with linear algebra and mechanics in first year and this year I'm having more trouble with mechanics and geometry(pretty much advanced linear algebra). I cant remember anything from first year or understand the first year material. Is this a bad sign for this year or did other people struggle alot in first year and second year but make it through? Should I just forget about the problems these subjects caused in first year and concentrate on the ones I have now? Any help is much appreciated thanks.


  • #40
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 29,528 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    Gallardo wrote: »
    Should I just forget about the problems these subjects caused in first year and concentrate on the ones I have now?.

    No, they are unfortuantely inextricably linked. An understanding of the first year material will aid you greatly in getting to grips with the second year stuff. You don't need to know it inside out, but if you are completely confused by it then that could be a problem as everything you do from here on in is built upon things you're learning in first and second year to varying degrees.

    Previous year's material can often make more sense the following year when you aren't so worried about exams, when you have the entire collection of notes rather then taking them down as you go along and when you start using some of the more abstract material for practical pruposes. I would advise spending the next few weeks going back over the previous years material and trying to make as much sense of it as possible. Remember that you can still ask your lecturers from last year questions if needs be.


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