Dear All,
The Physics 15c poster session is starting at 4:30 today in Science Center
306. Everyone is cordially invited. Food will be served. I hope to see
you there.
Mara
--
Professor of Physics
Harvard University
17 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
If you are doing research through Phys 90r this semester, this google form replaces the old paper form:
https://forms.gle/YgQhmxz4f54CvAT8A
Please fill this out as soon as your 90r research plan is settled. This is just an internal physics form, so don’t forget to officially sign up for 90r in your crimson cart. Let me know if you have any questions.
This email is for the sophomores among you who are interested in signing up for the Physics or Chem/Phys concentrations. The deadline to declare a concentration is Thursday, November 17, but please don't wait until the last minute!
A list of possible 20-minute meeting times with me in Lyman 238, starting this coming Wednesday 10/5, is located at the following link (I'll gradually add more times in later weeks). Write your name in a time slot (and make a note of it, so you don’t forget).
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GmSKP-i5GyUXdhrHhT9dTL-8r2Bonbzu-PR…
We'll use the meeting to go over your plan of study, talk about the concentration, and take care of a few other logistics. It's a fairly harmless procedure. But a few things to do beforehand are:
1) Fill out the Registrar's declaration form. Instructions are here:
https://harvard.service-now.com/ithelp?id=kb_article&sys_id=529e5ecadb6f4f0…
2) Look at the concentration requirements listed in the Fields of Concentration:
https://handbook.college.harvard.edu/files/collegehandbook/files/fields_fin…
and think about what courses you want to take that will satisfy the requirements.
(Clickable index near the beginning. Chem/Phys is on page 42, Physics is on page 185.)
3) Make a plan of study. I recommend using Excel (or something similar) to list out the 4 courses in each of your 8 semesters. When making a rough schedule of your remaining 5 semesters, you of course don't need to stick to it exactly, but it's good to have an existence proof of a plan that works.
4) Think about whom you want as your concentration advisor. Everyone has Prof. Georgi and me automatically, and we also pair you up with another faculty member. Make a list of a few possibilities, in case your first choice is overbooked. You can peruse the list of Physics faculty at:
https://www.physics.harvard.edu/people/faculty
PLEASE HAVE **THREE** NAMES IN MIND when we meet. Note: there is no best way of picking names. Maybe a prof is doing research you find interesting, or you were in a class they taught (definitely not necessary), or a friend spoke highly of them, etc. You don’t need to have met the prof before.
5) Fill out this google form:
https://forms.gle/tWstcghbxy2tf5e39<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__forms.gle_tWstcghbxy2t…>
If you have any questions beforehand, stop by my office hours:
https://scholar.harvard.edu/david-morin/office-hours
or Prof. Georgi's:
https://sites.harvard.edu/hgeorgi/
These hours are set up at the beginning of each week, but check them during the week for any changes that may come up.
Frequently asked questions are located at:
https://www.physics.harvard.edu/undergrad/faqs-concentrators
We look forward to having you officially join the department!
DJM
Concerning the Academic Advising Report in my.harvard, the report can be misleading, so please ignore it, at least as far as the Physics and Chem/Phys concentration requirements go. It might say that some requirements aren’t satisfied when in fact they are. And conversely it might say that some requirements are satisfied when they aren’t. (However, the Gen Ed and Distribution parts of the report are probably accurate, so do pay attention to those.)
The requirements that you should be looking at are the official requirements listed in the Fields of Concentration:
https://handbook.college.harvard.edu/files/collegehandbook/files/harvard_co…
(Click on the index at the beginning to go to the Physics or Chem/Phys pages.)
If you want to submit an exception to the Advising Report to make it more accurately reflect your requirement status, feel free to do so. But again, it doesn’t matter. If you do submit an exception, please include a short explanation in the description box.
For those of you who will be taking Phys 191 this year, you are strongly encouraged to take it now in the fall. The enrollment in the spring is always much higher, so if you take it now in the fall you’ll get far more professor time, and things will be much calmer.
I hope everyone has had an enjoyable summer. The new semester is fast approaching, so here we go...
This email is relevant to the Physics and Chem/Phys concentrators among you. It's a long email, but please pay special attention to the "YOUR TASK" item below.
THE SHORT VERSION:
Email your concentration advisor and set up a zoom meeting sometime between Mon 8/16 and Wed 8/25 (Thurs 8/26 is the course registration deadline). Your advisor will lift the hold on your crimson cart (sometimes called “study card”). More info on the various dates can be found here: https://college.harvard.edu/guides/course-preview-period
THE LONG VERSION:
(1) A picture of your Individual Concentrator Advisor should show up in your my.harvard list of advisors. If it doesn't, or if there are any issues (you want to change advisors, etc.), please let me know right away. (However, I’ll be away from 8/14 to 8/21.)
(2) All of you automatically have Prof. Georgi (Head Tutor) and me (Co-Head Tutor) as academic advisors. You can talk with us about anything at any time, ranging from course selection, to future plans, to lab work, to concentration requirements. Our office hours are posted at:
www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~hgeorgi<http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~hgeorgi>
and
https://scholar.harvard.edu/david-morin/office-hours, zoom link: https://harvard.zoom.us/j/95258793192?pwd=cEViNis1d1ozNDk3MmdpWjRyOVY1QT09<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__harvard.zoom.us_j_9525…>
We encourage you to drop by zoom, but email also works.
(3) In addition, we give all of you another faculty advisor. The purpose of this Individual Concentration Advisor is to act as a mentor, and to help you down the Physics or Chem/Phys path. However, concerning concentration requirements, Prof. Georgi and I have seen all the ins and outs and variations on these, so we encourage you to save such questions for us. In short, when talking with your faculty advisor, you can pretend that there are no course numbers or requirements to worry about. Just get some real physics advice about what subjects are good to know, what lab experience is good to have, etc. You can view your faculty advisor in my.harvard.
(4) YOUR TASK: Email your faculty advisor to set up a meeting to discuss your classes and future plans and such. In addition to providing you with advice, your advisor will also provide you with the necessary electronic signature on your crimson cart.
If you'd like to also meet with Prof. Georgi and/or me, by all means stop by zoom, but please do so in addition to (not instead of!) seeing your individual advisor.
NOTE: Occasionally more than one email is needed to set up a meeting with your advisor. All of us let an email slip away now and then. So don't hesitate to send a second email after a day or two if you haven't heard back. Also, ***PLEASE CC THE FACULTY ASSISTANT** for your advisor on your FIRST email, unless you're sure that your advisor will get back to you right away (and definitely cc if a second email is required). This person can be identified by clicking on your advisor on the page:
www.physics.harvard.edu/people/faculty<http://www.physics.harvard.edu/people/faculty>
The Faculty Assistant is listed below the advisor's research blurb. If you have trouble getting a response from your advisor, let me know, and we can always switch advisors.
(5) The Physics FAQ page is:
https://www.physics.harvard.edu/undergrad/faqs-concentrators
Please let me know if there's a topic you would like added.
Enjoy the last few days of summer!
DJM
For the SENIOR Physics and Chem/Phys concentrators among you (but also for non-seniors, for future reference):
I checked through all of the seniors' records and emailed you of any remaining concentration requirements. But just as a double check, in case I missed anyone, here are some general comments and caveats:
1. Even though I checked through things, you should also check through the requirements listed in the Handbook.
2. Ignore the "Advising Report" in my.harvard, as far as the Physics concentration reqs go. It may very well say that some requirements aren't satisfied when in fact they are. The information I emailed to you supersedes the Advising Report. (However, the Gen Ed part of the Advising Report is probably correct, so you _should_ pay attention to that.)
3. Students who skipped 15b and/or 15c (and took an approved substitute instead) are still required to do the labs, on a pass/fail basis. (But no need to do the 15b lab if you took AP50b or PS12b.)
4. The secondary-field information isn't recorded in the system, so I didn't take that into account in my assessment of any remaining requirements. If you are doing a secondary, be aware that only one course can double count for concentration and secondary. (In contrast, there is unlimited double counting in joint concentrations.)
5. Similarly, for the very few students doing the AB/AM program, the system sometimes doesn't show which courses are bracketed. Be aware that bracketed courses can't count for the undergrad part of the degree.
If you know of anyone who will be taking Phys15a or PS12a in the spring and who might want to brush up on their math skills beforehand, could you forward the Prep Course info below to them? If you’ve already taken a physics course, then the Prep Course isn’t relevant to you. But I’m sending this to the SPS list (where most students probably have already taken a physics course) in case you know of anyone else for whom it might apply.
---------------------------------------------
Physics Prep Course:
The Physics Department will be offering a one-week (non-credit) remote Zoom prep course during the week of January 9th to 13th. This prep course is designed for students who are planning to take Physics 15A or Physical Sciences 12A in the spring, and who would like to get a preview of the math skills and physics background that will be helpful in these courses. The prep course will meet for five days, three hours each day, Noon-3:00pm Eastern Time. Goals include enhancing specific math skills and problem-solving techniques, practice in applying math to physics, and general course strategies. The main focus is on math skills particularly important for physics (as opposed to the physics itself).
The course, designed to help students fill in gaps in their training and introduce them to college-level work in physics, will be taught by graduate students in a rigorous but informal atmosphere. A tentative list of topics is: Cartesian/polar coordinates, vectors, vector algebra, trigonometry, single-variable calculus (integration, differentiation, optimization, chain rule, Taylor series, separation of variables), conservation laws, frames of reference, checking limiting cases, problem-solving techniques, and translating physics into math. The course will also include informal discussions of general course/study strategies (office hours, study groups, readings, practice problems, time management, how to write up homework solutions, etc.), along with other topics such as how to find a mentor. Homework problems will be assigned but will be self-assessed. The course is not graded and not for credit.
The prerequisite for Phys 15A and PS 12A is a working knowledge of single-variable differential and integral calculus, which normally translates to math at the level of at least Math 1B concurrently (with a solid understanding of the Math 1A material). Some previous coursework in physics is helpful, but not strictly required. The prep course focuses mainly on math skills, so if you would like to brush up on those, you will most likely find the prep course useful. On the other hand, if you feel comfortable with your single-variable calculus background, then there is no need to take the prep course (unless you have a minimal physics background, in which case it may be useful).
If you are interested in the prep course (no commitment necessary yet), please fill out this google form: https://forms.gle/md5Tf5kZbsJETAjr8<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__forms.gle_md5Tf5kZbsJE…> by Wednesday 12/28. If you have any general questions, reach out to David Morin at djmorin(a)fas.harvard.edu<mailto:djmorin@fas.harvard.edu>.
A note on the math prerequisite for Phys 15b, for those of you who will be taking 15b in the spring: E&M uses multivariable calculus (divergence, gradient, curl, etc) right from the start, so that’s why Math 21a or 22b is a formal prerequisite. However, if you want to take 15b in the spring but haven’t taken a multivariable class yet (for example, if you took Math 22a this fall), then 15b is still doable in the spring *IF* you study some multivariable over break and learn the basics of div/grad/curl. You don’t have to master it, but you do need to know the basics, so that you’re not seeing it for the first time in 15b.
There are lots of books and videos out there, so just look around and find what works best for you. You can also get the 15b book (Electricity & Magnetism, 3rd edition, Purcell/Morin). Most of the math is derived in the first two chapters. But it’s good to also have a math book on hand, so you can see both the physics and math approaches to the various derivations. Let me know if you have any questions.
I’ll have Zoom office hours now and then over break. The schedule is here as usual:
https://scholar.harvard.edu/david-morin/office-hours
Zoom link:
https://harvard.zoom.us/j/95258793192?pwd=cEViNis1d1ozNDk3MmdpWjRyOVY1QT09<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__harvard.zoom.us_j_9525…>
