UG-1 2020
Why did the chicken cross the road? I do not know, and to be
honest, I dream of a world where chickens can cross the road without
questioning their motives. But that would have been an ideal world. A world
where you (UG1) would have been attending classes in Presidency Campus and
exploring your new life. Sadly, it is what it is; Corona is here and with it
this extraordinary situation. I am writing this draft to give you guys some
practical and real-life suggestions regarding your first semester.
I hope you all are familiar with the course details of the
first semester. You are supposed to take two-major core courses (6 x 2 = 12
credits), one General Elective (6 credits), and Environmental Science (4
credits).
General Elective
My suggestion is to choose whatever you like. There are a
plethora of options from different subjects; choose the one which you wish to
explore.
My choices over the four semesters were:
SEM-1 – Performing Arts – I learned about different Indian
Performing Arts
SEM-2 – German 1 – Sayonil and I, took this and as a result,
our world has expanded. We enjoy german songs, jokes and have continued
learning it.
SEM-3 – German 2 – This is a bit advanced, and as a result,
we can do regular day to day conversations in German now. If you wish to go to Germany,
taking German GE will be a boon.
SEM-4 – Political Science – Globalization – Lockdown after 1
month of classes, so, nothing much to mention other than the dancing video of
mine in that department which went viral within Presidency campus; it offended
many people.
Note – JAM (an exam for Msc.) requires 2 semesters of maths
as a prerequisite for admissions at IITs. I hope this will changes (due to
CBCS) because all the maths required by us are taught in Mathematical Physics
courses offered by the department. Still, if you wish to stay on the safe side,
take two maths GE. My recommendation (within this context) is to take maths for
SEM-1 and SEM-4 and take german for SEM-2 and SEM-3.
Be a student of life: explore different fields, read
different topics, and debate things. Physics is the best, but still, it is a
subset of what we call life.
Environmental Science
Doing classes is more than enough. If you wish to understand
India's environment better, I will suggest you subscribe to the “Down to Earth”
magazine; I am reading it for the last two years after a faculty recommended it
in the geography department.
Physics Core Courses
The courses have two-part: theory (70 marks) and practical
(30marks)
Mathematical Physics:
Theory:
·
Multivariable Vector Calculus – You have studied
single variable calculus in school. The same idea will be extended here to many
variables. Furthermore, its geometrical interpretation will be 3D (x,y,z – many
variables). Be prepared for some imagination. It will be interesting with many
fun ideas, but getting the hang of it may be troublesome.
I suggest you guys to the book “Div,
Grad, Curl, and All That by H. M. Schey”; it will help you get the hang of
it without much head scratching.-http://libgen.rs/search.php?req=H.%20M.%20Schey&column[]=author. Furthermore, if you wish to say complete this
section before the classes start to get a significant head start, then you may
follow the MIT OCW lecture series for the same - https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-02-multivariable-calculus-fall-2007/video-lectures/.
Follow youtube channel 3B1B for many
intuitive videos and series on the same. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUvTyaaNkzM&list=PLZHQObOWTQDMsr9K-rj53DwVRMYO3t5Yr
·
Matrices and Vector spaces - A bit difficult
because many new concepts are involved, but luckily, 3B1B has a series
on the essence of linear algebra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNk_zzaMoSs&list=PLZHQObOWTQDPD3MizzM2xVFitgF8hE_ab
·
Ordinary Differential Equation – Follow any
standard book. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_di4Zn4wz4&list=PLZHQObOWTQDNPOjrT6KVlfJuKtYTftqH6
The above is a must-have book possessed by
all physics students.
Note – the above book is a reference book.
You may still need many books for individual topics.
·
Corona Time – You may utilize this time to brush
up on your maths. In my batch, many students failed this course. Therefore, I
suggest you get the hang of it beforehand; you have time in your hand, don't
you?
Practical:
The practical is basically python (a coding
language) coding. If you have never done any coding, then don't worry; the
course starts from the very basic; it was also my first experience. If you
don't have a laptop, then I will suggest you to get one. It is a must in 2020
and for doing coding at home. There are many courses available on YouTube,
which are great. For syntax (the way codes are to written), you don't need to
buy any books; google it. Google has it all. You may do a bit of coding in this
free time, like writing a code for solving any Quadratic Equation.
Mechanics:
Theory:
·
Newtonian Mechanics – You guys know it. It will
just be a bit more mathematical and advanced. Book – Buy it – It will be used
in the course -
For a more philosophical and holistic
approach, you may read Newtonian Mechanics by A. P . French. - https://www.amazon.in/Newtonian-Mechanics-P-French/dp/8130917327/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=ap+french&qid=1605938532&sr=8-9
·
Special Relativity – This will be a totally new
topic for you. I mean, this will be science fiction level stuff. I highly
recommend “Special Relativity: For the Enthusiastic Beginner” by David J.
Morin; it is the best (I mean it). You can also follow a short lecture series
by Brian Greene (He is a physics pop-star). The course is excellent - https://worldscienceu.com/courses/special-relativity-world-science-u/
Practical:
·
What happens in the lab stays in the Lab; it
will be fun. Just wait for the University to open. You will verify conservation
of momentum, find the value of g, and ...
General Tips –
1.
Take the responsibility of educating yourself
(no one will do that for you).
2.
Manage your day to day chores and life (act as
an adult).
3.
Learn to make independent decisions (don't ask
parents for advice on everything; they are also just normal people).
4.
Be articulate and precise in your speech (speak
accurately, learn to express your thoughts)
5.
Manage your attention (Facebook, Whatsapp,
youtube – are cheap pleasures, remember that)
6.
Please think before you speak (do not be a lazy
thinker; do it yourself)
·
Here are some books which I think will make you
a better student (learner):
1.
So good that they can't ignore you
2.
Deep Work
3.
Digital Minimalism
4.
Indestructible
5.
Ultralearning
I hope the above information will be helpful to you
guys/broads in some way. If you have further queries, feel free to ask anyone
from UG2 or UG3. We look forward to learning along with you.
Now the answer to the most important question of this
article. The chicken crossed the road because it was bored standing there; now
do your work.
-
Mahmood (UG3)
Comments
Post a Comment