tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post4039748279629451572..comments2024-03-19T03:14:04.172-04:00Comments on Rabett Run: Non-obvious advice to freshmen (and their folks)EliRabetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957002964638398767noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-15212291918042533862008-09-01T18:16:00.000-04:002008-09-01T18:16:00.000-04:00Is it odd my calc-based physics course involves ve...Is it odd my calc-based physics course involves very little calc?? It's primarily for derivation of equations. and once you derive them in class, you are allowed to just use the end result for plugging in numbers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-28010345643986411092008-09-01T11:10:00.000-04:002008-09-01T11:10:00.000-04:00Should we refer to you as professor on your blog t...Should we refer to you as professor on your blog too, Rabbit?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-86540451330786251662008-08-27T10:40:00.000-04:002008-08-27T10:40:00.000-04:00Frank and Magnus, the student issue really is in t...Frank and Magnus, the student issue really is in the large introductory classes, classes that people in other countries take at the end of their secondary schooling and correspond in level to US first and second year college courses.<BR/><BR/>Part of it is that a not insignificant number of those freshman are going to be disappointed in their grade, even fail the course so one wants to maintain distance.<BR/><BR/>Part of it is social. Informality is negotiated. Members of your group will call you by your first name. When Eli was in Germany, the rule was that in the group you referred to the professor by his first name, to outsiders as Herr Rabett, and to strangers as Prof. Rabett. Occassionally as Prof. Dr. YMMV<BR/><BR/>In the US, Mr. just sounds wrong in a university setting. It;s either Prof. Dr. or just plain Joe.<BR/><BR/>The other side is that it is a lot better for the prof to start off talking to Ms. Bunny, or Mr. Foo Foo rather than Rachel and Jim.<BR/><BR/>The take away is that without permission, you start at the formal level if you are a student. It is never wrong, but calling someone Eli right off can screw the pooch.EliRabetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07957002964638398767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-64318885193025165142008-08-27T07:48:00.000-04:002008-08-27T07:48:00.000-04:00The Dr. Prof. thing is really frustrating to "lear...The Dr. Prof. thing is really frustrating to "learn" as a Swede where it not even in the army is that important to get it right... never mind the universities...Magnushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01617272924116099306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-72309395462462182952008-08-27T04:54:00.000-04:002008-08-27T04:54:00.000-04:00Professors are called Prof. Rabett or Dr. Rabett ....<I>Professors are called Prof. Rabett or Dr. Rabett ... </I><BR/>Would somebody mind elaborating on this? I struggle to understand why people care so much about being addressed with their proper title. I have the impression that it's a cultural issue. At least in my recollection no Prof. or PhD at my (German) university did really make a fuss about it. Ages ago, in an email to an Australian scientist I referred to another scientist as Mr. X and in the reply was told that "it's Dr. X btw." which struck me as being rather petty. OTOH English people seem to be less formal and address each other with their first names more or less immediately, whereas in Germany you need to know each other before you drop the formal Mr. or Mrs./Miss.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-63460807248681039792008-08-25T14:09:00.000-04:002008-08-25T14:09:00.000-04:00In my school when we did get to do experiments, us...In my school when we did get to do experiments, usually they wanted to cram in so much in limited time that the instructions for what to do were far too detailed, you followed a cookbook and didn't really have to think for yourself. (You did get to familiarize yourself with a lot of different instruments)<BR/><BR/>If you recognize the situation, try to find a course with simple experiments but where you are supposed to design them from scratch: decide what to measure, how to measure it and how to analyze the data. The subject doesn't really matter, but learning to do experiments where the answer isn't a given is very helpful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-47697765434575039862008-08-25T08:23:00.000-04:002008-08-25T08:23:00.000-04:00"IEHO?"In Eli's humble opinion?<I>"IEHO?"</I><BR/><BR/>In Eli's humble opinion?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-29134838348168463822008-08-25T01:19:00.000-04:002008-08-25T01:19:00.000-04:00IEHO?IEHO?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-55790034905652134622008-08-24T22:44:00.000-04:002008-08-24T22:44:00.000-04:00I was a top math student, so I signed on to help o...I was a top math student, so I signed on to help others.t The first time I helped a student, I knew all about the question he had but I suggested looking at the textbook anyway. It had been written by a member of the math department. After reading that book, suddenly I was confused about a topic I knew perfectly well!<BR/><BR/>Later, I got that same professor for abstract algebra. After a week I decided it would be much more educational to drop the course and just read the book; it's the only time I ever dropped a course. I turned out to be right; the other students started coming to me for help.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, my professor for atomic physics probably spent 2 to 3 hours or more preparing for each 1-hour lecture. He had a knack for imparting, not just knowledge, but real insight.<BR/><BR/>If at all possible, definitely check out the professors for you classes. Most work hard to be good teachers, but some don't give it enough effort and some just don't have the gift for teaching.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-57421679938411858312008-08-24T21:53:00.000-04:002008-08-24T21:53:00.000-04:00If all the points/problems give everyone trouble, ...<I>If all the points/problems give everyone trouble, you have the wrong study group.</I><BR/><BR/>... or the wrong professor.<BR/><BR/>Just because you are a Nobel-caliber thinker does not mean you are good at explaining things to undergraduates -- or that your Nobel thinking will "rub off" on your students (I say this from personal experience. I had a (future) Nobel-prize winning physics prof once who left everyone in the class scratching their head at the end of each lecture hour)<BR/><BR/>Those who can do and those who can't teach shouldn't (IMHO)<BR/><BR/>Many colleges have student assessments of profs. If one or two students say a prof sucks at explaining things, it's probably just sour grapes, but if half the class says it, there is probably something to it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-67981006430861767262008-08-24T20:14:00.000-04:002008-08-24T20:14:00.000-04:00CC Changed.CC Changed.EliRabetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07957002964638398767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-2043865356774531152008-08-24T19:10:00.000-04:002008-08-24T19:10:00.000-04:00Things might be about to change though. Slightly r...Things might be about to change though. Slightly related article I ran into...<BR/>http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/08/the_chemists_would_also_be_muc.phpAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-20989346097256696442008-08-24T18:55:00.000-04:002008-08-24T18:55:00.000-04:00One additional bit of advice for science undergrad...One additional bit of advice for science undergraduates: You do not have to major in the field that you hope to do graduate work in. It is perfectly acceptable, and often advantageous, to major in a related field of science. Generally this works best if your major is in a "harder" or more "basic" field than the one you choose for graduate school. So you can start with math and then go to graduate school in physics or biology. Or start with math, physics, chemistry, or engineering and go to grad school in some field of biology. You will get focused courses in graduate school anyway, so you really only need to nail down the prerequisites, and maybe take a few courses in what you think will be your ultimate area of interest to make sure that you are on the right track.trrllhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03531295155777816765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-27946267946764558722008-08-24T18:31:00.000-04:002008-08-24T18:31:00.000-04:00Psst,The Capital Weather link in your blogroll get...Psst,<BR/>The Capital Weather link in your blogroll gets to do climate only when they tell their new Corpulent Media masters, "Pretty please". The real DC climate blog has spun out to <A HREF="http://capitalclimate.blogspot.com/" REL="nofollow">CapitalClimate</A>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-52776259029894645352008-08-24T15:36:00.000-04:002008-08-24T15:36:00.000-04:00To all the new students who have read Eli's advice...To all the new students who have read Eli's advice: pay attention. Read it again. Then read it again. *Follow* the advice. He knows what he's talking about.<BR/><BR/>And, I quite agree that physics without calculus is like a BLT without the bacon. Or the lettuce. Or the tomato.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-60934443563426879422008-08-24T15:34:00.000-04:002008-08-24T15:34:00.000-04:00Go, Swederszwichland... Go, Green... Go, Nice chic...Go, Swederszwichland... Go, Green... Go, Nice chicks... Go, Mumbeling strange words like systembolag and smörgåsbord... Go, Adlibris...<BR/><BR/>http://www.adlibris.com/se/product.aspx?isbn=0201745828Magnushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01617272924116099306noreply@blogger.com