Education Guides

Here contains all the non-technical guides for the topic of education. This usually revolves around being a student, in academia and career advice. Guides offer a window and option offering for many aspects education and STEM careers. Learn something new today!

teaching physics

A Lesson In Teaching Physics: You Can’t Give It Away

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A central principle of Physics Forums regarding homework help is not to provide solutions on demand but to guide students along a path to the answer.  The…
what if physics questions

How to Avoid Breaking Physics With Your “What If” Question

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We get a lot of "what if" questions here on Physics Forums. This article will explore three different types and then some suggestions for students who…
science major advice

Aiming High and Managing Distractions as Keys to Success for Science Majors

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Over the years, I've noticed some distinct trends among the physics and chemistry majors I've mentored and worked with.Those with GPAs in the 3.8-4.0…

What Academic Advice Would You Tell Your 18 Year Old Self?

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We asked our PF Advisors to tell us what academic advice would you tell your 18 year old self. Here are their responses…Thanks to all the PF…
advisor_textbooks

What’s Your Most Memorable Textbook?

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We asked our PF Advisors to tell us their most memorable or influential textbook and why. Here are their responses...Thanks to all the PF Advisors…
debatetips

Learn 3 Tips For Cooling Off Hot Debates and Win The Argument

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 Civil discussion and debate are critical to Physics Forums. But it is also important in everyday life. When arguments get overheated, people…
textbook

The Birth of a Physics Textbook: An Author’s Journey

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73 Comments
 It is said that you should accomplish three things in life:Plant a tree. Have a child. Write a book.Out of the three, I have…
introphysics

So I Am Your Intro Physics Instructor

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14 Comments
I posted this elsewhere (on my personal blog), and someone mentioned that maybe it might also be useful here on PF. So I'm reproducing the entire entry…
selfstudy

5 Problems with Students Self Studying Mathematics

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49 Comments
For several years already I have been trying to help students who have been self-studying math. I did this completely free with no compensation for me.…
physicsathome

Resources for High School Physics at Home

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A year-long high school Physics course is important preparation for all college majors in science, engineering, and medicine because students in these…
mathiq

Am I Cut Out for Mathematics or Sciences?

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We often get threads by new members asking whether they are cut out for mathematics/physics/engineering/whatever. For some reason, they have become discouraged…
scienceprojects

Learn the Secrets of Successful Science Projects

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Abstract Over the past few years, the author and his wife have served as teachers, qualified scientists, mentors, and/or parents on dozens of science…
goingbacktoschool

A Guide to Going Back to School For Math or Science

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Motivations for creating the series I came to Physics Forums originally to read ZapperZ’s thread about becoming a physicist back in 2013. It was one…
doubt

Dealing with Doubt as a Science Student

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Doubt, as odd as this may sound, can actually be essential to our living.  We all make decisions and later have questions on whether we made the right…
procrastination

The Best Methods to Deal with Procrastination

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It's 6:30 in the morning. You've just woken up and you feel so sleepy you think to yourself "A few more minutes can't hurt." And so you drift on to sleep…
physics course

Your Curriculum Vitae As a Physics Graduate

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  I am going to backtrack a little bit and talk about writing your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and what you should focus on in search of…
physics doctoral

How to Get a Postdoctoral Physics Position

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  If you intend to pursue an academic/research career, chances are, you will need postdoctoral experience. This is typically a 2…
physics jobs

How to Get a Physics Job!

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  In the previous chapter, we have reached the point where you have finished with your thesis defense, and also thesis submission…
thesis defense

Your Physics Thesis Defense Guide

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  At this point, you have completed writing your thesis, your adviser has approved of it, and you have distributed it to all the…
doctoral thesis

How to Write Your Doctoral Thesis/Dissertation As a Physics Major

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3 Comments
  At this stage, you have performed your doctoral research work, maybe even have published (or about to publish) a paper or two,…
oral presentation2

Oral Presentations – Addendum | Physics Career

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I'll try not to make a habit out of this, but I believe there's something to add to this chapter of the series.In Part XIV, I mentioned the APS Meetings…
physics journals2

How to Publish in a Physics Journal (Addendum)

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 When I first wrote this part of the series, I wasn't quite sure if I should include this. for most people submitting to most of the physics…
oral presentation

How to Succeed at Oral Presentations As a Physics Major

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  I mentioned earlier that there are two ways for physicists to communicate their work. The first is via publications in peer-reviewed…
masterdegree

How to Write a Master Degree Thesis As a Physics Major

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Your First Scientific Paper Ought to be good! Structure and Contents of a Master Degree Thesis This guide was written some years ago as a guideline for…
physics journals

How to Publish in a Physics Journal As a Physics Major

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  At this stage, you are well into your Ph.D. research work, and depending on what area of physics you are in, you may already start…
lab work

Research Work and The Lab Book As a Physics Major

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23 Comments
  Now, where were we? Oh yes! You have now started with your actual research work. You and your adviser have agreed on at least the…
advisor research

Choosing a Research Area and an Advisor As a Physics Major

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  In the previous part, I described the trials and tribulations of going through the qualifying exam that almost all graduate physics…
grad exam

First years of Graduate School from Being a TA to the Graduate Exams

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 You are now entering your first year of graduate school. In terms of the academic aspect, you will have a set of required courses that you…
other majors

How to Enter Physics Graduate School From Another Major

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  I have decided to tackle this issue because it became a very common question in many physics forums. Can someone, without a degree…
publishing in journals

Guide to Publishing in Peer Reviewed Journals

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From Concept to Manuscript You've done the science.  You had an idea, performed an extensive literature review, designed an experiment, ran the experiment,…
alternative careers

What are Alternative Careers for a Physics Graduate

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  We are still discussing the final year of your undergraduate education. So far, we have covered what you need to consider if you…
physics career

The US Graduate School System For Physics Majors

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  We are still stuck in the discussion of your fourth and final year of college. This time, I feel that a clear explanation of the…
before grad school

What Physics Majors Should Expect from Graduate School

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 We are still discussing the final year of your undergraduate program where you are in the midst of applying to graduate schools. In Part…
physics grad school

How to Apply for Physics Graduate School

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 We have now reached the final year of your undergraduate program. By now, you would have gone through courses in the fundamental pillars…
physics major

Explaining the Life of a Physics Major

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 So far, I have covered what I believe a student needs all the way to the end of the 2nd year of studies. In most schools in the US, an…
medical physics

How to Become a Medical Physicist in 3653 Easy Steps

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For many physics students, Medical Physics is that branch of the discipline that seems to hover in the no-man's land between academia and "industry." …
math preparations

Mathematical Preparations For a Physics Major

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 Part III: Mathematical PreparationsIn most universities in the US, a student must have a declared major by the end of his or her second…
surviving college

How to Survive the First Year of College As a Physics Major

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 Part II: Surviving the First Year of CollegeThis part covers the survival tips of the first two undergraduate years. So now you’re…
Early Physics Education in High schools

Early Physics Education in High Schools For Physics Majors

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So You Want to Be a Physicist: A 22 Part Guide  Introduction: The motivation for creating the series One of the most frequent questions…
ADHD studying

How I Overcame Learning Challenges That I Faced Studying Science

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22 Comments
Introduction For the past few days, during my summer break, I have been intensively self-studying mathematics (namely number theory) for several hours…