#min vs fa24

[minmin-vs-physics]

[18/9/24] I was on my feet pretty much all day today because I was either teaching or in a study hall since 9am, with brief breaks for slipping into a library to work on problem sets. Dear lord, am I tired! I want to be more consistent with posting because don’t get me wrong,,, I’ve been studying! So much so that I don’t have time to post about it.

I’ve really been enjoying QFT and GR. So glad to have the chance to think really deeply about these topics because we’re covering symmetries in both of them, and one thing you have to know about me is that I am in love with symmetries and group theory and Noether’s theorem. Conservation laws, my heart!

Should I do a post about topics I enjoy like this one? I feel like there’s a lot to say about the beautiful mathematical formalism around deep physical topics. There are some concepts in this world that completely take over you once you know they exist. (Another Noether’s Theorem plug)

[minmin-vs-physics]

[5/9/24] the math library had a sale, so i went and bought a book on algebraic topology that im never gonna read. my only encounter with topology was through a matrix groups class and then a little romp through a homotopy textbook with a math grad student. i AM interested in the topic, but i was so sucky that im more hesitant around it.

i feel like a bull in a china shop around mathematics. yeah i do fine in the context of my degree but god they can get pedantic ugh. im just an unruly physicist im sorry.

but mathematicians amaze me! im so close to a math degree as well but i could never be a mathematician.

ah. what a shame. truly, a shame.

[minmin-vs-physics]

[9/9/24] ive been staying pretty late in the physics building and its eerie but peaceful, since im p much the only person on this floor. my desk looks more cheerful now but im woefully behind for assignments. the weather's getting colder which means i get sleepier. i am once again dreading the prospects of postgrad life and i assume that feeling will only be amplified in the coming months.

however, one of my former students told me they were glad im once again TAing a class they're taking, and i was so touched. maybe all this will be worth something in the end.

[minmin-vs-physics]

Min vs FA24

Now that I'm officially a college senior, I thought a post of what I will be up to is in order. (Especially since I was absconding last week) Gonna take some hard hitters for classes this semester, pray for me.

Intro to General Relativity: FINALLY. I've been waiting for this since before I was a physics major. I know it's gonna be good since my QM prof from last sem is teaching it. (Lowkey wanna switch to the grad version because my QM prof from last sem is teaching it)

Relativistic Quantum Field Theory: Another scary class but still highly anticipated! I've basically been doing QFT all summer, but the class is scarier because formalism. Of course, it will unlock some doors in particle theory.

Statistical Thermodynamics: lowkey im most nervous about this one. another beast of a topic in physics and i rlly want to learn it but idk we don't talk abt it much??? (except abt how much we're dreading it) the whole cohort will come together for this one.

Intro to Sociocultural Anthropology: always gotta throw one curveball in the schedule. not much to say bc im just taking it for a gen ed req.

Computational Physics: I should drop this bc taking four physics classes in grad apps season is kinda overkill. i wanted the lightest sem i could make but still ended up w this kraken. but no math class! (i had to pry out topology) this is the first and only semester i won't have a math class. in addition to courseload i also have

TAing for a CS class: ik my way around it so its not a problem but its still a time sink

TAing for a QM class: this is smth i def just do for the love of it, so another time sink basically but i look forward to it

Research: gotta work on that thesis y'all. i wanna make smth good out of it in time.

Physics GRE: broccoli on my plate

Grad Apps: waking nightmare. but it'll be fine i can drop out and become a finance bro.

but i also wanna make memories with all the other seniors because what? how are we seniors? (im writing this after going stargazing with my friends on a school night.)

[minmin-vs-physics]

[28/8/24] I don't mind the taste of black coffee anymore, and that's how I know the end is near. (I added vanilla because I am still not strong enough.) Got new desk decor, courtesy of mom! I'm spending an awful lot of time in my office even though classes started. So glad to have a space to work.

[minmin-vs-physics]

[26/8/24] hi. i disappeared for basically the rest of my trip bc i wanted to take my break seriously (i still ended up working but not v well) im back on campus now!

today was the first day of classes, and i spent a lot of time doing stupid quests like sitting in on random lectures instead of making plots. im cooked for tmr's meeting but oh well. i went to a really good physics talk tho!

[minmin-vs-physics]

[2/9/24] they made me move desks!!!! my new office is objectively better, but idk i was exceedingly sad to leave my old one. im writing this post after a week of looking for a bug in my electroweak calculations only to find that it's a typo in my Levi Civita contraction... im being so normal abt this

anyway there's another bug there SOMEWHERE bc what im looking at shouldn't be negative. yummy... sorry for not being as regular as i wanted to be in posting! it was the first week of class and im still trying get a footing in this semester (chat, we are so cooked)