Ashmi

Taaaa76

Hi! I can talk on the physics side here. The types of jobs you can get after a bachelor's in comparison to a postgrad like a PhD is different.

If you plan to only complete a bachelor's degree in physics, depending on the subjects you do in your degree you could land in these fields:

• If you do biophysics: Medical Imaging, Bioinformatics and Medical physics
• If you focus more on geophysics: Environmental work and the Australian geothermal energy association
• Business and Finance
• Government work including bureau of statistics, meteorology.
• Education if you take some further study
• Communications (specifically science)
• Data Science/Engineering related firms

That's a rough guide above. If you decide to take further postgrad studies like a PhD, you are able to work in research at places like CERN, Max Planck, ANSTO, DSTG and more! I should also mention research based jobs usually only take those with a PhD. There is a lot of flexibility in this major (I would argue this and maths majors can go nearly anywhere). I've never seen anyone struggle to get a job after a physics degree personally.

Studying physics is hard and you should expect to put a lot of effort into it. When you study physics, you also need to study maths and some computer science-related subjects, so its a lot to take in. Physics is a mix of theoretical and experimental where you get more choice the further you go into your degree. There are also plenty of opportunities to take research opportunities and internships in your degree. Hope this helps!

Taaaa76

I'm a bit late to the party here, but there are definitely better unis for physics but it depends on what you want to do after your physics degree:

1. Continue into research/academia
2. Go into industry

If you want to go into physics research, there are a lot of research areas to consider. Next to each one I've but a uni name that has a good reputation for that research area:

• Experimental Particle Physics: Unimelb as it is home base of the dark matter particle physics centre
• Theoretical Particle Physics: Unimelb (same reasoning as above and strong academic lead), USyd (Great for theoretical)
• Astrophysics: ANU (Overall winner), Swinburne (has a strong astro department and in victoria) or USyd (Great for theory).
• Optics: Unimelb, ANU are the big ones.
• Quantum Computing: Unimelb (It is the hub of QC)
• Biophysics: Not many places do this, but I know Unimelb does (don't know if it's good though). I have not heard much from other unis.
• Condensed Matter: UNSW heard is good. Most unis will have a solid CM group.
• Anything nuclear related: ANU
• More engineering based physics: Monash

If you are looking for an overall physics degree, I would recommend ANU if you are willing to move to Canberra.
I also should mention if you can do spesh please do. I didn't and it was a chore having to learn it in uni when I could have done the advanced subjects. Learn it in high school while you have a year to study it, not 12 weeks at uni.

Hello, AN!

I am officially done with exams! (Party time)

What a weird feeling to be doing exams in REB and my lord the fact they put the Quantum Physics exam (my last exam) at the exact same time as the first-year physics exam at 8:30 in the morning was a whole mood. If only they also put the second-year physics exam at the same time then I maybe could have put a PSS club event called "Panic with us on the morning of your physics exam at REB" and got the most well-attended event award. Oh well, that's an idea for next year. Overall it was very funny to see all the physics students panicking together before walking into the silent REB (Yes I did join them in the panic disco).

In regards to what's happening in the future, I got into the Laby Research Scholars Program held by the school of physics and starting another research opportunity! I'll be looking at dark sector searches with the Belle II experiment in Japan which is exciting. This does take up the majority of my winter holidays, which is a bit rough as I haven't had a proper holiday since my first year due to stacking too much on. Thankfully my last semester I barely have any subjects so I can chill a bit.

Just a brief recap on what has happened this semester, I've been trying to organise a possible physics camp under the Physics Students Society (PSS) and some other events. We had a lot of events this semester, at least 2 a week which I am happy with and the turnout has been great. Lots of free food has been provided and I can safely say I've made back my SSAF fees just by the amount of food I've consumed from my own club. Note to younger years, always join an executive committee of a club. As this is my last year, I've gone around teaching the other club members how to do things so that when I leave next year, things are in good hands. I'm really happy with the club committee this year and it sounds like there are some exciting events to come! Being president of PSS has also brought some weird and wonderful opportunities this semester, from being invited to physics breakfasts, giving talks to the wider community, student outreach and more. It has also brought a couple more Unimelb love letters to my name (with a tally of 9 so far, hopefully, I can hit 10 before I graduate). Looking back on everything since I'm nearing the end of this degree, I'm glad I've taken every opportunity that I have seen and can safely say I've made the best of the uni experience (so far). There are so many things I look back on which I smile at (and also cringe), like waking up and volunteering at 7am in the morning on a 1-degree day in Winterfest with 3 random people I didn't know to screaming my lungs out at PSS trivia nights with a physics community to remember. It's been a good time, and I didn't expect to meet so many people yet become friends with so many in different disciplines than my own. I've lost count of how many people I've met along the way, but I'm honestly so grateful that I can walk past the physics building and someone always comes up to say hi (or shouts my name before proceeding to sprint towards me), not just the students but also the academics. I would have never thought anything like this would ever happen back at the start of first year, but I'm glad the effort I've put in has paid off. I've been my happiest and probably my best throughout this degree.

I'm going to attach a paragraph from old Ash at the beginning of this journal (the old AN):

"My last long term goal is that by the time I finish uni, I want to be able to look back and say that I am significantly better than when I first started. When I talk about being better, I mean knowing more quality people (networking), taking things one step at a time rather than focusing too far into the future, developing some self-confidence, improving my communication skills, step out of my comfort zone, engage in the community, if possible having a great academic record and lastly, to be happier than I am right now."

There is one thing left to do before I graduate though, and that is to complete this degree with a "great academic record". I'm currently on a H1 WAM and the goal is by the time I graduate, to still have that H1 WAM. With that being said, it's time for me to plan future PSS events and make sure that this undergrad journey ends with a bang.

That's it for now, see you another time!

Hi everyone,

It has been a while since my last update, and a lot of my future ideas and goals have changed. In fact, I think for the first time in my life, I may have found the answers to a lot of things I've been confused about. Maybe I'll start with what I know now and go from there.

I will pursue a research career and become an academic in physics.
I will work in experimental particle physics.
I will do my postdoc overseas.

Those 3 sentences took way too long to solidify, but now I finally have learnt who I want to become and what I want to be. It has taken so long to make this statement; I feel like it is the stigma and stereotypes faced in physics. Maybe it's my insecurity that female academics in physics are rare and that it is very hard to break past this barrier, maybe it is the lack of awareness that research in physics exists, maybe it is the competitive nature of becoming an academic, maybe its people saying I can never get there, or maybe it's all the above and more.

But I don't care anymore.
I don't care what others think.

Over the summer, I worked on two major research projects, one for the SABRE South experiment for ARC Dark Matter Particle Physics and one for ARC TMOS in optics. What both projects taught me is that a research career is really for me. The particle physics project in particular, taught me that the experimental particle physics group is where I belong. The question now is, do I stay at Unimelb for postgrad or do I look elsewhere? As I've learnt, the answers will reveal themselves with time. I'm investigating a range of EPP experiments around the world, more dark matter experiments, neutrino oscillation experiments and collider experiments. I've also been elected as the new president for PSS, and that brought more clarity and sanity into my life.

This is not an "I want" phase anymore, this is an "I will" and I am going to get there.

I've never seen things so clearly before.
It is like looking through crystal-clear water,
And the reflection of an endless, unbounded sky bouncing off the surface.

They say the sky's the limit,
But I need to aim higher.

It's time to break free from the chains that hold me to the ground;
And run into the unknown that awaits,
Does it scare me?
No, not anymore.
In fact, I'm excited,
To jump into the world that has been waiting patiently for me.

This is the end of today's update, an update much needed for this journal.
I'll come back in the future to provide more thoughts.
For now, it's time for me to get ready to hit the ground running.

MoogieWoogieBoogie

Hey Moogie!
Great to see a journal like this! The lecturer for linear algebra in the summer term is amazing and the subject is taught really well. Is there anything you are looking forward to about the subject?

Looking forward to seeing future updates in this journal

ArtyDReams How on earth did you manage all those subjects ahhh.

Geoo That's honestly incredible that you have were able to manage all those subjects!!!!

I don't know either but managed to survive! I am defs looking forward to that sweet underloading I have next year.

Geoo have you checked out the space weather department?

Yes! This is one of the reasons I would like to get accepted into the Meteorology graduate program, to do the space weather! I think its something I would enjoy and still uses a lot of the physics I've learnt throughout my degree. Its competitive for entry, so its time to start the prep for it!

ArtyDReams Enjoy the holidays! Hopefully I'll see you around sometime soon!

Geoo try to sneak a week in to have a break

You guys enjoy your break too! Yes, I will sneak a week in for a break somewhere down the track. Enjoy your holidays and hope to also hear updates from you guys too!

tiredandstressed

Yeah, the data analysis internship is mainly to get some stuff on the CV and also some transferable skills for my other research projects this summer! It feels boring in comparison to the other research projects cause it ain't as cool . But yep you are absolutely right about it being super beneficial later down the track.

tiredandstressed I think taking a gap year after graduating will give you good exposure to the field (I did honours straight after and was pretty burnt out).

Ok yeah, this makes me more inclined to take a break for a bit now. It's a little bit harder to take a break between masters and a PhD in physics because the PhD is usually a continuation of the masters (plus you forget everything lol). If there was an honours year offered in physics, I definitely would take that and then a break before a PhD but sadly it isn't offered at UniMelb (and the specialisation I want isn't offered well elsewhere so I'm forced to do a masters).

tiredandstressed But it looks like a good plan, if you do meteorology plzz explain why the weather has been so darn cold and rainy lately xD

I will if I get into the grad program . I'll keep you updated!

Also, congrats on finishing honours and yes I will probably have some thesis questions coming up soon !

Definitely not being careful with my subject selection and my poor timetabling in first year. I wished I picked other electives in first year that were from other disciplines (e.g. computing) to complement my major rather than taking as many subjects relating to my major surprisingly. I learnt that there was a limit cap for first-year subjects way too late and that sucked.

I also wished I was careful about my timetable in first year, as arranging it right the first time would have saved a lot of stress! I'm much more careful these days haha.

14th November 2022

Hey, AN!
It’s been a very long time since the last update and there is a lot to add to this journal.

For this whole semester, I attempted to make an update for this journal but I was crippled by the exhaustion of overloading. Now that I’ve rested a bit, its time to inform you guys about what I’ve been up too!

So during Semester 2 I took 5 subjects and audited another 2 on top of that. Yep, you read that right and double yep, I’m crazy. My exams were in person this semester (except for Differential Equations being online) which was a scary but interesting experience. My subjects this semester were hard, especially Theoretical Physics 2, but thankfully I have survived.

The good news about overloading is that I now have a lot of wiggle room next year! Plenty of opportunities to underload and focus on my harder 3rd-year cores.

This summer I have a lot going on, mainly internships and research projects. I have one internship which is fully data analysis (which is the boring one lol) and a research project on the SABRE experiment with the Australian Research Council of Dark Matter Particle Physics. I’ll be writing my first journal and thesis for publication, so I’m hyped! This research project is being credited as a science subject so I’ll have another subject knocked out for next year.

I do also have another research project that I was offered, however, I can’t say much as it's confidential till it's fully confirmed tomorrow. If I do end up accepting it, I’ll let you guys know.

Next year is a big year and here are the following subjects I will possibly be taking:

• Science Research Project (Summer Term)
• Quantum Physics (S1)
• Electrodynamics (S1)
• Lab and Comp 3 (S1)
• Statistical Physics (S2)
• Sub-Atomic Physics (S2)
• Elements of Quantum Computing (S2)

And then it's graduation after that!

After graduation, I’m thinking two options, either going straight into masters or taking 1-2 years to work in a grad job before coming back. The latter is looking like the better option now as the journey through a masters and a PhD is going to be long, so I may as well save a bit before diving straight in.

If I were to go for grad roles, I’m thinking of a meteorologist (as meteorology in Australia requires a physics degree). Since I haven’t done an honours year, I can’t apply for any research grad roles which sucks, but there are other temporary options out there that would use my physics degree quite well. There are also quite large physics scholarships for female candidates, but I might not be able to get one next year, so I’m assuming the worst and going for a grad job just to have some money before continuing. I don’t like the idea of a gap between a PhD and masters so this time between my bachelors and masters would be the best for now.

Oh yeah, the Physics Students’ Society had many events this semester and our current president will be going on exchange next semester, so it seems I’ll be acting president till the AGM.

I’ll stop here for today and give a few more details when some progress has been made.
See you guys another time!

God
Hey!

I have friends that go to both of the colleges mentioned and they both have said Newman and St Hildas are pretty good!

If Newman is cheaper (like you mentioned, $6K), I would definitely be taking that option. Newman has a really good culture based on what I've heard and I tend to hear a lot going on in comparison to St Hilda's. Newman I would say is the most religious college but I know plenty of people who are not religious but are in the college, you will be fine either way. I don't know as many people from St Hilda's as I do at Newman, but it seems to be a more chill college and a little smaller (which you may like!). No matter which option you pick, it will be good!

TLDR: Personally would take Newman over St Hilda's not only for financial reasons but the culture of the college is good. Hope that helps!

SnekiSnek

No worries!
I would say the workload for a Bachelor of Science with a major in physics can be quite high depending on the semester. The difference between me and my friend is that my friend also does a diploma in mathematics on the side of his degree.

The workload is high during the semester you have a lab component. This could be 6-9 hours every week for a whole semester for just one subject (Lab and Comp Physics 2 and 3). Every physics subject also assumes that you have a high level of mathematics which is why a lot of work needs to be put in. A physics subject honestly feels like 1.3x a normal subject as you also have to learn maths along the way. For my friend, since he does a diploma of mathematics on the side so he doesn't need to worry about learning the maths (as he already would have done it!)

Astrophysics-wise, the maths is quite friendly (uses lots of approximations and the prerequisites will let you know if a higher maths subject is needed) but there is a lot of content. Some physics and maths subjects will get extremely hard at times in terms of both workload and difficulty. Some areas are easier than others, but overall, if you want to get a lot out of a physics degree, your workload would be high. We both agree that maths subjects in the second year and beyond can get quite hard (differential equations, group theory, complex analysis), however, you wouldn't necessarily need to take them, but they would be super beneficial for higher levels of physics.

Something else to add is that for any physics subject, there are a lot of independent studies you will need to do outside of class and you will need a lot of self-motivation (in comparison to engineering, maths and computing subjects I've taken). This is just because of the sheer amount of content covered in a short time frame. I think other subjects like maths and computing do a lot better job here as they cover a reasonable amount in the designated time frame (except for some third-year maths like complex analysis which is just too hard IMO). I'm always studying every day in my physics degree because of how much content is covered, but I know some of my friends can easily get away with a lot less. It really depends on you and what prior knowledge you have!

TLDR;
Medium-small high ish - You take physics subjects and you drop the maths as soon as possible
High - You keep taking maths alongside physics to 3rd year.

A physics degree will be hard regardless (except the first year).
We personally have found the Astro electives to be very friendly and understanding (they are clear if you need prior knowledge beforehand)

Let me know if you have any other questions!

SnekiSnek

Unlike other subjects, for physics, you really need to understand the material rather than doing a tedious amount of practice questions. Physics questions tend to test you on your understanding so it's really important you understand the material rather than doing the practice questions! Physics is not a subject like maths where you get better over a lot of practice, rather you get better by understanding the material better (and having the VCE Formula sheet on you).

I would definitely go back to basics with your fundamental understanding of light as a wave, and before you start trying more practice questions, watch a few demos on light experiments and how they can be analysed graphically. When it comes to answering physics questions, really think about what it's asking you and think about how you may get there. There are many ways to answer physics questions so that's why it's important to understand the topic inside out before continuing!

Hope that helps

In Semester 1 I did:
MAST20009 Vector Calculus [Core] - Standard math subject; really useful for physics.
PHYC20013 Laboratory and Computational Physics 2 [Core] - Really enjoyed this subject with the experimental aspect.
PHYC20012 Quantum and Thermal Physics [Core] - Demanding subject where there is a lot shoved into a small subject but really rewarding to see how much you learn after completing it.
COMP20005 Intro. to Numerical Computation in C [Elective] - Considering this was my first programming language, it was hard. Useful for the experimental side of physics.

Now for this (hectic) semester:
PHYC20014 Theoretical Physics 2 [Core] - This will definitely be the hardest physics subject I have this sem. Really rewarding to take though so let's see how it pans out.
PHYC20015 Special Relativity and Electromagnetism [Core] - Really pumped to finally be doing this subject! Good content and so far so good.
MAST20030 Differential Equations [Core] - I'm not too sure how this subject will go but the content and presentation of it is good for now.
PHYC30011 Sub-Atomic Physics [Audit] - I HAVE WAITED SO LONG FOR THIS! I'm seriously auditing this subject for the knowledge needed for summer research. Relies heavily on past physics and maths subjects.
FLTV10010 Making Movies 1 [Breadth] - Good breadth and if you love movies or the production process of movies, this is perfect for you.
CCDP10003 Video Games Remaking Reality [Breadth] - Highly recommend! Really fun and engaging if you have a love for video games! Best breadth I've taken so far.
COMP20003 Algorithms and Data Structures [Audit] - Auditing this also because I once again need more knowledge on the experimental side of physics. Just like your average computing subject.

Hyped to see everyone else's subjects!