Welcome!
This is the new, interactive version of the Graduate Student Survival Guide as compiled by the students pursuing a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Texas. All of the information contained in the old page is here as entries, but instead of grad students sending comments on certain topics to me, the administrator, now you can just leave anonymous stories as comments to these posts. Readers of this blog should keep that in mind; what you read here could be not the whole picture as often students who are okay with teachers generally don't get worked up enough to write about it.

This is one purpose behind this page: to help the fresh recruits to UT choose which (core) classes they want to take. Unfortunately, professors are chosen to teach classes here not based on merit, but willingness. This means that if a professor volunteers to teach a class, he is assigned that task, even if it is known students come away with little or no knowledge of the subject. The only hope a student has is to choose their classes wisely. Of course, at some point you will probably be stuck taking a core from one of the less recommended teachers, so knowing their weak points can help you choose which bitter pill you want to swallow. The core classes at UT are not designed to be fun or inspiring. Often times I got the feeling that like Green Beret boot camp, the first two years leading up to my qualifier were meant to weed out the weak rather than give me a good foundation of physics knowledge.

Sometimes, though, the pain doesn't stop after classes do as people choose research groups that are not a good fit. Arguably this is a worse scenario to end up in than a bad class as you will be working for your adviser for years, but a class only lasts a semester. When you do decide to pick a group, MAKE SURE YOU TALK TO THE STUDENTS IN THAT GROUP!!!! I can't stress this enough. Ask them lots of questions. See how happy they look. Do they appear pale and gnarled as if they never saw the sun? Are red welts peaking out from beneath their t-shirt after "getting a talking to" from adviser? Do they know what their adviser looks like, or for all they know could he be conducting experiments on the moon? Like the core classes, it's important to know not only that someone has published great stuff in the field your interested in, but also what their faults are to make sure you can live with them.

Don't let this discourage you. Keep in mind that if you are here, you probably at some point enjoyed physics. Eventually you will get back to where this love of the science will once again be rewarded. Right now, though, you have to get through the perils of grad school. Fortunately, those of us who have been there can help by pointing out the deeper pits you want to avoid so that you get back to loving what you do.

Those of you coming to this page as veteran scholars should pass on the pearls of wisdom you have acquired over your years here. New students should use this to help you get through your classes and choose a research group. Remember, advances are made not because of our individual knowledge, but because we share what we have learned with a larger community. So post, and read the posts. And may the force be with you...

My email: ut.phys.guide@gmail.com.

***********INDEX**********
Professors
Fall2005
Research Groups
Teaching
Administrative Guidelines