Freshers' Guide

The Freshers’ Guide - Extended Online Version

Click here for a PDF version of the PJCC Physics guide, and here for a PDF version of the PJCC PhysPhil guide.

Below is an online version of the Physics guide, containing a few extra online-only sections!

Welcome

Dear New Physicist,

Welcome to the University of Oxford! Congratulations on surviving school and getting into the University. Just making it this far is an achievement you should be proud of! Physics is a challenging but incredibly rewarding subject. I hope you will enjoy your time here, both as a physicist and as an Oxford student; there are so many things to do and so many friendly people to talk to. However, if you do find yourself struggling, please remember that varying forms of support exist at every level of the university, from the college up.

Although you will undoubtedly be overloaded with introductory guides, hopefully this one will be of some use, as it’s designed to give you an overview of what the course involves along with some useful advice and insights into the course. A more detailed explanation of the structure, syllabus and assessment of the course is in the Undergraduate Course Handbook, which is available in the Undergraduate Students page of the physics website once you get to Oxford. It’s strongly recommended to have a look through it, both during Freshers’ Week and again later whenever you have questions about the course – you’ll be surprised by how many answers it contains! Printed copies are no longer distributed, but if you’d like one, contact Carrie Leonard-McIntyre, the Assistant Head of Teaching (carrie.leonard-mcintyre@physics.ox.ac.uk).

Please remember that the details contained in this guide apply to the course during usual years. Changes caused by global events will not be documented here, because this guide would then become out of date almost immediately.

This is an extended version of the printed guide containing the following:

  • The Physicists’ Bill of Rights (online only)
  • Teaching Methods
  • The Course
  • Details About Individual Short Options (online only)
  • The Practical Course
  • Details About Individual Practical Labs (online only)
  • Libraries and Books
  • Preparation Over the Vacation
  • Clubs and Societies
  • A Female Physicist’s Perspective (online only)

 

The views and opinions expressed in this guide are the PJCC’s, and do not represent the views of any college, the Physics Department or the University.

The Physicists' Bill of Rights (online only)

We hold these postulates to be intuitively obvious, that all physicists are born equal, to a first approximation, and are endowed by their creator with certain discrete privileges, among them a mean rest life, n degrees of freedom, and the following rights which are invariant under all linear transformations:

  1. To approximate all problems to ideal cases.
  2. To use order of magnitude calculations whenever deemed necessary (i.e. whenever one can get away with it).
  3. To use the rigorous method of "squinting" for solving problems more complex than the addition of positive real integers.
  4. To dismiss all functions which diverge as "nasty" and "unphysical."
  5. To invoke the uncertainty principle when confronted by confused mathematicians, chemists, engineers, psychologists, and dramatists
  6. When pressed by non-physicists for an explanation of (4) to mumble in a sneering tone of voice something about physically naive mathematicians.
  7. To equate two sides of an equation which are dimensionally inconsistent, with a suitable comment to the effect of, "Well, we are interested in the order of magnitude anyway."
  8. To the extensive use of "bastard notations" where conventional mathematics will not work.
  9. To invent fictitious forces to delude the general public.
  10. To justify shaky reasoning on the basis that it gives the right answer.
  11. To cleverly choose convenient initial conditions, using the principle of general triviality.
  12. To use plausible arguments in place of proofs, and thenceforth refer to these arguments as proofs.
  13. To take on faith any principle which seems right but cannot be proved.

Teaching Methods

Terms in Oxford (Michaelmas – autumn, Hilary – winter, Trinity – summer) are very short compared to other universities (only eight weeks long!). The workload is intense, and the pace is very fast. Therefore, it’s easy to get left behind – all it takes are a few rehearsals, rowing outings, debating events or bops (college parties) too many, in addition to lab work and lectures, and suddenly a week seems very short. You can have fun and do physics (the two aren’t mutually exclusive!) but it’s vital that you’re organised with your time. You’ll probably have to do about 1.5 problem sets each week (i.e. around 3 every fortnight). Set aside plenty of time to complete them as they form the basis of your tutorials, which are undoubtedly the most important aspect of your education here.

The periods in between terms are known as the vacations – so called not because of a preference for American parlance, but because they are just times when you have ‘vacated’ the University. These vacations should be used to relax and recover from the stress of an Oxford term. However, you will need to go over the work done during the previous term and perhaps read about the topics to be covered during the subsequent term. Colleges normally provide a focus in the form of internal exams (known as collections) at the beginning of each term. These have no bearing on your final degree – they are simply to help you and your tutors find out how you’re progressing, and allow you to practise for your real exams at the end of the year, as they’re often almost identical in format. The seriousness of these collections depends entirely on your college: some may make you do them again if you do badly, however with adequate preparation, they shouldn’t be something you have to worry about!

Tutorials

Oxford is a collegiate university and so, other than in lectures and labs, most of your teaching will be based in your college. No two colleges operate in exactly the same manner and the best way to find out exactly what to expect is to talk to your tutors and physics students in the years above at your college. However, there are many similarities between the colleges so here’s a general overview of how tutorial based teaching at Oxford works:

Tutorials (or “tutes”) are an opportunity for you to be taught by a member of the physics department, usually a specialist in the subject. The exact structure and nature of the tutorial varies from tutor to tutor (who can be anyone from a graduate student to a world-leading professor, either from your college or elsewhere in the department). Most tutors will ask you to submit work for a problem sheet before the tutorial, which they will mark in advance and discuss with you in the tutorial. Your experience of tutorials may differ quite significantly from that of many of your friends in other subjects. Though not a bad thing, this is a difference to be aware of.

Oxford Physics problem sets probably won’t be much like the school homework you’ll be used to – for starters, they’re a lot more time consuming. Be prepared to spend up to 8 hours working on just one problem set – infrequently less, and often more. They take so long because solving problems is how you actually learn the material you’ve covered. Although there are some “book work” questions, most questions will ask you to apply the abstract material from lectures to an unfamiliar problem. Lectures don’t teach you how to tackle the specific problems - they just give you the knowledge you’ll need to attack those successfully. Fortunately, the tutorials will teach you how to tackle problems.

So what exactly is a tutorial?

A tutorial basically consists of an hour-long (or more) meeting between two or three students and a tutor, who is a practising physicist, either from your college or elsewhere in the physics department. You will mostly go over work handed in beforehand, but sometimes you will look at work to be covered in forthcoming lectures. Problem classes (normally all the physicists in your year at college and a tutor) are also held on an irregular basis, perhaps for example to go over collections. During the first year you will usually have about two tutorials per week (one in physics and one in maths).

Tutors organise their tutorials in different ways. Some will ask you to attempt questions on the board, others may give a mini-lecture of their own. Many stick closely to the question sheets handed out in lectures, whereas some set their own questions. They may opt to introduce new material themselves or go over a technique a lecturer has covered from a new perspective.

One of the beauties of the tutorial system lies in its flexibility. Your tutor will get to know you quickly and will be able to see where you are having problems, directing you as necessary. With only one or two other students present it is much easier to ask questions without feeling as if you are holding someone else up. Try to make use of this as much as possible – do not worry that you are wasting your tutor’s time, they are there to help and want you to do well! Often a tutor can give you a reply to a question immediately for which you might otherwise have spent hours of searching in books or on the internet to find the answer. Having access to the core textbooks is very important, as tutors will often refer you to a chapter which is particularly relevant. If you think of something outside a tutorial, don’t be afraid to email your tutor and ask them. They might e-mail you a response or give you an answer in person during your next tutorial.

Another advantage of the flexibility of the tutorial system is that if you are unable to make a tutorial (due to illness or otherwise), or find it difficult to hand in a piece of work on time for the same reasons, contact your tutor as soon in advance as possible and they should be able to rearrange the tutorial or give you an extension on the work, so that you can catch up. Each tutor has a different policy on alterations to the schedule, so it is a good idea to find out what your tutors prefer.

Finally, in addition to being an excellent way of learning the course material, tutorials are an opportunity to talk with experienced physicists, often experts in their field, and learn about aspects of physics that may be completely off the course. These extra-curricular discussions are usually fascinating and provide you with a wider view of physics in general. If you ask them, your tutors will probably happily tell you all about their research and might also show you around their lab and even help you to find a vacation placement to get a better insight into what actual research is like.

Lectures

For most students, the lectures will be your primary source of information, since they cover all the material more concisely than any single textbook. Attendance is hence very much advised (but not compulsory). These lectures are all held in the physics department (in the Clarendon Laboratory), mostly in the mornings and starting on the hour. The lecture timetables are online here with links to the lecturers’ webpages, where you may find supplementary content.

The doors to the Clarendon Laboratory are open between to undergraduates between 08:30 to 17:00. You need your Bod (University) card to get in, so don’t forget!

Once inside the lecture theatre, you’ll join the 150 or so other first year physicists from all colleges for the lecture. The lecturer will stand at the front and explain their topic, perhaps with the aid of slides on a projector, but more usually (especially in the years that follow) by just writing on the blackboard. Lecturers will vary in how they provide notes (if they do at all!). Some produce reading lists with references to specific books (and chapters within them) and an accompanying set of detailed notes whereas others may just summarise the key points and so you’ll need to attend the lectures to see the details. All lecturers’ supplementary material may be found online at the same address that the timetable is found at.

You’ll receive so much information in lectures that you won’t be able to remember it all without taking some form of notes. It is up to you if you prefer to annotate the existing notes during lectures, or make your own entirely. The best thing to do is to go to the first few lectures to get a feel for what they are like and subsequently act based on your own preferred style of learning.

Question sheets are sometimes handed out in lectures, or available online on the lecturer’s web page. These are exercises based on the material covered which your tutors will probably set you for tutorials. Entire questions may be devoted to topics that the lecturer only spent five minutes on, so it’s almost always worthwhile going back over your lecture notes (perhaps with another textbook) to check that you’ve fully understood everything. If not, feel free to ask a question (or two!) in a tutorial where your tutor will explain the topic, even if it’s not directly related to this week’s problem set. Moreover, they will usually explain the topic in a slightly different way, which is very useful if you had trouble understanding it the first time.

At the end of each term you must fill out an online lecture feedback questionnaire. The results are taken into account by the individual lecturers (and they will make changes according to them) and are discussed with the faculty in the PJCC meetings (more on these later!) You should use this chance to improve the course – written comments are particularly useful.

Learning from Textbooks

A very important skill that you need to acquire at university is independent learning. It becomes more essential as the course progresses so try to learn it early on and do not make the mistake of relying only on lectures. Reading the relevant sections of various textbooks will give you a deeper understanding and a different perspective and will ensure you know the topic more thoroughly. Sometimes, new topics must be learned entirely from textbooks; for example for a practical or if you have missed several lectures through illness. Sometimes, tutors will set work before the relevant lectures have been given. This is a good opportunity to read ahead and means that you learn a lot more when the actual lecture detailing the work comes up.

Your tutors and lectures won’t hesitate to recommend books if you ask (and even often if you don’t!) but don’t be afraid to deviate from their suggestions and use the books that you like best.

Last but not least, it can be a good idea to meet up with other physicists from your college or year in general to go over the material covered in the course. You may notice that some problems can be solved much more quickly this way and that explaining a topic to others helps you to get a more clear idea of it yourself and realise where your weaknesses are.

Moreover, always remember that older physicists in the years above you are on the same course as you! Hence, they’ve walked where you will walk, attended the same lectures that you’ve going to go to and done the same problem sheets that you will be doing – so they’re in a very good position to offer advice on any questions you might have about the course or specific queries you might have about physics. There’s also a thriving graduate community in the physics department and your college will most likely have some graduate physicists associated with it (some of whom are products of the Oxford undergraduate physics course themselves). Some colleges even have a graduate mentoring scheme set up but regardless of whether there’s a formal system, don’t forget that graduates are (most of the time!) always happy to help you if you’re stuck.

The Course

Full descriptions of the courses and the exam papers are given in the Undergraduate Physics Handbook, (although attending the lectures soon gives you a taste of what each one is like). The handbook gives a list of topics on each course that are examinable (the syllabus). It’s worthwhile to get acquainted with the syllabus, as some lecturers will dip into areas of physics which, while interesting, are non-examinable, and the lecturers may not make it extremely clear when they’re doing this. It also helps you determine what you do and don’t yet know, when you start revising.

Previous exam papers can be found online (you’ll need your Oxford SSO to log-in) for examples of what sort of problems you’ll be expected to solve. However examiners and the syllabus can – and often do! - change from year to year, so don’t be surprised if some of the older questions appear totally irrelevant and unfamiliar.

First year

The first year of the course is very mathematical, which may come as a shock, particularly compared to what you may have been used to at school. What you are effectively doing is learning a language, which is used in the rest of the course to model the world we see around us. We then solve these models and subsequently interpreting the solutions gives us some understanding of how the world works. Hence, you should always try to then see the physics behind the equations and results you get, and not just behave like a human calculator. To help you do this, during the first year, you also learn the foundations of some of the most important branches of physics (namely classical mechanics, special relativity, optics and electromagnetism) which will crop up again and again as you progress further in physics so getting the first year material cemented firmly in your mind will really help in future years.

Examination at the end of first year is in the form of exams known as “Prelims”, short for “Preliminary” examinations. These are not classified, meaning you will just get a percentage mark rather than a 1st, 2:i etc.. They do not count towards your final classification, but you do need to pass them. If you perform very well (normally roughly in the top sixth of the year) you may be awarded a Distinction. Some colleges may also award a scholarship to the tune of £100-£200 (depending on your college) on performance in this examination. However, on the other hand, a minority of physicists will fail one or two papers if they miss the pass mark (around 40%) but you get a chance to retake them in September. Students will be sent down (made to leave) if they fail these September resits. Obviously, spending the summer revising for exams that you have to pass to stay in Oxford cannot be pleasant, so do take Prelims seriously. They’re also very good practice (you even have to wear your academic dress, called sub-fusc!) for the exams that you’ll take at the end of all the later years of your course, which will count.

The papers are as follows:

Compulsory:

  • CP1: Physics 1 (covers mechanics and special relativity)
  • CP2: Physics 2 (covers electromagnetism, circuit theory and optics)
  • CP3: Mathematical Methods 1 (covers complex numbers, differential equations, matrices and vector algebra)
  • CP4: Mathematical Methods 2 (covers multivariable calculus and waves)

Short Options:

  • S1: Functions of a Complex Variable
  • S2: Astrophysics: from planets to the cosmos
  • S3: Quantum Ideas

Students take all four compulsory papers and then choose one of the short option papers. You will not receive tutorials for your Short Option, which is intended to add breadth to your course. The astrophysics option may be included as part of your second year and Functions of a Complex Variable may be done as part of any year whereas the Quantum ideas course is only available in the first year, but obviously you cannot take the same course twice. Some more information about the different options and useful books can also be found in the next section.

Each compulsory paper lasts 2hr30mins and consists of a Section A, which carries 40 marks and in which every question must be answered, and a Section B, in which you answer 3 of 4 more in depth questions carrying 20 marks each. Every short option paper is structured similarly: you must offer solutions to 2 of 3 questions in 1hr30mins.

Subsequent years

During the second year (Part A) and third year (Part B) the course concentrates on giving you a rigorous grounding in the standard areas of physics, but now focusing more on the physics itself rather than the maths underlying it. However, mathematics is still used extensively (but as a tool rather than for its own sake) and so there is still a lecture course on maths in the second year.

Exams remain in Trinity Term of the second and third years, covering the Part A and Part B syllabuses respectively.

For Part A there are 3 compulsory papers:

  • A1: Thermal Physics
  • A2: Electromagnetism and Optics
  • A3: Quantum Physics

For Part B there are 6 papers:

  • B1: Flows, Fluctuations and Complexity
  • B2: Symmetry and Relativity
  • B3: Quantum, Atomic and Molecular Physics
  • B4: Sub-Atomic Physics
  • B5: General Relativity and Cosmology
  • B6: Condensed Matter Physics

If you are doing the MPhys you take 5 of the 6 papers for Part B, whereas for the BA you take 3 papers and participate in a group project. The 3 BA papers consist of: B4, B6 and a choice from the remaining 4 papers.

In both 2nd and 3rd year, you must take a short option paper but this time, you can choose from a wider range of short option topics such as Classical Mechanics, Energy Physics, Biological Physics, Exploring Solar Systems, History of Science or even a language option! Only Quantum Ideas is restricted to Prelims.

In the Part C course, taken in the 4th year of the MPhys, you take two courses in a specialised area of physics (chosen from a list of 7) and carry out an extended research project. You’ll cross that bridge when you come to it!

You will not have to choose between the BA and MPhys until after the results of the Part A exams are published. You are advised to achieve at least a 2.1 in Part A in order to proceed to the MPhys.

There is also a new 4th year course for those more mathematically inclined – the MMathPhys – which is run jointly with the maths faculty. More details may be found at the MMathPhys course website, but even if you’re interested, you don’t need to worry about this until your 3rd year!

↑ back to the top ↑

Details about individual Short Options (online only)

S1: Functions of a complex variable (1st, 2nd or 3rd year)

This option will appeal to those who enjoy maths and like a challenge! Although it can be hard work, it is more rewarding than the ‘ordinary’ maths you will study. The material in the course will be completely new, and covers mapping shapes (for example, equipotentials around a conductor) from one complex plane to simpler shapes in another; and contour integration, a way of integrating in the complex plane to evaluate difficult integrals. The maths you will learn will not really be used again in the rest of the course unless you do theory later on, so is for fun only! The best books are again Boas and Mathematical Methods for Physicists by Arfken, which is more advanced. If you are strong at maths, you will find this option enjoyable, so it is well worth taking, if harder than much of the other material in the course.

S2: Astrophysics: from planets to the cosmos (1st year only)

This course is indeed a wide-ranging introduction to astrophysics, ranging from Kepler’s Laws and the basics of stellar structure to a qualitative view of star formation and the evidence for dark matter. It is important to emphasise that knowledge of Prelims mechanics and special relativity courses is assumed, so if these turn out to be your strong points then this could be a good choice of option. If you choose this option there are astronomy practicals. The astrophysics sub-department has the Wetton Telescope in the Observatory by the side of the University Parks, which may be used by undergraduates. Few people last year did the astronomy option as this required substituting it for material that would be needed in the second year, thus creating extra work for oneself. As a result I am not able to recommend one astrophysics textbook over another.

S3: Quantum ideas (1st year only)

The quantum mechanics presented in the first year is really a taster of things to come in the second year. Although it covers some of the techniques used in solving quantum mechanics problems, the examples seem unphysical (a single particle travelling in one dimension in a box with infinite sides) and parts of the course are only qualitative discussions. This course, however, is still very interesting as parts of it seem to defy and, indeed, even laugh at common sense. It starts with a discussion of examples from the beginning of the last century where classical physics failed to accurately describe known phenomena, then proceeds to document the way in which quantum physics developed. As with relativity, there are only a few basic ideas so the questions will be very similar to those set in previous years. An indispensable textbook with plenty of discussion into the experimental methods and implications of all things quantum is An Introduction to Quantum Physics, French (this guy must be a deity as he seems to have a textbook on everything) and Taylor, 1979, although this book is referred to less in subsequent years. It may be difficult to find in college libraries but the Hooke has a substantial number of copies. Second year texts such as McMurry, and Rae, cover the same material but at a much faster clip.

The practical course

Physics is a practical subject so doing experiments is inevitably an important part of the physics course in Oxford. This is just an outline of the Practical Course but you’ll be given a much more comprehensive guidebook by the Department during the first week of term, and there will also be a safety lecture regarding practicals.

Practicals are done in the same pairs each week, usually with someone from your college, although if your college admits an odd number of students you may be working with someone from another college. Working in pairs really helps; it gives you someone to talk about the experiment with and makes setting up the equipment a lot easier.

The practical labs are very different from the experiments you will have done at school. In the first year you will spend a full day performing an experiment, rather than just an hour or so, giving you enough time to explore the experiment in some depth. In further years, this is extended to two days for one experiment.

For each practical, you are provided with a detailed script including instructions telling you what to do, technical details about how to set up the apparatus, all the relevant theory, and questions relating to the theory. All the scripts can be viewed online and printed; it’s essential to read though script before you turn up at the lab on the day so that you have an outline of what you will be doing. This will help save time at the beginning of the day and increase your chances of finishing early.

You can give feedback about the different practical labs at any time and also comment on individual experiments (using the “Management Scheme” which you will get to know all too well very soon…). Any (constructive!) comments, criticisms and ideas left here will be taken into consideration to improve the practical course, but any feedback left will also be visible to the other students and can be very useful when deciding which practicals to choose.

First year

During the first year you will spend one day in the labs each week. The requirement for practical work in the first year is 15 days (i.e. fifteen different practicals), which means that you don’t have to do any in Trinity term. Try not to get behind with practicals; although if you miss one you can catch up at the end of Hilary Term. The Prelims practicals are grouped into 5 different areas: Optics, Electronics, Electrostatics and Magnetism, Computing and “General” (which is actually mostly Mechanics).

First year experiments are done on either Thursday or Friday (the day depends on your college) between 10a.m. and 5p.m. It is not a pressurised environment so if you have been working well during the day then you won’t be made to stay after 5p.m. and if you manage to finish it beforehand, you can go straight home. However, you will have to do a little more work for your one “assessed practical”, which you will discuss in more detail with your demonstrator after writing a report – for more details, check out the Practical Guide.

Subsequent years

In the second and third years you spend 2 days every fortnight in the labs, so you can do longer experiments. You alternate between practical weeks (which can be fairly hectic!), and nonpractical weeks. It’s worth asking your tutors if they’ll take this into account when arranging tutorials as they’re likely to be accommodating.

The choice of practicals is wider than during the first year, so you can pick those which you find most interesting; the only compulsory lab is electronics. You will also complete an extended project during the final year of your degree.

There are a number of possibilities to replace some practicals by other courses; for example, by taking an extra ‘Short Option’ paper or by taking the ‘Teaching and Learning Physics in Schools’ option. This involves working in a local secondary school helping to teach physics; more information will be provided in a talk closer to the time.

Details about individual practical labs(online only)

Optics - 3 days

To be brutally honest, Optics practicals are not fun. You spend hours setting up the equipment, and not very long actually taking results. They are, however, quite useful in that they help you understand the basic principles, and they correlate very closely with the lecture course. Optics practicals are the only first-year practicals that need to be written up. Write-ups are annoying, and can take the best part of a day to complete. A typical length would be three to four sides plus tables and graphs (although this obviously depends on the experiment and your style of writing).

Electronics - 3 days

Electronics practicals generally polarize opinion (excuse the pun). The practicals take all day, but you don't need to write them up. You just explain what you've done to a demonstrator and he ticks off each section as you go along. Remember you have a separate electronics handbook, which is essential to refer to for some experiments.

General - 3 days

These experiments try to show you some practical applications of the mechanics course and teach you experimental techniques and analysis of errors. The practicals themselves are fine, but error analysis will quickly become the bane of your life. There is a section in the Practical Course Handbook about errors, which will tell you everything you need to know.

Electrostatics / Magnetism - 2 days

These practicals are quite straightforward; some of them are quite interesting and definitely easier than the theory.

Computing - 4 days

These are generally thought to be the easiest practicals. If you have never done any computer programming before, there is no need to worry because the introduction is quite straightforward and instructions are provided which guide you through every step. There are slightly more advanced tasks for those with previous programming experience. Demonstrators are always on hand if you get totally stuck. You also have a computing handbook, which like the electronics one is essential for these labs. If you are happy not having demonstrators present all the time you can generally complete these when you wish, although other students scheduled to have practicals will take priority.

Libraries and books

There is no single textbook that covers all the material on the course so it is necessary to use a variety of books for each aspect of the course, some of which, although recommended by tutors and lecturers, go well beyond the level required. You will usually have a long reading list of recommended books for each topic, but fortunately, you won’t have to read all of them. A few core texts might be marked as essential, but otherwise, you’re free to choose whichever book (or books!) covers the material in a manner most suited to you. It’s worth having a look through a few before deciding which to get. Once you’ve decided which books you like, there are two options available when it comes to acquiring them: buying them or using the university or college libraries.

Oxford’s extensive library system is unique (apart from maybe “the other place”…) and if your college library is good (and most, if not all, are), you will rarely need to spend money on books. And of course, if your college library doesn’t have the book in stock, the main faculty library (Radcliffe Science Library) is bound to! However, if you do find it necessary to buy a book, try to get it in the second hand section of a bookstore (Oxford is not lacking in bookshops) or from someone in a higher year. Some colleges may repay you some of the cost of buying books - so keep the receipts!

College Library

Your college library should have most of the books you need for the course and will stock multiple copies of the most frequently used. Your tutor or librarian will usually order more copies if there are not enough, and you can request books to be bought that are not stocked.

Radcliffe Science Library (RSL)

Part of the Bodleian Library (which by law gets copies of almost every book printed in the United Kingdom) and is dedicated to science books so it’s most likely to have what you're looking for. More details about the Radcliffe Science Library and lending services can be found at https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/science.

Other

These aren’t the only two libraries available to you (students who are members of the Oxford Union can use and borrow from the Union Library and all students can use the main Bodleian library, although they can’t borrow from it) but they are the two most used by physics students. In addition to being an invaluable source of books, they also provide a quiet environment in which to work.

Preparation over the vacation

You may have been given vacation work and a reading list as part of the recommended preparatory work; try to finish your vacation work before you arrive in Oxford – there are a lot of things to do in “Freshers’ Week”, most of them more fun than a physics sheet! It is useful to loan or buy at least some of the books from the list and begin reading them. Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering by Riley, Hobson and Bence is recommended by most tutors and is particularly useful as it covers almost all the maths you will ever need, but an alternative text, Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences by Mary Boas, which some students prefer, is also a good place to start.

In addition to introducing yourself to one of these books, is helpful to read over your A-Level notes, especially those on maths, and re-familiarize yourself with topics like integration, differentiation and so on since development of these will be one of the main features of the first year course.

If you didn't take Further Maths A-Level you should be aware that while the first two weeks of lectures will be revision for most, they will probably cover new topics for you, so you will have to work hard to make sure you grasp these fully, as they’ll form the foundations of the rest of the year’s work. Therefore, it’s useful to (at least try to!) read some Further Maths books if they are available to you (for example, the Edexcel Further Pure 1, 2 & 3 textbooks). If you find yourself struggling, you should ask your tutor for help or advice.

Clubs and societies

Oxford is a place where every society imaginable exists, in one form or another. This section exists to draw your attention to some of the ones you may be interested in as physicists.

As mentioned earlier, there is a thriving physics society in Oxford (PhysSoc) that meets regularly for lectures and social events. In addition, there’s a scientific society too (OUSS) that is one of the oldest in the university. They not only organise speaker events but also occasionally organise tours to various scientific establishments. These are just some of the societies that you have the opportunity of joining when you arrive at Oxford – look out for many more at Freshers’ Fair!

Within the physics department, there are two major societies that you may not have heard of: the Oxford Women in Physics Society and the Physics Joint Consultative Committee (PJCC), the latter of whom designed this guide!

Oxford Women in Physics Society

Oxford’s Women in Physics Society was set up a couple of years ago in order to promote career development of women in physics, from undergraduates through to graduates and onto to academics, supporting them at every step of the way. The society provides an opportunity for women across at all these different stages to interact, get together and benefit from a pool of role models and mentors.

Not only does the society have an active mentoring scheme, but they also host tea sessions, lunches, and banquet dinners. They also were key in organising and hosting the UK’s first ever Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics in March 2015, which was a resounding success!

The Physics Joint Consultant Committee (PJCC)

This committee meets twice a term (at a lunchtime in second and seventh weeks) and consists of a number of undergraduate student representatives (reps), ideally at least one from each year and a few others with specific tasks, like representing Physics and Philosophy students or those with special needs. It meets with a few key members of staff to discuss ways to improve the Oxford undergraduate physics course, covering issues such as teaching, changes to the syllabus, examination procedures and most importantly, addressing any suggestions or complaints which students (both on and off the committee) have raised. The PJCC is always chaired by an undergraduate student, who further represents the students’ views by sitting on various other committees and will raise any relevant points there.

There are many ways to contact us (the student members): you can use the form on the webpage, contact the chair by sending an e-mail to pjcc_chair@physics.ox.ac.uk, email us by clicking on our names on the Committee page, or simply talk to your “year rep” or someone else on the committee directly. All your comments will be taken seriously and can be handled anonymously if you want to. If you are interested in playing a bigger role and directly participating in PJCC meetings as a committee member (where you’ll get free sandwiches!), please contact the PJCC Chair.

It is important that people contact us so we can get a balanced set of views. We also hold open meetings, details of which are circulated by email, so please come if you can. If you have a problem or a good idea, let us know – that way things can be improved (or we can at least give you an explanation if they can’t!).

Even if they don’t have any other involvement in the PJCC, each term every physics student fills in a web-based questionnaire about the lectures they have attended. The results, including marks for various categories and a summary of the comments for each lecturer, are collated and passed on to the department. The comments are not displayed and remain anonymous, so please take this opportunity to tell us what you think. The completion of these questionnaires is compulsory, as the results are taken seriously. The numerical feedback results, along with the minutes of previous meetings, are displayed on the webpage.

The PJCC webpage also contains useful links (with reading recommendations, good physics websites and handy programs) and help for finding vacation placements.

A female physicist’s perspective(online only)

You do find more boys learning physics but there are always girl physicists around you! We have 3 girls out of 8 physicists this year in my college, so a really nice gender balance. If you want to meet more female physicists outside the college, you can join Women in Physics, a very friendly society welcoming Oxford female physicists at all levels. And for female PhysPhils, there's also the chance to meet girls studying other STEM subjects in philosophy classes!