Manchester Physics applicants/offer-holders (2010 entry)

purplepaint

Sorry if there's already a thread for this.

Anyone else here hold an offer (or hoping to get one) to study Physics at Manchester this year?

I have to say that I was very impressed when I went to visit the department - it seemed both friendly and incredibly active, and I felt that the current forward-thinking attitude of the University really came across - and the scholarships, opportunities to study abroad and the sheer number of modules to choose from make it look like too good an opportunity to miss!

Take it you liked it then? :p:

Reply 2

OP

-G-a-v-

Take it you liked it then? :p:

Haha! Hmm, yes I must have been in quite a positive mood when I wrote that!

How would you rate the department and the course then?

Reply 3

purplepaint

Haha! Hmm, yes I must have been in quite a positive mood when I wrote that!

How would you rate the department and the course then?

Department is pretty good, fairly well organised and lots of good lecturers (some less good ones, but that'll happen wherever you go...).

Course is pretty well put together I think - pretty wide variety of option courses of varying difficulty (if they gave you a 'blue book' the courses with an (M) after their name are typically regarded as the hardest ones) - you don't get an amazing number of options (typically 1 per semester, less so if you're doing a 'physics with....' course) until 4th year really if you stay on for that.

And of course, Fred Loebinger (the admissions guy) is a bit of a legend.

Did they show you round much? We had a few groups come into the 3rd year lab.

Reply 4

OP

Yeah I got a blue book. I suppose just seeing the course split into so many modules makes it look perhaps more extensive than it is, although I guess one per semester is better than between zero and one per year. I got to see a first and a third year lab (I'd actually already been to an open day, but I hadn't really been that fussed about it at the time so hadn't taken much in and wished I had afterwards).

I've actually just emailed Fred Loebinger to see about changing to the Physics with Theoretical Physics option, so it looks like I'll be getting a few (M)s...

Reply 5

purplepaint

Yeah I got a blue book. I suppose just seeing the course split into so many modules makes it look perhaps more extensive than it is, although I guess one per semester is better than between zero and one per year. I got to see a first and a third year lab (I'd actually already been to an open day, but I hadn't really been that fussed about it at the time so hadn't taken much in and wished I had afterwards).

I've actually just emailed Fred Loebinger to see about changing to the Physics with Theoretical Physics option, so it looks like I'll be getting a few (M)s...

Theoretical is cool - you'll be getting pretty much all the (M) courses :p:

- I do most of the theory courses, theyre hard but IMO the most satisfying. You also get out of roughly half of lab, which is a bonus.

Reply 6

TI-84

18

Physics get free printing credit.
Basically makes us engineer's tres jealous.

Reply 7

TI-84

Physics get free printing credit.
Basically makes us engineer's tres jealous.

We don't get THAT much really.

Reply 8

TI-84

18

-G-a-v-

We don't get THAT much really.

lol..A flatmate of mine last year used to boast loads about how he gets 200 free credits + can top up whenever he wants :p:

Reply 9

TI-84

lol..A flatmate of mine last year used to boast loads about how he gets 200 free credits + can top up whenever he wants :p:

I didn't know anything about topping up - but yeah we do get 200 print credits, I think we can only use them in certain computer clusters though., maybe ones just in the physics building or whatever.

Reply 10

Installation

14

I only know someone doing physics, don't do it myself but he does seem to indicate it's a decent course :P, not very helpful I know but there's already people here with better info.

Reply 11

Lyndon1504

11

I am currently a first-year physics undergrad here at Manchester. I'd be more than welcome to ask any questions you have about the department or courses :smile:

Reply 12

OP

I don't suppose any of you have any first or second-hand experience with the study abroad opportunities? It looks like something that's really worthwhile doing.

Reply 13

purplepaint

I don't suppose any of you have any first or second-hand experience with the study abroad opportunities? It looks like something that's really worthwhile doing.

I know a couple of people who are doing it/have done it. It sound really good - I think for the California 3rd year it gets pretty competitive and if you plan on going abroad anywhere, you'll have to be doing the theoretical options, as it seems that physics degrees abroad are more mathematical than here. Also if you do physics with the year abroad, you have to have a good overall average right from the word go.

Reply 14

OP

Hmm. I was told at my interview that I would probably get to do it with a 2:1 or above.

Reply 15

purplepaint

Hmm. I was told at my interview that I would probably get to do it with a 2:1 or above.

Sounds about right, if you're doing the Physics with Study in Europe degree. The other possibilities (as far as I know) are second half of year 2 in Melbourne (I think?) or the full third year in California - all I know is that there's usually a fair bit of competition for places for California, so presumably the better your marks, the more likely you'd be able to go. I seem to remember to even be considered for California you need at least 70% at the end of your first year.

Reply 16

OP

Oh right! Eep!

Although I gather that the way they teach and learn it there is comparatively more difficult so it makes sense.

Reply 17