Physics top ten

what type of overwork mate?
assignments, reports and that stuff?

oh i see... well so i had already got that idea but it seems the univ is not as great as they try to convince us.
For some reason, I've loved everything I've seen related to Leeds city, it seems to be a coooooool place, which is definitely included on the criteria i'm taking in consideration to choose the final uni. Some comments on its physics department would be highly appreciated.

What about Warwick? as a teaching institution it seems to be brill although im a bit relutant about the campus life, if it does get boring or claustrophobic.

Thanks for your comments mate

thanks for replying EBD

well yes i think that's a conclusion one sooner or later will draw. quite frankly there are some rather inconsistent facts when analysing the rankings. One of those is leeds, which i'd still appreciate to have further comments on. How can its department be ranked #3 and #5 (physics) and fail to be one of the most popular and regarded as being on the top?
I'm kinda confused as i'd actually like to go there study, any info would be hugely appreciated.

so what unis are/have you applied to, EBD?

Look around, I fell in love with Warwick on an open day, you might be suprised. As for HMKs comments, take them with a pinch of salt; they're just an opinion, remember that.

Natural Sciences at Durham is my firm and UCL my insurance. I'm really interested by HMK's views because I don't think theres smoke without fire but I think it might be more to do with the subject than the department. My sister is doing Nat Sci at Cambridge and was convinced she wanted to do physical but shes really gone off the subject as she says "The lectures are easy but transferring it to the questions is hard". I think its more that the subject is intrinsicly difficult, she is really good at physics, puts a lot of work in and is heading for a 2:1 but in her other subjects like geology shes pushing for a first. In short I've been lead to believe that out of all subjects there is the greatest difference between A level and degree standard in physics, this could be way a lot of people become dissilusioned with the subject as its simply not what they expect.

True applying it to the questions is often the difficult thing, but even more difficult when they neglect to explain the theory and methods properly in the first place. As a Nat Sci myself, I get the luxury of comparing with other departments and I can tell you there is a gulf of difference between Maths and Physics and how they teach it. I personally would not object to the material covered in Physics if they department bothered to teach it properly.

For my first year choices im looking at doing either:

2 Maths, 2 Physics and 2 philosophy

or

2 Biology, 2 Maths, 2 Physics

Probably the first option but both allow me to get out of any subjects I dont like (Unless I dislike all 3 :s)

I might have got my combinations wrong but the 2 maths I was looking at doing were Core A and B1, should I take B2 in addition to those? The only reason I chose 2 Phil options was because I enjoy it and I couldnt really see any other modules I should be doing in physics. Have I missed a necessary maths module or would A, B1 and B2 be a good route?

Also the Physics modules in Maths sound very interesting but I dont think any of the first year options are.

Ahhhh I swear I checked that they werent double modules but was obviously having a dopey day; Core A, FoP1, Knowledge and reality and either B1 or the physics skills will be my probable route. Thanks a lot, I talked with Dave Robson on the open day but to be honest I was a bit pissed off as I didnt realise when I said no to chemistry back in October how rediculously limited my Msci joint honours options would be. I wish it was made a bit clearer that by declining chemistry it meant I only had 1 possible MSci joint honours route. It really defeats the whole point of a Nat Sci degree (variety) if all I can do is physics and maths (and to top it all off, no biology and physics option? Thanks Durham ). Anyway I'm now thinking of just doing the 3 years at Durham and moving off and doing a masters elsewhere, would a join honours Bsci be enough to do pure Physics at another top uni or would I have to look to switching entirely to physics or maths?

Don't get too hung up about degree classifications would be my advice. Unless you have loads of money doing a masters elsewhere can be a bad idea, much better to have an integrated masters as part of a natural sciences degree. As for taking the masters itself (assuming you go for the separate option), you would have to look at a few postgraduate prospectuses. Masters which are standalone are often surprisingly flexible about entry requirements.

I also find the uni extremely tradicional

I know its early days and ill probably change my mind completely within a year but I have this urge to do a phd or something in America, again I know its silly but I get worried about the whole reputation thing and durham being relativly unknown abroad etc.

As an Oxford physics graduate, I did have a look at the quality of courses, exams and research at other universities, and so I do have a bit of insight into this one.

My rankings would be:

1. Cambridge
2= Oxford
2= Imperial
4. Durham
5. Warwick
6. Bristol
7. Manchester
8. St Andrews
9. Birmingham
10. Edinburgh

Other good ones would be Leeds, Nottingham, UCL, Southampton and Bath.

Birmingham! Although I'm biased...