academic enthusiast

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[min-vs-physics]

Day in the Life of a Stupid Physicist*

*undergraduate physics student

It'll be a cold day in hell before I become a consistent blogger. Anyway, I used to be @studywith-minmin-shelved but wanted to start anew. I'm Min! I'm a rising fourth-year physics undergraduate student. I'm doing research over the summer and about to wade into the murky waters of grad apps soon, so I wanted to rant about it sometimes into a void.

I'll never beat the nerd allegations, and I'm always down to yap about physics. I love math as well (Min try not to declare a math major challenge) and my academic interests include particle physics, cosmology, and algebraic quantum theory. I don't want to be too specific about my research, but I'm in HEP-th. I want to do that in grad school as well, but I don't know how well that'll go.

Here's to science! And studying! And healthy work habits!

[studywith-minmin-shelved]

hey yall im moving thanks for sticking around

✌️😗

[aorish-deactivated20251222]

given how much python code ive been writing i think maybe i should take a step back and learn python

[triviallytrue]

everyone thinks this at some point but you really don't have to

[neutrinos-and-muons]

@delta-orionis BESTIE ARE YOU OKAY??

[catchymemes]

[studywith-minmin-shelved]

[5/6/24] wow im back so soon? yes, it is to complain about matrix groups again. I may have girlbossed too far w my paper here but its too late to change. NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHATTTT (give up on my dreams and lie down)

I am GOING to finish this proof whether it kills me (I could never be a mathematician)

[studywith-minmin-shelved]

[28/4/24] GET ME OFF THIS RIDE! I knew matrix groups was gonna be hard but why do I have so much to do for this class? the proofs start coming and they don’t stop coming!

on other news, Lie theory is one of the most eye-opening field of study I’ve been exposed to. (min, you say that about every second thing)

[studywith-minmin-shelved]

[3/21/24] hi it’s been a while! I’ve been so busy with work and studies and trying to be a person that I forgot abt this.

im kinda dreading an upcoming gauntlet but the snow looked rlly pretty a few days and reminded me that hey sometimes it’s not so bad.

got a lot of things going on tho! posts will be sparse.

[studywith-minmin-shelved]

Min vs SP24

I'm excited about my classes this semester, so why not talk about them here. (I'm procrastinating an email I have to reply to and a bunch of job stuff I need to set up)

Intermediate Quantum Mechanics

I didn’t do so hot on my first quantum class so I’m glad for the do over. I’m appreciating the heavy emphasis on mathematical formalism this time

Particle Physics

Ooooooh I’m most excited about this one. It’s supposed to be an undergraduate level introduction to the topic. I hope it will build some intuition around the QFT I’ve been studying on my own. 

Matrix Groups

I fell in LOVE with algebra last semester and I’m really curious about Lie algebras so I hope this class will FINALLY tell me more about Noether’s theorem. 

Circuits

I’m only taking this class because I have to. 

Data Analysis and Research Techniques in Astronomy

I forgot I was on the waitlist for this one lmao. I’ll check it out but I’ll probably drop it anyway to focus on research.

and then research + TAing as usual. Hopefully, I get to TA the Lagrangian mechanics class because it's my favourite physics class here so far.

Here's to building better study habits this semester!

[studywith-minmin-shelved]

[01/22/24] Day ???: Let's try this again.

So, I kinda fell off the whole blog thing midway through break. I trudged further along the QFT course but did not end up finishing it. I did finish the tensor calculus textbook though! Submitted most of my summer applications as well.

I've been busy moving back to college (Boy, the journey there is so convoluted!), but classes just started so I thought I might blog about that now.

(Yes, the trip back involves a 6hr flight AND a long ass car ride)

So, hi again! I'm Min, junior in physics. I'm really excited (and nervous) about the classes I'm taking this semester.

I'm gonna use #min vs college for my undergrad journey and #min vs SP24 for this semester in particular.

[levil0vesyou]

I didn't wanna derail the other post but I still wanna spread some love for my favourite subject...

Reblog if you've ever felt genuine joy or excitement from doing and/or thinking about math

[studywith-minmin-shelved]

[01/04/23] Day 17: Worry Less, Math More!

No QFT or Application stuff today but I had a lot of fun doing tensor calculus in the cafe today!

I have been thinking about a certain conversation I had with a TA recently, so I sat down to work through the algebra proof and finally figured out what he said actually meant. It was kind of embarrassing because I was trying to answer a different question and was talking myself in circles.

It’s kind of funny how I’m treating abstract algebra as a hobby now!

[studywith-minmin-shelved]

[01/03/24] Day 16: Why is it SO hard to stay motivated?

Maybe it's because I am attempting to do a semester's worth of work in a month of break for a class that I am barely prepared enough for. The future terrifies me and the year looks long. Good day.

I also posted some fanfic to take my mind off things. Only finished Module 3 of the QFT course so far though ://. It really is a shame being stupid.

[studywith-minmin-shelved]

[01/02/24] Day 15: Sometimes I am a Little Bitch

I spent the majority of my day psyching myself up to send One Email. I did send it. but at what cost. I also spent a fair bit of time working on (despairing over) my applications for summer programs. I don't know something about work like this just makes me SO depressed. I really can't take it.

The New Year always makes me whiny and petulant and unable to work. Oh well, the show goes on. Please don't mind that these posts are backdated. I am Trying My Best.

[studywith-minmin-shelved]

[12/31/23, 01/01/24] Days 13,14: Celebration!

Happy New Year everyone! post cancelled because I went out with family both days lol

[studywith-minmin-shelved]

[12/30/23] Day 12: Fuck it we ball

Spent the day drawing yaoi and watching Danny Gonzalez instead of studying QFT. Kinda felt shitty about it after the day ended but damn was it fun to do that.

Maybe it’s because I had another conversation of the futility of physics academia (or so we feel). It just got a little too much and I felt the “Why even try?” impulse.

[studywith-minmin-shelved]

[12/29/23] Day 11: I should spend less money on coffee

So this post is a little late bc I forgot. But p standard day in terms of workload. Some QFT, some tensor calculus, a lot of Genshin, and coffee.

I still didn’t write those emails though. I should do that bc I will be out for the new year.

[studywith-minmin-shelved]

[12/28/23] Day 10: Maybe I need a break from QFT

I dragged myself through another lecture of QFT but I got lost in the sauce somewhere in the second half so I definitely need to find the corresponding section in Schwartz and get my facts straight. QFT has been eating my brain lately so I think I want to focus on other things for tomorrow though (if only to give me a sense of accomplishment and prove that I can solve problems and not just create them)

I also need to draft a bunch of emails that I will send right as the new year dawns. Some of them are for reaching out to faculty but others are just housekeeping stuff that I haven't gotten around to. Man, emails are the worst chore in the world. I hate them so much, but a girls gotta network to make it in the physics world. Which sucks. So much.

Anyway, I got a little whiteboard for my room because I was feeling material girl. Maybe it will make my physics abilities better.

[studywith-minmin-shelved]

[12/27/23] Day 9: The Horrors….

post cancelled due to cramps. read some lecture notes. spent too much time on my phone. fighting for my life.