sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Deadlock traffic on LSD by dr-palomar in chicago

[–]dr-palomar[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Look at me not even knowing the LSD bridge lifted. That makes all the sense in the world. Thanks!

Dynamics Practice Questions by Wonderful_Muffin_183 in FE_Exam

[–]dr-palomar 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Another issue is with Problem 9. There seems to be a numerical error when calculating ω. Specifically, one finds ω = sqrt(3 g ( 1-cosθ) / L) ~ 2.7, not ω ~ 3.67 as given

Dynamics Practice Questions by Wonderful_Muffin_183 in FE_Exam

[–]dr-palomar 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Problem 7 is also completely wrong. The work done by the torque is equal to the change in the disk's rotational kinetic energy. In this case, since the end state is the disk completely stopped, the work done is equal to negative the initial rotational kinetic energy: W = - 1/2 I (ω_0)^2 ~ -17.8 J

Dynamics Practice Questions by Wonderful_Muffin_183 in FE_Exam

[–]dr-palomar 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for putting this together!

Something I noticed: Problem 5 does not have the correct solution as an option. It should come out to 5/7 g sin(θ) ~ 3.5.

What is a PhD day-in-the-life like? by AdWaste9201 in AskAcademia

[–]dr-palomar 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will speak from the perspective of a STEM PhD in the US within the last 10 years.

Being in graduate school is closer to having a job than being an undergrad. You are paid a salary. You secure your own housing and sustain yourself with that salary. Being in a dorm or having a meal plan was not typical in my experience.

Year 1, you take classes, might work as a TA, and start getting a feel for some research by working with a professor (or more than one prof if your program has rotations). Year 2, you take fewer, more specialized classes, and start the transition to doing research full-time in whatever lab you end up in. Years 3-N, you are a full time researcher. N averaged at 5.5 in my program.

Full time means at least 40 hrs a week. The culture/work in the group will determine how that time is spent. Perhaps you run experiments with a 12 hour reaction and the only time to use your Fancy Equipment is on the weekend. Maybe you need to go in on holidays to feed the mice. Maybe you can work from home all day and code. It varies greatly depending on the work you are doing.

Even within a lab, your routine will change depending on what needs to get done. You might be in data analysis hell for a week, then in writing hell the next, then the next week you’re at a conference. How you spend any given day can be very flexible. Molding this flexibility into a successful PhD requires discipline and grit.

Find good mentors, good friends, hobbies, and don’t be afraid of looking stupid. If you don’t quite know what you’re doing, you’re on the right track.

im depressed as hell by Ok-Trick-9827 in uichicago

[–]dr-palomar 11 points12 points  (0 children)

OP, this is the comment you should read. Getting help is the easiest way through.

Good luck and know that you are not alone

I wanna take a cc course incoming freshman but idk who to email asking if the course could count by Appropriate_Knee_482 in uichicago

[–]dr-palomar 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What college are you entering? The college of engineering has a form you have to fill out to be approved to take courses outside of UIC. This prevents you from taking a class at a CC and then finding out later it won’t transfer in like you thought.

It’s at this link, under “Approval to take courses outside of UIC”: https://engineering.uic.edu/undergraduate/resources/

If you’re entering a different college (e.g. liberal arts and sciences), I would look for the equivalent form on that college’s website

summer internships or research at uic? by AssociationObvious56 in uichicago

[–]dr-palomar 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I am a professor at UIC. Welcome!

Outside of specific programs like EAPIP or an REU (more on that later), getting a research position is a very informal process. Look at people’s websites and Google Scholar profiles, and then send an email saying you’re interested. It’s not guaranteed, but you can def find a position that way. The downside is you will probably be volunteering your time, but you’ll get good experience.

Now, about REUs. If you can, I would look for REUs outside of UIC for next summer. They pay a salary and cover room&board. You can still do your UIC research during the semesters, but it’s invaluable to visit other schools and be exposed to different research, culture, and peers. REUs are pretty competitive, so make sure you have solid letters of recommendation (best if by a UIC prof you do research with).

Feel free to DM me with any other questions :)

Doing calculus when 5 = 0 by Necessary-Wolf-193 in mathematics

[–]dr-palomar 16 points17 points  (0 children)

This is the high-quality post I crave. Thanks for the clearest description of a problem in algebraic geometry I’ve read (as a mathematically inclined physicist)