Personal Learning Plan:

Bachelors Degree UTC Rough Outline:

Fall 2016
1)
Spring 2017
1)
2)
3)
Fall 2017
1)
2)
3)
Spring 2018
1)
2)
3)
4)

Finish applications due before spring for REUs in the summer of 2017
Possibly do some research with Dr. Hamblen at Oakridge
Finish any other applications due in the spring for REUs in the summer of 2017
Finish IH lab
Possibly do some more research with Dr. Hamblen, or start if havent done any already
Finish applications due before spring for REUs and internships in the summer of 2018
Do well in upper level courses

Take UHON 3000 and get ready for thesis proposal next year
Possibly do even more research with Dr. Hamblen
Do well in upper level courses
Start writing practice letters for grad school (because you wont have any time for anything else other
than your departmental thesis and doing well in the upper level physics courses)
5) Find any standardized tests / exit exams required for grad school programs of interest
Fall 2018
1) Do well in upper level courses
2) Do well in departmental thesis (aka spend all free time on research)
3) Start sending applications for grad school (List at the bottom of possible grad schools)
Spring 2019
1) Do well in upper level courses
2) Do well in departmental thesis
3) Graduate: BS Physics with minor in Math
Advice:
- Keep an open mind because your interests could change
- Finish the minor in math, but for my goals: experimentalist, researcher, publisher, keep up with the higher-level
math in spare time: MIT open course ware, text books, etc.
- Read a lot of physics books I have a list copied to my Google+ account
- When involved in a certain class, or getting ready to take one, or just studying in spare time, analyze different
textbooks, not just one
- Watch the YouTube videos and take notes
- Your spare needs to become focused on what you are interested in: whenever possible, study and read.
- GET A RESEARCH EXPERIENCE: maybe start working with Hamblen at Oakridge in SP17 or FA17
- Apply to plenty of REUs this summer
Possible Grad Schools:
1) CIT: 1st in Quantum, 6th in Elementary Particles, 8th in Atomic, 2nd in Relativity, 6th in Nuclear
2) Stanford: 2nd in Quantum, 3rd in Elementary Particles, 4th in Atomic, 5th in Relativity
3) MIT: 3rd in Quantum, 5th in Elementary Particles, 2nd in Atomic, 7th in Relativity, 3rd in Nuclear
4) Harvard: 3rd in Quantum, 2nd in Elementary Particles, 3rd in Atomic, 4th in Relativity
5) Princeton: 5th in Quantum, 1st in Elementary Particles, 1st in Relativity
6) UC Berkley: 6th in Quantum, 4th in Elementary Particles, 5th in Atomic, 5th in Relativity, 6th in Nuclear
7) UC Boulder: 8th in Quantum, 1st in Atomic
8) Cornell: 10th in Quantum, 9th in Elementary Particles, 12th in Atomic, 14th in Relativity
9) U Chicago: 8th in Elementary Particles, 12th in Atomic, 3rd in Relativity
10) Yale: 13th in Elementary Particles, 6th in Nuclear
11) U Washington: 2nd in Nuclear