Physics GRE Discussion Forums

I've had one semester of Griffith's emag and supposedly a person should have two semesters before taking Jackson. But due to quite a number of circumstances that are beyond the scope of this post, I'm going to need to choose between repeating the Griffith's emag this Fall (even though I took it and made an 'A' in it already) or I'm going to need to take the Jackson course. I'd rather do the latter if it's doable. What's the general consensus of everyone on this matter?

DT_tokamak wrote:I've had one semester of Griffith's emag and supposedly a person should have two semesters before taking Jackson. But due to quite a number of circumstances that are beyond the scope of this post, I'm going to need to choose between repeating the Griffith's emag this Fall (even though I took it and made an 'A' in it already) or I'm going to need to take the Jackson course. I'd rather do the latter if it's doable. What's the general consensus of everyone on this matter?

And the course you repeat will still be just the one semester and just the first half of griffiths? If so, taking it again or not will have absolutely no bearing on your preparedness for jackson because you still won't have had the entire griffiths book. If this is the case, just learn the second half of griffiths yourself this summer and get on with your education with jackson in the fall. Repeating courses that you got an A in already is a waste of time.

I've heard that jackson is a very large step up from griffiths so even if you are a very strong student, going straight to jackson with only half of griffiths would probably be a struggle.

Yeah, if I went the Griffiths route I'd basically I'd be taking the same course again, but I'd also be able to take the 2nd half in the Spring...then Jackson next Fall. Thus far, I've been going with your idea of studying the 2nd half of Griffiths this summer...just working through problems.

As far as being a strong student, I don't really know as I haven't had a lot of physics. I did my undergrad in math and got an MA in math as well, but I've only had a few physics courses.

grae313 wrote: I've heard that jackson is a very large step up from griffiths so even if you are a very strong student, going straight to jackson with only half of griffiths would probably be a struggle.

When I was in my last year of undergrad I decided to be a keener and take Jackson with the grad students. Nothing can prepare you for Jackson. It is WAY beyond Griffiths. That said, it could have also been because my prof was a hardass, but still... I found the book to be very challenging. Don't get me wrong, it is a very useful book but it did give me a headache.

As ppl have said, try to do the rest of Griffiths and then approach Jackson. The first half of Griffiths is pretty useless preparation for Jackson

How dare you speaketh that way about Jackson! He is Garden's prophet and has been sent to prepare us in understanding Garden's often cryptic and non-grammatically correct messages! You must do penance!

DT_tokamak wrote:Yeah, if I went the Griffiths route I'd basically I'd be taking the same course again, but I'd also be able to take the 2nd half in the Spring...then Jackson next Fall. Thus far, I've been going with your idea of studying the 2nd half of Griffiths this summer...just working through problems.

I see. Well then it is pretty much a matter of how confident you are learning material on your own. If you are comfortable doing that, I say learn it on your own because it will save a lot of time. It takes a lot of self motivation to spend your summer like that though... I meant to study for the physics GRE all of last summer but I ended up just playing video games and surfing the net (and doing research, of course!). If you decide to do it, make sure you actually do it.

grae313 wrote:
I see. Well then it is pretty much a matter of how confident you are learning material on your own. If you are comfortable doing that, I say learn it on your own because it will save a lot of time. It takes a lot of self motivation to spend your summer like that though... I meant to study for the physics GRE all of last summer but I ended up just playing video games and surfing the net (and doing research, of course!). If you decide to do it, make sure you actually do it.

I'm sitting in my office right now with Griffiths right next to me... all I have to do is open up the book and start working... yup... just moments away. It may happen any minute now...

Luckily for me, I have no money this Summer so there's nothing else to do even I wanted to.

I never took the Physics GRE, thank goodness... I'm probably the only grad student here that's never taken a quantum course =) But I'll be taking one in the Fall.

jdhooghe wrote:How dare you speaketh that way about Jackson! He is Garden's prophet and has been sent to prepare us in understanding Garden's often cryptic and non-grammatically correct messages! You must do penance!

Oh Holy one....! I sorry for want be crappy dude! Grant acceptance for *** admission committed see forgiveness! Crappy-->Awesome.

I hope that was good enough

jdhooghe wrote:How dare you speaketh that way about Jackson! He is Garden's prophet and has been sent to prepare us in understanding Garden's often cryptic and non-grammatically correct messages! You must do penance!

Woah, double take. Did you just call garden's words of wisdom "non-grammatically correct?"!! garden is garden, and garden does not make mistakes, we just don't have the wisdom to understand everything garden does and says yet. It is our grammar that is flawed.

grae313 wrote:

jdhooghe wrote:How dare you speaketh that way about Jackson! He is Garden's prophet and has been sent to prepare us in understanding Garden's often cryptic and non-grammatically correct messages! You must do penance!

Woah, double take. Did you just call garden's words of wisdom "non-grammatically correct?"!! garden is garden, and garden does not make mistakes, we just don't have the wisdom to understand everything garden does and says yet. It is our grammar that is flawed.

Forgive me, I am still trying to understand His grammar and put it to use. In my ignorance I made it sound as if He was wrong. Forgive me Holy One!

DT_tokamak wrote:I've had one semester of Griffith's emag and supposedly a person should have two semesters before taking Jackson.

It's not "emag" it's "E & M" or "electrodynamics." Only engineers call it "emag," or at least that's what my E & M professor told me. "emag" was a forbidden word in my E & M class.