Student Resources

Below are documents and information that are designed to provide answers to frequently asked questions and help students learn more about resources available on campus.

Information about academic advising, including advising in the Department of Physics, enrolling in a new major/minor, the honors program, research distinction, and frequently asked questions can be found on the Academic Advising Guide.

Students who will benefit from personal counseling are encouraged to schedule an appointment with OSU Counseling Services or take advantage of other resources offered by the office.  Some particularly helpful resources include:

If you need a refresher on how to use Schedule Planner to schedule classes, please read the How to Schedule Classes Guide.

Check out the Scheduling Difficulties and Questions Guide if you have questions about class scheduling or run in to any problems.  This guide explains scheduling errors you might see, how to deal with full and waitlisted courses, registration locks, enrollment appointments, transfer credit, and more.

Students who encounter closed classes should waitlist a course.  Directions for waitlisting a course and answers to frequently asked questions can be found on the Waitlisting Courses Guide.

Students can request Grade Forgiveness electronically through the Registrar's Grade Forgiveness Request page.  Information about Grade Forgiveness and answers frequently asked questions can be found on the Grade Forgiveness Guide.

 

Want to improve your grades?  If so, check out the below resources and tips for assistance.

The Dennis Learning Center:

  • Workshops to help students with note-taking, procrastination, writing papers, test taking, creating study groups, effective studying and more.
  • Learning Center Courses, like ESEPSY 1259 - Learning & Motivation Stategies for Success in College, are excellent courses for students at any level.
  • Academic Coaching is a one-on-one session with a specialist who can talk to you about your difficulties and help you achieve your academic goals.

Free tutoring is available in the Department of Mathematics, Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, the Residency Halls, the Younkin Succes Center, and the OSU Writing Center.

Students interested in participating in undergraduate physics research, please visit our undergraduate research page or read the Undergraduate Research Guide.  Additionally, students are encouraged to take advantage of the resources offered by the OSU Undergraduate Research Office, including advice for presenting your research, writing a poster, and finding funding.

Students interested in internships are encouraged to register with Career Services.

Students interested in physics graduate school are encouraged to read the Physics Graduate School Guide.

Students planning to pursue a Ph.D. or Master's degree in Physics will be required to complete the Physics GRE during the early part of their senior year. Additional information about the Physics GRE can be found on the Physics GRE Prep webpage.

Students interested in graduate school in other fields, including teaching, engineering, business, astronomy, and math, are encouraged to speak to an academic advisor.

Information about career opportunites, advice for job-hunting, and dates of OSU career fairs can be found on the Careers in Physics webpage.

Physics and Engineering Physics majors are encouraged to participate in the following events hosted by the Department of Physics.

Please note that these events are not currently taking place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Physics will resume hosting social events when it is safe to do so.

  • Physics TEA (Talking, Eating, and Action) takes place on Thursdays throughout autumn and spring semesters from 3-4pm in the Physics Research Building.  This is a social hour for students to play games, eat cookies, and meet new people.
  • Physics Colloquia is an opportunity to hear about research being done by scientists from industry and other universities. The physics colloquium takes place 3:30-4:30pm on Tuesdays in room 1080 Physics Research Building throughout autumn and spring semesters. Each week focuses on a new speaker and research topic. Refreshments are served prior to the talk at 3:15pm.
  • Smith Lecture takes place once a year and is a public talk hosted by the Department of Physics. Lecturers are well-know scientists and are often Nobel Laureates.
  • Physics Winter Party takes place during the beginning of spring semester and is open to students, faculty, and staff in the Department of Physics. The Winter Party features free food, live music, and fun decorations. Check your email in January for information about the Winter Party.
  • Physics Spring Picnic is held at the end of spring semester as a way to celebrate the end of the academic year.  The picnic is open to everyone in the Department of Physics. Check your email in April for more information.

A Physics Calendar is available to help undergraduate Physics and Engineering Physics majors keep track of physics events, registration deadlines, career fairs, workshops, and other relevant events on campus.  Photos from physics events can be found on the OSU Physics Flickr page.

The Physics Undergraduate Studies Office sends monthly newsletters that contain information that is relevant to physics and engineering physics majors, including upcoming events, add/drop deadlines, important Physics news, and course advertisements. Copies of recent newsletters are below.

August 2021 Newsletter
September 2021 Newsletter
October 2021 Newsletter
December 2021 Newsletter
January 2022 Newsletter
February 2022 Newsletter
March 2022 Newsletter
April 2022 Newsletter

Students who are interested in taking classes over the summer can find information and answers to frequently asked questions in the Summer Term Information document. Enrollment deadlines can be found in the Summer 2022 Enrollment Deadlines chart.