Advanced Science/Mathematics student research projects

[velox]

You can hide this advertisement by registering.

The real Frank is coming out now, rude and argumentative. Did you piss off all the lecturers at ANU?

Btw: Just curious, aren't there any programs at ANU suitable for you?

[who_loves_maths]

Originally Posted by velox

Grab a book and read it then.

Yes velox, that what people do when they wish to learn. That's what I and many other students have done for projects with minimal influence by our supervisors.

Isn't it such a hassle that in order to credit the work do we ourselves that we need to go through all the administrative bungle of listing them as projects or reading-courses and getting a supervisor who might do nothing but tell you what to read just to make in count on our transcripts?

The point is, most students don't do courses just for the namesake of "learning". We do it for the credit. But in order to do that, even for perfectly self-sustainable or self-sufficient projects, we are required by the university to get a supervisor in name.
Hence, sometimes you end up with a supervisor for a project that only requires him/her to tell you what to read.

Not all projects are time-consuming or tough on the 'supervisors'.


For all the theoretical courses you take, why not just grab the text and read it?
It's just the knowledge that counts right? Not whether or not you're formally enrolled in the course in name.
Too bad this isn't realistic.

[velox]

I really dont see what you are trying to achieve here. If you are so inclined to learn more then do some extra reading. It shouldnt matter whether it's 'credited' or not. I think you are being overly cynical and just moaning. Accept the situation and do something else with your spare time. Even academics have hobbies.

[withoutaface]

Originally Posted by who_loves_maths

Does anyone know if the TSP runs through the summer break?
ie. are you guys offered advanced courses or research projects over the summer session as well? (without being a vacation scholar)

You're talking about research. As in breaking new ground. As in there aren't books with the solutions yet. As in the chances of a lecturer picking an unsolved problem that a first year can do are almost zilch, and the chances that they wouldn't be able to do it themselves are even lower.

[Templar]

Originally Posted by velox

I really dont see what you are trying to achieve here. If you are so inclined to learn more then do some extra reading. It shouldnt matter whether it's 'credited' or not. I think you are being overly cynical and just moaning. Accept the situation and do something else with your spare time. Even academics have hobbies.

I have to agree with that. Are you in for the knowledge, or are you just in to get credit points?

Why would anyone credit a course that just requires reading a textbook on your own and just repeat them? Research projects are mainly for original work, and at first and second year levels, as waf said, you simply don't have enough knowledge to do any proper research.

In addition, projects are easier to obtain in experimental sciences as you can just do the pracs for your supervisor's research. Most maths academics have their own specialties and will not supervise outside their field. Academics are there to research too, instead of just teaching, and why should they supervise you to "read a book"? Why don't you just enrol in a summer school subject for that? It teaches you from a book and counts for credit. Leave the academic's time to supervise more worthy and proper research projects.