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prelim [2018/04/05 23:11] – [Past Prelims] deepthi | prelim [2019/07/15 20:01] – [Past Prelims] deepthi | ||
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- | ===== Prelim Rules ===== | ||
- | The Prelim is an oral examination conducted by three members of the Department | ||
- | appropriate for the fields in which the student will be examined. The Exam | ||
- | may be taken at any time the student chooses, subject to the regulations | ||
- | listed below. In setting the time of the Exam the student should consult | ||
- | the Department Chair at least one month in advance of the proposed date | ||
- | concerning the topics and the Prelim Committee. | ||
- | The examination will be at the general level of the graduate core courses. | ||
- | Normally, the topics consist of three fields chosen from among the list | ||
- | of courses in the [[academic_rules: | ||
- | choose to be examined in another topic at a comparable level of difficulty. | ||
- | Typically, the topics of a special topics class (AY 250) may be used as | ||
- | a preliminary exam topic. In the past, other topics have included: | ||
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- | * Stellar Atmospheres | ||
- | * Stellar Structure & Evolution | ||
- | * Stellar Dynamics & Galactic Structure | ||
- | * The Sun | ||
- | The prelim is subject to the following rules: | ||
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- | - The prelim can be taken at any time before the end of the student' | ||
- | - Any faculty member can be asked by a graduate student to administer the prelim exam. Unless that faculty member is on sabbatical or on ASMD (active service modified duties; typically parental leave), they are generally expected to serve. The composition of the prelim committee should be decided in discussions between the student and the relevant faculty, with oversight and advance approval by the head graduate advisor. | ||
- | - A prelim committee member need not have taught the class in the subject the student wishes to be examined in. Furthermore, | ||
- | - Every graduate student who wants to take the prelim is required to fill out a form listing topics and examiners, to be approved by the head graduate advisor. The idea here is that the head graduate advisor can assess whether the proposed prelim is sensible, and consult the faculty as necessary if questions arise (e.g., whether certain Astro 250 Special Topics are permissible to use as prelim topics; whether certain combinations of topics are permissible; | ||
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- | - In order to remain in the Department a student must pass the Prelim within six months after the end of the second academic year. | ||
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- | - Embargo policy: Questions asked in any given prelim are embargoed (they cannot be shared with other students) for three months following the exam. The purpose of this rule is to lessen the pressure on faculty to devise new questions in a short period of time. | ||
- | - The student must pass all three areas in order to pass the Examination. A pass is equivalent to the level of performance meriting a " | ||
- | - The student selects one member of the committee to serve as the Chair of the Committee. This Chairperson is responsible for timing the examination and any necessary paperwork following the examination. The student selects the order in which the topics are examined. | ||
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- | The Student Affairs Officer maintains a comprehensive list of all topics and questions asked during the preliminary examination. Typically, each topic is alotted 40 minutes of questions for a total of two hours. | ||
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- | Upon completion of the prelim, you can earn a master' | ||
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- | ===== Past Prelims ===== | ||
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- | ===== Advice ===== | ||
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- | [[prelim_lore: | ||
- | ===== Prelim Lore ===== | ||
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- | The prelim is an oral exam generally taken at some point during the second year (can be taken as late as December of your 3rd year). | ||
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- | ===== Preparing for the Prelim ===== | ||
- | ==== Choosing Topics ==== | ||
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- | The prelim consists of three subjects; these almost always correspond to astronomy graduate courses. Most courses can be used as prelim topics, but there are several exceptions that you should know about. In case of doubt, talk to the Head Graduate Adviser (who, if also in doubt, consults the faculty as a whole). You are, in any case, required to complete a [[http:// | ||
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- | Restrictions include: | ||
- | * You can't take a prelim in both Radiative Processes (201) and Fluid Dynamics (202), on the grounds that not enough astronomical phenomenology is covered. | ||
- | * You can't take a prelim in Numerical Techniques (204) (ditto above) | ||
- | * Prelims in Computational Methods (255) and Plasma Astrophysics (267) are discouraged (ditto) | ||
- | * You can't take a prelim in both ISM (216) and Star Formation (Steve Stahler' | ||
- | * Most seminars (250 classes) can't be used for prelims | ||
- | * Physics courses generally can't be used for prelims, with possible exceptions | ||
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- | Prelim topics do not need to be topics that you plan to concentrate on in your thesis. | ||
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- | ==== Choosing a Committee ==== | ||
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- | Each professor on the committee is responsible for a single topic. | ||
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- | When choosing a committee, you also have to ask one of the members to be chair. | ||
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- | * To take care of general administration (this includes picking up your case folder from Dexter' | ||
- | * To make sure that questions are well-posed and fair | ||
- | * To enforce time limits (40 minutes per topic) | ||
- | * To establish consensus among committee members about the outcome of the exam | ||
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- | While the chair does have the above duties, in practice he or she acts just like the other committee members and has no additional authority. | ||
- | ==== Organizing the Exam Day ==== | ||
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- | You are responsible for coordinating all the logistics of your exam, which includes asking people to serve on your committee, finding a date and time that works for everyone, and reserving a room. Because professors schedules tend to be rather full, it's worthwhile to begin asking people to serve on your committee 2-3 months in advance and to set up a date as soon as you've chosen your committee. | ||
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- | Once you've arranged for a date and time, you need to book a room for the exam. This can be done with Mark. Most prelims occur in Room 419, Room 501B, or Room 219. You should book the room for at least an extra half hour after your exam, to give the committee time to talk with you afterwards and to give you time to clean up. | ||
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- | You also need to let Dexter know your prelim date, so that she can prepare the appropriate paperwork. | ||
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- | The only paperwork you need to complete before the exam is the prelim application form which can be found [[http:// | ||
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- | ==== Study Materials ==== | ||
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- | Most people study from some combination of the following: class notes, flash cards, and previous prelim questions. | ||
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- | ==== Practicing ==== | ||
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- | Your fellow grad students are happy to help you prepare for the prelim! | ||
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- | The practice prelim can be organized only a week or two in advance, but make sure to leave enough time for your fake committee members to make a good list of questions. | ||
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- | Your fake committee may include students whose prelim questions are still under the three-month embargo, provided that they don't ask any embargoed questions during your practice prelim. | ||
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- | Don't forget to book a room. And to bring food for your fake committee. | ||
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- | ==== The Day Before ==== | ||
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- | The day prior to your exam there are two things you should do: remind your committee and buy food. Your committee members will likely not remember the exact date, time, and location of your prelim, so you can avoid a little confusion by sending them a subtle reminder email. | ||
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- | ===== During the Exam ===== | ||
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- | ==== The Exam Process ==== | ||
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- | You should arrive for your prelim a few minutes early, to test that all the white-board markers work and to set out the food. With a little luck, your committee will all arrive on time, and the chair will bring your file. Your file contains your transcript and any other official documents relevant to your progress as a grad student thus far. The committee will then send you out of the room for a few minutes to look over your file and discuss you. They' | ||
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- | You get to choose the order of your prelim topics. | ||
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- | Each professor has 40 minutes to examine you on their subject. | ||
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- | At the end of the prelim, the committee will again send you out of the room while they decide whether or not you pass. If you let your fellow grads know the time of your prelim, they will show up to cheer you on while you wait. The committee sometimes discusses for only a few minutes, sometimes for much longer. | ||
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- | The committee will then call you back in, to tell you whether you passed and their general thoughts on your performance in the exam and as a grad student in general. | ||
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- | ==== A Little Prelim Wisdom ==== | ||
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- | Everyone has their own prelim wisdom, and it's helpful to ask around to get those gems of knowledge. | ||
- | * Talk first, write later. | ||
- | * However, you shouldn' | ||
- | * A sneaky way to buy some time while thinking about a question is to wait to erase the board until //after// a question is asked (as opposed to erasing it between questions). | ||
- | * Avoid the statement "I don't know" | ||
- | * Don't confuse the above advice with a license to BS. If you have no idea what you're talking about you should not talk for the sake of talking or avoiding saying "I don't know" | ||
- | * Make sure you understand the question. | ||
- | * Upon answering a question correctly **do not** proceed to volunteer additional information to make yourself look smart. | ||
- | * Bring a water bottle. | ||
- | ===== Testimonials ===== | ||
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- | [[prelim_lore: | ||
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- | ===== Post-Prelim ===== | ||
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- | Once you passed your prelim, there are just a few things that you need to do. The first is compile the questions you were asked. | ||
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- | Dexter will also send you a form that should be filed with the university (via Dexter); this form lets the university know when you expect to earn your masters degree. | ||
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- | Now take a vacation; you deserve it! |