h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

You're not at Loughborough by any chance and happen to know Becca and you physics tutor didn't point you in this direction. It just seems a little freaky since I've just said hi to someone else who does physics.

Here are some tips to find your way around. The Assistant Community Editors (ACES) the (official) meeters and greeters are to be found at
http://h2g2.com/A214796

Good places to meet people. Joanna's Donut Stall.
http://www.h2g2.com/forumframe.cgi?forum=26840&thread=39711
Check out the menu at
http://www.h2g2.com/A254378

The Forum and Firkin.
http://www.h2g2.com/A187508

Or the Aroma Cafe
http://www.h2g2.com/A202924

Also if you are into history check out one of the fastest growing libraries on the subjest around at the H2G2 Historical Society
http://h2h2.com/A240058

But whatever you do around here in this great big multiverse makle sure you share and enjoy.

DD

Sorry, I'm from Finland and Turku is the precise town at the moment... First page with some personal information I found was Joanna's, and I was quite surprised too
Thanks for the tips, I do need them, since I feel a bit lost here right at the moment. Finding the best places may take some time as this seems to be quite a large place.
I've hoped for the last fifteen years to find some people who like Douglas Adams and other good reading - don't worry, I'll enjoy!

Hey Natsa, thought I'd come by and say hi when I read you were a fellow physics student, now I find you've visited my page already
If you feel lost don't hesitate to ask... there are lots of us around only too willing to answer your questions.

Joanna
PS have a fish

Hello! I tried to left a message when I visited your page, but for some reason I couldn't do it. I tried to preview it first, and after that nothing worked anymore...
Thanks for the fish , I'll keep it on my page where everyone can see it and admire it
But it's coming 4 p.m. here and I got to run..

I wonder why it crashed? Thanks for trying, anyway, and I'm glad I found you.
See you soon!

This has been an interesting day: I have done almost nothing except been here wondering, what is this place. Is there some common page about subjects that are discussed, or is one supposed to go to café or your doughnut place or some other place like them?
You are studing physics? What kind is that in UK (I've understood it differs from country to country), I mean how you study, is it hard or easy...
Yes, I know, curiosity killed the cat See you!

Natsa

Every entry and homepage has a forum; if you see something that interests you, you can post a message in that forum, either as a new conversation or a continuation of an existing one.
Things like the café and donut stall are mainly for fun, but from time to time people discuss things there and put links to other interesting conversations.
If you are online a lot then people will often come to you, especially other physics students (like me!)
Someone you might like to visit is Serendipity, at http://www.h2g2.com/U107233. Read the conversation "mountains" on the page, too.
I find my physics difficult. Currently one of my courses is quantum mechanics, which I find very hard to get my head round. But other things are a bit easier, the experiments, for example. I have 13 hours of lectures, 3 hours of practicals and 3 tutorials per week. How about you?
Joanna

And if you want to check out what the busy people are saying all over the place like Joanna or myself, the list of forums on our homepages will expand into pages of 25 from the most recent back in time.

I visited at Serendipitys page and read the conversation "mountains". It was quite enjoyable, but I had to admit that since I'm not studing theoretical physics some theory was totally new to me. But interesting, as I said. Yes, thanks for the link. Seems to me, that Serendipitys idea about universe relates to Eastern ideologies quite a bit..
It was totally with luck I passed my quantum mechanics... I did usually understand the idea but not the mathematics - I don't like mathematics and do really hate integrals (becouse I've never bothered to learn them, to tell the you the thruth )
During this spring I'm doing couple of exams I've not participated yet. There are also some computer science courses I have to get too, plus one compulsory language course (Swedish) that don't like me at all. Or maybe it likes too much, 'cos it seems to be impossible to pass... I have all kinds of compulsory things to do, so that I can consentrate to my pro gradu work next winter. I'm cleaning my table... Right at the moment 9 h of cs + 4 h of demonstrations and 4 h of physics, but I have to do 10 experiments during this spring too, and the paperwork will take some thousand years, I know that for sure... + there's seminarwork to do, too...
Quite of a puzzle, my studies
But first two years are the difficult ones, then it's ok.. at least here it's so...

I don't know about here, the second years like to show you their work and tell horror stories. It seems strange to me that you have to take a compulsory course in Swedish... I get to choose one option in my first year, and from then onwards its *just* physics with the occasional maths course, which I hate... having said that, We just finished a maths topic, so I have an extra half hour online... who am I to complain?
I'm not over fond of integration myself..perhaps if I practiced more, but that seems a bit unlikely, somehow.
I think I have to do a bit of computer programming next year, but in the physics department, though.

Yes, I did the same. Also during the third year a little. Here in Finland there is two official language: Finnish and Swedish, and if you study at the university you have to pass official language exam to graduate. Our studies consists of 160 ov (= studing weeks or something like that, 1 ov is meant to be 40 h of work). There has to be 3 ov languages: one English, one Swedish and one what ever, 55 ov basic + 18 ov graduation work + 27 ov deepening studies of physics, 15 ov mathematics and compulsory 6 ov computer sciences. The rest one can choose quite freely, but usually they are physics, maths or computer science. I'll get cum laude of computer studies ( =35 ov) after this spring. The computer stuff physics department offers to us is much more difficult than one they teach at computer departement - you see, as we well be physicists, everything is easy for us (or our professors here think so, at least ).
Do you have a strict timetable or how there is an occasional maths course? We had all the compulsory ones right at the beginning - probably thats why 80 % quits their studing

My timetable is very strict. I had to choose 6 modules to take at the beginning of term... I had a compulsory double physics module, and I had to choose one from a pair of physics modules. I also had to do three other modules of which at least two had to be maths.
Next year I get no choice: I have to do two triple physics modules; I don't get a choice, since there are only 2 modules on offer!
Some universities are more flexible than this; Mine isn't, though.

I'm sorry, I always seem to forget, how different your educational system is compared to ours. Here in Finland a degree from university is equal, it doesn't matter, which university it is from. Studings can take 4 years or 10 years, depending how you can do them, but basicly your studing same things (some subjects do, of course, change that much you have to do them again). I think that's a good thing, 'cos all people can't consentrate equally to studies - for me with a 5-year-old child there have sometimes been some tough times...
(Somehow it seems to me this conversation is quite school -centered...)
What else you do except study or spend your time here? Read a lot - do you have time for that anymore, now that your studing

That must be hard with a 5 year old child.
Apart from studying I do like to read, at the moment I'm reading Surely you're Joking, Mr Feynman. Admittedly this is by a physicist, but its a good read. I've also reread the Hitchhiker's guide series.... because of this site.
I enjoy music lots... My choir sang in Durham Cathedral on Sunday, and that went really well They say that our college has the best choir in the University, so we're all proud of that. We're going to sing in Ripon Cathedral on Wednesday... I'm looking forward to that too, it will be nice to get out of Durham, even if its only for the afternoon!
I also play flute, but I've not practiced much lately... I've been spending too much time here!

Terve. Minakin olen opiskelija, ja talla hetkella asun & opinnoin Aberdeenissa, Skotlannissa. Ei niin etta tassa olisi mitaan sanottavaa juuri nyt, kunhan naputtelen - mita Suomeen kuuluu? Onko ilmestynyt mitaan hyvaa kirjallisuutta sitten...hmm...olin Suomessa viimeksi syksylla lyhyesti, en ehtinyt kirjakauppaan - syksyn 98? Kaverini Johanna lainasi minulle Eira Mollbergin Vakuuslapset - mita tahansa teetkin ala lue sita. Kuuluu suomalaiskansalliseen genreen Mitaan-ei-tapahdu-kaikki-perheenjaseneni-ovat-mielisairaita-ja-minuakin-ahistaa. (vrt. Maria Vaara ja Teuvo Saavalainen.) Itse pidan Jari Tervosta, Rosa liksomista jonkun verran ja sitten on se yksi jonka nimi ei koskaan muistu mieleeni.