This academic year for the freshmen of the Physics Department became a week longer than that of others. It is the second time when freshmen have been able to review some elements of the school course on physics and mathematics before starting their studies, which was organized in the frameworks of a summer course. The course aimed at the school leavers who did not have special training in sciences at their schools.
On the first day of studies, the Chairperson of the Chair of General Physics at NSU, Professor Arthur Pogosov welcomed the freshmen and told them about specific approaches to solving physics problems. The introduction was followed by a general lecture. The next five days were devoted to seminars held for six groups of 15 students. Apart from physics students, the courses were attended by freshmen of Mechanics and Mathematics, Geology and Geophysics and Medicine Departments, who formed a separate group.
The course organizer, an instructor at the Chair of Theoretical Physics Daria Serebryakova says that the course is necessary due to the different levels of freshmen competences. 鈥淎fter introducing the Unified State Examinations and deleting entry exams at the departments, the problem of multi-level groups became critical. The summer classes help freshmen to adjust their knowledge levels on physics and mathematics. Above all, first-year students can adapt to the basics of university education, tune to the conditions of studying and brush the skills they will need as early as the first classes start.鈥�
The summer courses were conducted by the instructors and associate professors of the Physics Department, teachers of the Specialized Educational Scientific Center at NSU as well as postgraduates and Master students of the Physics Department. According to Daria Serebryakova, teachers of the Specialized Educational Scientific Center are highly experienced in overcoming gaps between school and university modes of studying. In addition, the teachers of graduate classes care about their former students becoming freshmen at the university.
The courses completed, Arthur Pogosov met some participants to interview them on their impressions. 鈥淚 liked the courses a lot. We reviewed the basics of school physics and learnt new methods of solving problems. I don鈥檛 quite agree that the courses were aimed mainly at ordinary secondary school leavers because even after finishing the specialized physics and mathematics class I had something to learn here. It was really interesting!鈥� says Ilya Khomchenko, a Physics Department freshman.
