Summertime, and the living's easy (or at least easier)

Well, I have survived exams. Sorry about the long break since the last post, but I was a bit (or rather a lot) distracted by trying to finish up everything to end the year. I actually didn't quite manage; I have a few assignments I still need to do, as well as a 3 credit project, so I've got some work to do over the summer. Luckily, as I've said before, the Swedish are very relaxed about deadlines, so I just need to finish this stuff up "before September" because my teacher/supervisor is leaving Uppsala that month.

The project I'm doing is actually part of the initial Introduction to the Physics Master Programme course that every master student does in the first semester. I'm using it to build up a bit of a foundational knowledge base that should help me for my thesis. I'm not totally sure where I'm going to do my thesis yet (it's very easy to go abroad for a thesis from UU, you just need to sort out the details yourself), but I'm hoping to get a project relating to the AdS/CFT correspondence. So far I only have experience on one side of the duality which is also what my little project will be about (large-N gauge theories), but I'll get some exposure to the string theory side next semester from the string theory courses, which I'm planning on taking.

A nice summer shot of Ångström.

As for non-academic summer plans, I just got back from Kiruna, which is the northernmost city in Sweden. It was very cool to see the midnight sun, and I'm planning on going back there (or maybe to Tromsø or Narvik) to see some northern lights in the winter. There are a lot of package tours that are popular with students in the winter time! Now I'm basically spending the rest of the summer in the Netherlands with my family and girlfriend.

Since I won't be in Uppsala, I won't have much to add to the blog. I think it will be someone else taking over next year, so that will make this my last post! If you're reading this as a student who is in the process of moving to Uppsala and need help, I'll point you again to the helpful links page that I've compiled through the year. The sidebar also has a link to the Facebook group if you need to crowd-source some answers or if you're just looking for a way to meet current students. Good luck, and see you in the autumn!