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Preparing for PhD - breadth or depth?

Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 11:53 am
by bernface
I've been out of undergrad for several years now, and I'm planning on working full time during the summer just to prepare for the workload. I'm attending the University of Hawaii, and I'm fully funded.

Is it better to focus deeply on a specific topic (calculus, real analysis) or to review all topics as much as possible? What should I prioritize? My research area is pure math, and I will most likely be focusing on number theory, but this could change depending on what I am exposed to and what my professors are like.

Re: Preparing for PhD - breadth or depth?

Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 3:36 pm
by d0rk
Study for the classes you'll be taking when you start. Get the textbooks the prof will use. Start preparing for the first qualifying exams you'll take. Get all the previous year's exams and study those.