Welcome Page

GT 1000: First-Year Seminar, Physics

Fall 2026 | Section D03 | CRN #94631 | 1 credit hour

Fridays, 12:30–1:20 PM · Swann 325 · Weekly in-person attendance required

1 Welcome

Welcome to GT 1000: First-Year Seminar, Physics. This course is designed to help you make a successful transition to college by becoming better acquainted with the academic and social environments here at Georgia Tech.

Through the semester you will build strategies that promote academic, social, and professional success, learn how to navigate the resources available to you at Tech, and explore what it means to be a physicist at the undergraduate, graduate, and career levels. This is a highly interactive course that requires active student participation and working collaboratively in small groups.

Note

Review the full syllabus as this home page is a truncated version (with the exception of the Course Schedule, which will remain updated here if anything changes during the semester).

xkcd comic #793, "Physicists": a physicist interrupts another field's researcher to offer a simple model of their problem.

2 Course Description

This seminar course is designed to help you make a successful transition to college by becoming better acquainted with the academic and social environments here at Georgia Tech. Through the course, you will acquire strategies that promote academic, social, and professional success. This is a highly interactive course that requires active student participation and working collaboratively in small groups.

There are no prerequisites. This section is intended for first-year students in Physics, Astrophysics, and Applied Physics.

2.1 Learning Outcomes

  • Develop self-awareness and self-knowledge, particularly as it relates to academic interests and professional goals.
  • Describe your path to graduation and identify opportunities for academic and professional enrichment with the assistance of a faculty member or advisor.
  • Demonstrate the ability to lead and productively participate in collaborative projects.
  • Be aware of what it means to be a physicist and explore opportunities for physicists at the undergraduate, graduate, and career levels.

3 Instructor Information

Instructor Andrew J. Steinmetz
Email ajsteinmetz@gatech.edu
Office Howey W204
Office Hours By appointment

3.1 Team Leader

Team Leader Elouan Crews
Email ecrews8@gatech.edu

4 Course Schedule

The course meets every Friday of the semester except holidays, from August 28 through December 4. The schedule below may be adjusted as needed throughout the semester. Physics@Tech talk dates are tentative.

Date Tentative Topic / Focus Major Due Dates
Aug. 28 Course introduction; resumes -
Sept. 4 Resume review and revision workshop Campus Scavenger Hunt due
Sept. 11 Time management and study strategies Resume due
Sept. 14-15 Fall 2026 All Majors Career Fair -
Sept. 18 Degree plan; study abroad -
Sept. 25 Montgomery Machining Mall tour Degree Map due
Oct. 2 Team project kickoff -
Oct. 9 LaTeX/Overleaf Team Project Contract due
Oct. 16 Physics@Tech talk 1 (tentative); online presence Homework in LaTeX due
Oct. 23 Physics@Tech talk 2 (tentative); advising Online Profile due · Team Leader check-in due
Oct. 30 Physics@Tech talk 3 (tentative); science ethics Advising Meeting & Spring 2027 Plan due
Nov. 6 Student presentations I Team 1-2 Project Slides due
Nov. 13 Student presentations II Team 3-4 Project Slides due
Nov. 20 Undergraduate research -
Dec. 4 Course wrap-up and reflection Research Talk Reflection due (open assignment; submit any time before)

5 Assignments and Grading

There are no exams in this course. Your grade is based on participation and attendance together with the Team Project and two graded categories, Academic Planning and Career Readiness, each holding several smaller deliverables. All four components are weighted equally. Written assignments should be submitted on Canvas in PDF format by 11:59 PM ET unless otherwise specified.

Course Component Points Weight
Participation, short assignments, and attendance 250 25%
Team Project 250 25%
Academic Planning 250 25%
Career Readiness 250 25%
Total 1000 100%

5.1 Assignment Descriptions

  • Participation, short assignments, and attendance: Come to every class prepared to engage, and complete the short in-class and take-home activities that go with each session. Excessive lateness and absences (three or more per semester) can negatively impact your final grade.
  • Team Project: Work with a small team to plan, build, and deliver a presentation to the class, practicing how to lead and contribute to a collaborative project.
  • Academic Planning: Get to know Georgia Tech, map out your path to graduation, and identify the academic opportunities you want to fit into it.
  • Career Readiness: Build the professional materials, skills, and experiences that prepare you for research, internships, and a career in physics.

7 A Few Important Course Notes

  • Attendance is mandatory. This is a highly interactive course, and excessive lateness or absences (three or more per semester) can negatively impact your final grade. If you will miss class, please email the instructor as soon as possible.
  • Check your GT email and Canvas daily. Important class announcements and information are posted to Canvas.
  • No textbook is required. Course materials and assignment information will be provided through Canvas.
  • The use of generative AI is strongly discouraged. This course is based in your own discovery, exploration, and reflection. Per the Georgia Tech Honor Code, no work produced via AI should be submitted as your own.
  • When in doubt, ask. If you are unsure whether a resource, collaboration, or AI use is appropriate, contact the instructor before submitting.
TipNext steps

Review the full syllabus, note the class meeting time and location, and come to the first session ready to participate.