Physics/Maths career

[Owen-]

Hi, I'm Owen, and I'm new to these forums. :)

Anyway I'm interested in going to university to study maths or physics (particularly astrophysics at the moment, but I change a lot.) Any ideas on what an astrophysics course entails.

Also are there many jobs in astrophysics? pay well?

thanks

[Choppy]

Hi Owen,

You may want to check out the "So You Want to be a Physicist" (stickied in the education forum). It wil give you some valuable insight into a physics career.

The general advice I like to give is to keep your path general in the beginning. Study physics math and the other subjects that interest you and then specialize as you go further in university. This keeps your options open and allows you to explore subjects beyond the high school level, and thus allows you to make more informed career choices.

As far as pay, if you go the academic route, it's not fantastic - especially when you consider that you have to spend an extra 4-6 years, sometimes more in school (on top of undergrad) making very little money, and then bounce through a few post-docs earning just a little more money before you establish a stable career position. There are other, better-paying options though.

[subSquall]

Think about it like this: how many people in the world NEED astrophysics services and can make more money for themselves by hiring one?

This will give you an idea of how many astrophysics jobs there are ;)

subSquall
Subversive Guide to Engineering
http://subversiveguidetoeng.blogspot.com