- #1
Scourge
- 24
- 0
Hello everyone,
I am currently a freshman undergrad physics major at Stony Brook University. However, I've been having some doubts lately. I've been taking the advanced freshman physics courses last semester and this semester, and they more challenging than I expected. I'm not failing them but these classes are basically like taking a second calculus course, its tough sometimes.
In my senior year of high school I was so sure that physics was what I wanted to do, I took AP physics, did several independent research projects with my teacher, interned with a local college physics professor, I was chosen to help represent my school at the Yale Physics Olympics, and I read several interesting theoretical physics novels. I was also very interested in astronomy. I was president of the astronomy club for 2 years, got a perfect A in the only astronomy course my high school offered, and was an amateur astronomer in my spare time using a telescope I owned.
So now since I seem to be struggling more than a physics major should be, the thought has crossed my mind multiple times that maybe I would be happier becoming an astronomer or astrophysicist instead. I've been told by my parents and a career counselor at my school that this struggling is natural being in a new environment and learning a different type of physics, but I would still like to understand life as an astronomy major/astronomer a little more. I've done some research regarding the classes I would need to take to become one and although there is still a good amount of physics and math courses, its certainly not as much as an actual physics major.
My main concern is life after my first four years of college, I know that I would need to go to grad school for any hope of a good job later on but I really don't know what the job market is like for an astronomer right now or exactly what that job would entail. I would greatly appreciate any insight PF can offer me.
I am currently a freshman undergrad physics major at Stony Brook University. However, I've been having some doubts lately. I've been taking the advanced freshman physics courses last semester and this semester, and they more challenging than I expected. I'm not failing them but these classes are basically like taking a second calculus course, its tough sometimes.
In my senior year of high school I was so sure that physics was what I wanted to do, I took AP physics, did several independent research projects with my teacher, interned with a local college physics professor, I was chosen to help represent my school at the Yale Physics Olympics, and I read several interesting theoretical physics novels. I was also very interested in astronomy. I was president of the astronomy club for 2 years, got a perfect A in the only astronomy course my high school offered, and was an amateur astronomer in my spare time using a telescope I owned.
So now since I seem to be struggling more than a physics major should be, the thought has crossed my mind multiple times that maybe I would be happier becoming an astronomer or astrophysicist instead. I've been told by my parents and a career counselor at my school that this struggling is natural being in a new environment and learning a different type of physics, but I would still like to understand life as an astronomy major/astronomer a little more. I've done some research regarding the classes I would need to take to become one and although there is still a good amount of physics and math courses, its certainly not as much as an actual physics major.
My main concern is life after my first four years of college, I know that I would need to go to grad school for any hope of a good job later on but I really don't know what the job market is like for an astronomer right now or exactly what that job would entail. I would greatly appreciate any insight PF can offer me.