Is it too late for a physics degree?

[Brian8017]

Hello, I am a 30 year old with a BS in communication, with a specialization in video production. I've been working full time in this field since college, and although I enjoy my job and like what I do, I find physics fascinating and can see myself really enjoying a career in that field of work. I did quite well in physics and math in high school, but that's about the extent of my education.
I would love to go back to school full time for a degree, but from a financial standpoint, quitting my job to go back to school full time is just not an option.
The local community college (Greenville, SC) offers night classes for an associates degree which is great, but after 2 years I would find myself in the same situation.
Is there anyway a person can earn a physics degree, and eventually a masters while still working a full time job, or is earning a degree a full time job in it's own?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Choppy]

I would suggest taking a few evening courses at your college first, which would give you a taste of what you're in for if you decide to pursue physics full time. Being good in high school physics does not necessarily mean you'll do well at the university level.

And no, it's never to late to pursue a passion.

 

[Brian8017]

Thank you for your response, and I agree, taking night classes to see if a physics degree is worth pursuing seems like the best thing to do. But do you know what options I would have after 2 years if I decided to go for a bachelors, while still being able to work full time?

 

[Howers]

As an undergrad, I can tell you it would be difficult to learn physics on top of working full time. Maybe even impossible. This would mean you'd need to prolong your degree by 2-3 years.

As for finding work in physics, that would be very difficult as most positions are reserved for PhDs. So if you are sure this is something you'd want, be prepared to do ~10 years of school.

 

[Hippo]

Let me see...4 years of Undergraduate studies in Physics, add another 2 years of Graduate studies, and another 4 years after that for your PhD. That makes 10 years of studying! You'll be hitting your 40's while trying to compete in the scientific/research jobs against the 20 year old puppies now that my friend is going to be the hard part after you manage to finish your education.

In places like in Japan if your over 35 years of age with a PhD and trying to get a job in the industry, let alone in any University over there, they don't want you. I don't know how it works in America, but in Asia its really that competitive.

 

[RasslinGod]

agreed w/ howers. Physics problem sets take a a lot of time. If u manage to go to upper division classes , you still will be in a time crunch. I can barely handle things even tho I am not working at all.

How bout you just read physics from popular science magazines? Upper division physics isn't that mindblowing. it's a lot of tedious math, and you might not liek what you're doing. Again, the upper div problem sets are very challenging, and take hours. In those hours, you might just be doign long and annoying integrals. Sure there's concepts, but msot of the homework is just math. physics sure is fascinating, but it doesn't seem liek it when your doing the problem sets.

 

[Brian8017]

Well it seems like the answer to my question is yes, it is too late. I can't see any way I could return to school for 10 years while not earning any money, then as Hippo said try competing with people in their 20's while I'm just turning 40.
So do you think without a PhD I'd be wasting my time? A masters wouldn't be enough?

 

[sx70]

A masters would be enough if you work in an area of applied physics (some condensed matter, medical, photonics) and want an industrial research position. Some applied masters programs can be done almost entirely online. The real trick as you point out is getting the upper division physics courses. 99% of places offer these only during the day. One I know of that doesn't is Northeastern Illinois (http://physics.neiu.edu/courses/future.html) - they seem to cater to part time students, but it's a long commute from South Carolina.

 

[Hippo]

I wouldn't go far as to say it is too late. You could still make a good living in teaching science in High school and Community College. And maybe instead of publishing 5 to 10 papers a year (I'm speaking to the Super Duper smarties), in your free time you could do 1 to 2 for the Hell of it just to keep yourself active and motivated whenever you get the itch to do research.

 

[TMFKAN64]

It's never too late to change... but the cost seems to get higher the longer you wait.

I'm with Choppy... if you think you are interested, try to take a course or two while you keep your current job. You might find that you hate it... or love it.

 

[FrancisZ]

Well it seems like the answer to my question is yes, it is too late. I can't see any way I could return to school for 10 years while not earning any money, then as Hippo said try competing with people in their 20's while I'm just turning 40.
So do you think without a PhD I'd be wasting my time? A masters wouldn't be enough?

NO. It isn't too late, so long as you are determined. Someone else mentioned already that upper level physics courses are mostly mathematics--and that is true--but I don't believe that ought to dissuade you from pursuing something that you care about.

You are only 30 after all. And even if you were 40, if you had the will power and the money, you really could do anything--including changing your life around this way.

I would suggest this...

1) Take the good advice that has already been stated: go back to the community college and take one class: "General Physics 101, Part 1," or whatever they call it. Just make sure that you take the Calculus based course, and not strictly the algebra/trig course.

2) Study as much of the text in private--science professors are notorious for being terrible teachers, so you're pretty much on your own anyway; but if you have a well written book you'll be fine. See how you do after the first semester.

3) If you are satisfied with the outcome, take General Physics Part 2.

4) After a year of being back in college, you might just be able to finagle your work schedule a little better. Yes it is true that it is difficult to find a place that would cater to a part-time student of physics (and in the evenings no less). But by that point...you know: there is always serendipity...ask yourself this question again of "what do I really want to do" after you get this far. By then, you may very well have landed yourself a part-time job video recording time-elapsed experiment for the department head (you never know). YOu make connections and opportunities arise only as a result of your ensconcing yourself in the field. You cannot be an ostrich and expect results. Be in the thick of things.

One other thing I would also suggest is (eventually) start targeting your own niche in the field; and try to relate it to the skills you know you already have.

I'll bet you'd enjoy Optics or "Photonics" (whichever you prefer) very greatly. Also, if you work with cameras, I'd imagine you might pursue interests in Electronics, or even Waves.

There is a yearning in you obviously, and I think that is very important. You do not necessarily have to land yourself the government Nuclear Physicists position someday--start out small and work your way up.

Yes, some of it will be boring; all subjects are like that. And indeed some of it will be very challenging. I confess that I did absolutely no job while an undergraduate physics major; and I was deeply grateful for it. Still it really depends on the person I think. For me at least, I needed to focus. Maybe you are different--my weaknesses are not necessarily your own. Remember that.

And I seriously doubt that anybody here could honestly say that they completely understood everything all of the time.

"Oh yeah! That quantum exam, I completely aced it...I could rewrite quantum mechanics backwards and with my hands up my [expletive deleted]! Schoedinger, you just got owned!"

Just remember there are a great many braggarts in every field; don't be intimidated, just tune the world out like a good little nerd and get down to work.

Sometimes...even your professors will be full of ess-ach-eye-tee. We had a guy once that used to come into class late every day, looking like someone just beat the crap out of him in an alley before he came over there; and then would babble on with his back turned about E&M like he wrote the damn textbook, AND STILL screwed up the laws of attraction.

Anyway, I'm getting away from the point.

Start small. Try it. You'll probably love the general class more than anything else above it anyway if you love physics.

And if in the end, it doesn't work out after that first year taking one class each semester (unless they require you to retake Calc I simultaneously), be satisfied with yourself for not allowing yourself to be in a rut.

Seriously, you may end up going back to college and discover in something else even.

The point is to never stop trying to improve yourself.

 

[RasslinGod]

i thinkwhat you should do is to make sure being a physictst is what u relaly want to do.

Email a univsrsity research physicist, and ask him more about what he does. The day to day stuff, like programming a computer, doing experiments, etc. Is it the kind of job you really want to do? Make sure you liek the end of the path before you start your joruney.

 

[Brian8017]

Thank you everyone for the advise and information. It was all very helpful. I think I will spend the next few months talking to people in the field and attempting to learn as much as I can on my own. Does anyone have any suggestions on good books for that? I'm looking at Physics, by Jim Breithaupt.
If I'm still interested after that I'll take my night classes at the community college. It's a 2 year program, so I'll still be able to keep my job. After that, like Francis said, i'll either know or not if that's what I want to do, and if so will find a way to make it work.

 

[FrancisZ]

I like my general book, "Fundamentals of Physics."

This link is to a newer edition of it...

http://bcs.wiley.com/he-bcs/Books?action=index&itemId=0471216437&bcsId=2037

I think this version has Modern Physics in the last half of it as well.


Also, for future reference: a good Physics Math text would be the book by Mary Boas...

But you wouldn't need that until you get into upper level course (maybe 2nd or 3rd year).

 

[Locrian]

I can almost guarantee you that after you spent the next 6-7 years in school and maybe several years after that getting a job, you'd discover that work is work, and that there would be little or nothing really all that more (or less) fulfilling about what you'd end up doing. Equally importantly, there's no way in hell the net present value of going through that process is equal to the npv of staying where you are.

You'd find ways of defending what you did and talking up the choice you made to friends and maybe loved ones, but you'd be lucky to convince yourself that it was a good idea.

Buy the textbooks. Take a class or two. Read the crappy pretend physics books you find at book stores. Enjoy it. But don't throw a career away to pursue it.

 

[ks_physicist]

Also, for future reference: a good Physics Math text would be the book by Mary Boas...

I <heart> Boas.



To the OP, no I do not think it is too late. However, careers in physics can be difficult to build. The Ph.D. is necessary for most tenure track professorships, although there are some teaching positions for master's physicists (non-tenure track, or some tenure track community college professorships), and a bachelor's or master's is good foundation for teaching high school.

I'm teaching high school physics after a master's, and I'm quite happy with it. I get to keep learning, I get to learn the basic stuff deeper, and I am encouraged to continue my education (currently working on a second master's, may go for Ph.D. eventually).

 

[AnotherDave]

Well it seems like the answer to my question is yes, it is too late. I can't see any way I could return to school for 10 years while not earning any money, then as Hippo said try competing with people in their 20's while I'm just turning 40.
So do you think without a PhD I'd be wasting my time? A masters wouldn't be enough?

I just turned 43 on Dec 2, 2008. For the past several years, I've been fixated on physics, driving my wife insane in the process When I'm not working on computers, I'm reading some physics book, magazine...the discovery science channel is on all the time, and my professors have been Michio Kaku, Ronald Mallett and Neil deGrasse Tyson (on TV of course).

The "working on computers" part was part of why I decided to embark on this adventure. Frankly, I'm getting sick of it. Mac vs PC. Windows vs Linux vs Unix...enough already! Newton's third law of motion was applicable and relevant thousands of years before Newton was even born, and it will still be applicable thousands of years after his death in the 1700s. Does anyone care about my ability to build and configure a Windows NT4 server? You get my point...

Like you, I was concerned with the amount of time it would take to earn anything meaningful in the way of a degree in physics. But for the first time, I'm more focused on enjoying the Journey than the destination. My math skills have atrophied to a middle school level but I don't care. I'm taking the elementary math courses, algebra, moving on to calculus, and looking forward to the journey.

The way I see it, attending school part time, only being able to take one, maybe two classes a semester, I'll have my Phd in physics sometime around age 65. If I do nothing, I"ll be 65 anyway. What I found most amusing about this fact is that all people will see is an old guy with a Phd. They won't know I just got it

If you're considering physics because you're looking for a fantastic career, you'll probably be dissapointed. How many people can work in an accelerator anyway? But if you're like me, and you're doing it because you're fascinated with the way our world works...if you spend hours contemplating things like quantum erasure, cold fusion, frame dragging and closed time loops...if your wife (or reasonable fascimile) rolls her eyes when you offer an explanation of how the microwave oven actually works, I say go for it. Enjoy the journey the same as you would a finely prepared gourmet meal. Which ever way you choose to go, you'll end up somewhere. Does that seem utterly "un" profound? Then let's have a discussion about Level 1 alternate realities in the multi-verse

 

[Hazerboy]

At the university of chicago we have all sorts of "old" graduate students in my undergrad physics classes. I know of one that is in his late twenties or early thirties that, after getting a degree in computer science from U of I, came to Uchicago to get a degree in Physics. He's doing pretty well, and he worked it out so that he *only* has to take physics classes. I think he only takes tops two classes a semester or something, so he either works on a regular job part time or gets graduate student funding. There are several "graduate students at large" like him in our program.

that being said, its never too late to return to school: http://www.chicagomaroon.com/2005/9/30/47-year-old-freshman-tries-hand-at-college

This guy is now in his 3rd year as a physics major, and he's bloody smart. He gets great grades so far as I've heard.

 

[Moonbear]

Well it seems like the answer to my question is yes, it is too late. I can't see any way I could return to school for 10 years while not earning any money, then as Hippo said try competing with people in their 20's while I'm just turning 40.
So do you think without a PhD I'd be wasting my time? A masters wouldn't be enough?

It's hard for me to think of any further education as a waste of time. I think that mindset might be more of a problem than your age.

If you're doing it just to earn more, and not because you really dislike what you're currently doing and want to change direction and do something you would enjoy much more (afterall, what good is a paycheck if you're miserable your whole life), then I'm not sure why you're even asking.

On the other hand, people with families to support do have to be concerned short-term with putting food on the table while attending school. And, as others have pointed out, there are some ways to deal with that, from taking classes part time while continuing to work your current job...at least for part of your return to school...to teaching the family to collectively tighten their belts.

Don't forget to consider long-term earning potential if you change careers, not just the short-term belt-tightening to get the degree. Maybe you're in one of those fields that's very lucrative even for people with only a B.S., and you're motivated to put up with it because it pays gobs of money. On the other hand, if it's feeling like a dead end, you may be able to earn more long-term by getting Ph.D., even with a few years off mid-career (afterall, everyone following the traditional route certainly delayed earning an income at the start of their careers when all their friends were going out and landing well-paying jobs). Or, maybe you make up for a 5 yr Ph.D. program by working 5 extra years to ensure you have an adequate nest egg for retirement.

 

[SSA]

I personally have thought about this very question myself. I am ~26 years old and am curious about the concept of returning to school and finishing my BS in physics. I finished a degree in another field and have been generally uninterested in what I am doing right now and wonder whether I should consider going back to school and finishing my physics degree. I already completed classical mechanics and a single semester introductory course to quantum mechanics, but it has been >5 years since I have so much as touched a physics textbook.

Considering many of my undergrad friends who finished their physics degrees and continued onward to graduate school are well on their way to to a PhD I can't help, but think that I am wasting my time wondering whether I simply would have been happier doing something else. I am highly unlikely to ever catch up with the careers of other people my own age, albeit I don't think I would need to be at the top of the field to really be happy.

I could theoretically go back to school next year and use the remaining portion of this school year to review over material, but I wonder whether such an endeavor is even worth the effort. Clearly I wouldn't face quite the challenges that the original author of this thread, but I would be decidedly older than many of the other students in the same class.

So what do people think?

 

[TMFKAN64]

I'm happy to repeat what I always repeat... life is too short to work at something you don't enjoy, regardless of the paycheck. However, don't feel obliged to change your life overnight... start slow, study on your own or take a class or two and be sure that you really *want* to be in another field.

PS. - I'm a 47 year old MS student. And I don't think I've *ever* been the oldest person in one of my classes... so you young whippersnappers can stop your whining about being too old!

 

[RufusDawes]

I think it is ridiculous to suggest you are too old. Plus you will be 40 competing against 30 year old's not 20 year old's. You won't exactly be competing with a cute factor. Why the hell would an employer prefer a 20 year old over a 30 year old anyway ? I never understood that, seem stupid.

What the problem will be is how you will manage to study. I am 25 by the way.

I accepted that Engineering is not something I am cut out for but that doesn't mean I cannot pursue my interests in math and science. I will take courses part time through online and off campus study modes. There are technical courses you can study in Engineering at local TAFE or community college's.

I'll stick with the career I have right now and see how the study goes and where it all takes me. Might even be applicable to my current job which could earn me a transfer to a better department. Seems to always be a shortage of people with good math skills.

But you are definitely not to old to do what you want to do. Just a matter of approaching it from a way that you can manage your work and finances around study. I don't recommend going into a lot of debt for living expenses or excessive tuition costs.

 

[RufusDawes]

Considering many of my undergrad friends who finished their physics degrees and continued onward to graduate school are well on their way to to a PhD I can't help, but think that I am wasting my time wondering whether I simply would have been happier doing something else. I am highly unlikely to ever catch up with the careers of other people my own age, albeit I don't think I would need to be at the top of the field to really be happy.

Nah you can, trust me. Some people are lucky and get awesome job offers and you will never catch them but I've noticed how much things can change for people in a short space of time really is amazing.

After a while no one really cares. Things tend to flat line in that one additional years experience starts to mean less and less as you move into your career.

 

[AnotherDave]

Again, you have to find your *why*. When I go back to school, I'll be in class with a bunch of kids, the majority of whom are *required* to be there, but who would rather be doing something else.

At 43 years old, do you really think I care what other people think, or how I compare to my 20 something counterparts? One of my professors is 15 years younger than I am with his Phd. I'm just happy to find a friend who is as excited about the material as I am.

True story...when I first approached the physics department at my community college, the professor I'm working with took my email to all the other physics professors and said "look...someone who actually *WANTS* to take physics!" :-)


Look... my math skills have atrophied to a middle school level. I'm not complaining about my age. Instead, I've purchased mathtutordvd.com and off to work I go. Someday in the not too distant future, I'll actually understand all those greek symbols in a quantum physics equation.

Age is merely a measurement of time.

 

[snkk197]

Can I comment as someone who's actually doing it? I'll be 30 next year and I completed a business degree 6 years ago. Last year I had enough, enrolled in night school to bring my math and physics up, applied to lots of unis, quit my cushy government job, and now here I am just completing my first semester and getting ready for my exams in Jan.

It's been hard for sure - my course mates are smart-alec idiots, I've had to give up on any kind of social life, I had to move 600 miles from home and I miss my friends and like crazy, my part-time job really gets in the way of studying, and the course is pretty tough. I have lots of lots of doubts, especially with the economy going down the tank, how I'm going to keep paying for it all next year and after really frightens me.

(I should say that it's really really hard now studying and doing a part-time job. I worked 9-6pm Sat and Sun, and it was awful how it ate my weekends up - any work I had due on a Monday really suffered. I would recommend trying to find part-time work that allows you to get a little bit of reading done, at the library or whatever)

The physics itself is fantastic - it makes all of the misery above worth it and I am having a brilliant time academically. I said it was tough - the classical mechanics modules has such a steep learning curve! But I love the challenge, and when I lose hours to solving differential equations or any kind of study is the easy part then I have no question that this is the right course for me. I'm so excited by how far I've come already - not just in terms of volume of knowledge but a different way of thinking about problems - and am even more excited thinking about how much is yet to come.

I don't know what it'll be like actually working in the field - maybe it really will be as mundane as an earlier poster said. But I don't think anything could have been worse than working in a dreary job I didn't care one whit for. If all I'm good for is data-entry at the end of it, well to have achieved a degree in physics is something I will always be proud of.

I do worry about the age thing as well - think I will be pretty keen to find a job once I complete my masters aged 33-34. But I hope it won't be a problem with employers. Mature students and their additional skills compared to fresh 20-somethings are becoming more valued than ever.

Re books, I'm happy to recommend some if you need any more suggestions. I didn't find looking ahead of uni all that useful to be honest - even though I was interested. Without any guidance I ended up getting more confused and more than a little put-off by all the math, but plenty of students don't have a probelmreading ahead.

So I'd concur, take a few classes for a year to make sure it's what you really want, and if it is, the decision will be easy! (It's all the other stuff around it that is the problem!)

I like "age is only a measurement of time" :) It took me 6 years to a) figure out that the life I had did not have to be my life forever and I could actually change it, and b) work up the courage to actually do it!

 

[RunSwimSurf]

Reading these posts has motivated me even more to go back and finish my degree. I left college after one semester to join the military (for college money). I did my 5 yrs, but wasted so much time drinking and partying that I never took any classes part time (which I now regret). I ended up doing 7 yrs and discharging honorably. I am now an electrical designer at an engineering firm in Midtown Manhattan. I hate it.
I felt I was too old to go back. I'm 29 btw. I'm 1 out of 3 people in my office that never finished their degree. I got 40K from the military to go to school and I don't even have time to use it. I plan on taking night classes so I can get my BS in physics and from there I'll see which way the wind blows. I contacted the college near me and the professor there said they don't have physics classes at night. Bummer =(
No worry. I'll take all my other classes (Calcs, sciences and labs) and do my physics classes elsewhere. The military gave me 40K, I'd be an idiot not to use it.
For the meantime I've been doing self-study. I started with "physics for laymans" books from Brian Green and Lisa Randall. I then picked up "Physics for Dummies" and since then have been picking up used physics textbooks in bookstores (picked up Introduction to Electrodynamics 2nd Edition for $3 and Gravitation (MTW) for $70).
Good luck to everyone going back...

 

[tommyball]

I'm glad I found this thread.

I'm 34 and back in school pursuing a physics/astronomy degree and I've been having one of those "what the hell am I doing?!?" days as I call them, so it's reassuring to know that there are others out there.

I was high school valedictorian and excelled at science and math, but I also enjoyed art, so I got a degree in illustration and had a successful career. After 12 years I was doing what I always thought I wanted to do: concept illustration. Unfortunately, after 12 years I also had no passion for what I did and I couldn't stand dealing with the design business any longer. I knew that I had to do something different. Astronomy, physics and the big questions about how this all works always fascinated me. After meeting with a career counselor (to get some perspective on a huge life change like this) I applied to some schools, quit my job and here I am.

I know I made the right decision. You have to do what you want to do. That's not to say that it isn't difficult at times. It's hard work and I've had to give up a lot.

To others thinking about doing it I will say that for me at least that being older has somehow allowed me to really comprehend more of what I'm learning. In high school and in college (I went to a liberal arts college and minored in psychology so it wasn't all art classes) I felt that I wasn't understanding what I was being taught as much as I was regurgitating things. And it makes a difference being in school because I want to be there, not just because I had to get a degree.

Anyway, that's my story. Good luck to everyone else.

-todd.

 

[Dr.NE.Ellis]

Well i mean to be honest.. it is hard to get a job in physics
I did an:
undergrad (3yrs)
Masters (2yrs)
PhD(6yrs)

Took me 2yrs and 8000 apps. to get a job i enjoyed with Physics.
(i am now a Plasma Physicist for at LHC for CERN)

Well my point is that it would take a lot of time and effort to get where you want to be and no worth it if you don't truly want it. Also doing it part time will take more effort if anything.

But i would still say your not to Old and it's not to late.. if you want to do it.. you have to go for it.

Hope this helps.
~N~

P.S Good Luck and hope you do whatever makes you happy there's nothing better.

 

[Skins]

Let me see...4 years of Undergraduate studies in Physics, add another 2 years of Graduate studies, and another 4 years after that for your PhD. That makes 10 years of studying! You'll be hitting your 40's while trying to compete in the scientific/research jobs against the 20 year old puppies now that my friend is going to be the hard part after you manage to finish your education.

In places like in Japan if your over 35 years of age with a PhD and trying to get a job in the industry, let alone in any University over there, they don't want you. I don't know how it works in America, but in Asia its really that competitive.

I disagree. At least with respect to employment here in the USA. I don't think it is all that hopeless. First and foremos it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of age. of course employers can, and do, skirt this by giving other reasons for not hiring a person. And all in all, yes, it's true that it is often more difficult to get hired if you are 40 or 50 and trying to break into a new field for the first time versus some young un who is 23 and fresh out of college. But that is no reason to give up or approach it with a defeatist attitude.

What the older person really needs is to do is to emphasize his virtues. For example, it takes a great deal of dedication, committment, patience, and self determination and self confidence for an older person to go back to school, earn a degree, and seek employment in the field. That is a selling point right there as it shows a person who is confident, who is not lazy, who is hard working, committed, serious and passionate about the profession. That type of determination and ommittment may be very attrative to potential employers. There are other virtues as well, i.e. life experiene, et... yes it may take a few more weeks or months to find an employer who appreiated that type of an employee and it may require more resumes, more interviews, more strenuous job hunting. But who ever said job hunting was easy ?

 

[DrummingAtom]

I disagree. I don;t think it is all that hopeless. Yes, it's true that it is often more difficult to get hired if you are 40 or 50 and trying to break into a new field for the first time versus some young un who is 23 and fresh out of college. But that is no reason to give up or approach it with a defeatist attitude.

What the older person really needs is to do is to emphasize his virtues. For example, it takes a great deal of dedication, committment, patience, and self determination and self confidence for an older person to go back to school, earn a degree, and seek employment in the field. That is a selling point right there as it shows a person who is confident, who is not lazy, who is hard working, committed, serious and passionate about the profession. That type of determination and ommittment may be very attrative to potential employers. There are other virtues as well, i.e. life experiene, et... yes it may take a few more weeks or months to find an employer who appreiated that type of an employee and it may require more resumes, more interviews, more strenuous job hunting. But who ever said job hunting was easy ?

I agree with this, but on another note... It's against the law, during the hiring process, to ask "How old you are?", "When did you graduate college?", and "What is your birthday?". In my experience as well, the only time they would be able to even find out my age is when I filled out tax information or when I needed a background check/security clearance. Both of these happen after the 1st interview anyways. Good luck.

http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/discrimination/agedisc.htm#lawregs

 

[Skins]

I agree with this, but on another note... It's against the law, during the hiring process, to ask "How old you are?", "When did you graduate college?", and "What is your birthday?". In my experience as well, the only time they would be able to even find out my age is when I filled out tax information or when I needed a background check/security clearance. Both of these happen after the 1st interview anyways. Good luck.

http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/discrimination/agedisc.htm#lawregs

Yes, I added the age discrimination thing into my post as an afterthought. And, like you said, there are other ways that an employer can estimate or obtain a persons exact age. For one, apearance is a giveaway. Then tax forms, background checks, etc.

For all practicality one has to expect the job hunt to be harder and to take longer if you are older and starting out in a new profession. At times it may even seem downright discouraging... I know, I've been there. But the key is to never give up and keep trying. Another good idea is to network with people. family, friends, ex-coworkers, clubs, schools, organization and affiliations. Sometimes these people can help to clue you into new jobs and openings as well as put in a good word for you, give a positive reference, etc.

 

[Andy E]

I'm really glad I found this site. Thank you to the contributors who have described their experiences and journeys to physics!

I'm 32 and about to try and get my UK maths and physics qualifications so that I can apply to do physics at undergraduate level. My aim is to become research scientist. So if I complete the BS, MS and PhD then I'd be at least 42 before I could apply for jobs, probably closer to 45..

I'm already educated to MA level and I threw in a career in the charity sector, the career I'd trained for and worked hard to start, because I was sure there was something more meaningful to be involved in. I've been fascinated by astro and quantum physics since the age of 17 and I feel I need to understand this to make my knowledge about the world around me more complete. I also feel it will consolidate in some way my religious beliefs/faith.

I know the odds are stacked against me for completing the 10 years study required to become a research physicist because of the difficulty of it and my age. And I know that even if I did get there, then it's unlikely I would actually 'contribute' in any significant way to the field (I think all physics students harbor secret thoughts of being the next Einstein!). From what I've researched so far, doing research physics on a day to day level and being involved in this sector has its pluses and negatives just like any other;

http://www.iop.org/careers/workinglife/articles/page_39060.html

It may be that I end up teaching physics in school or that once I've gotten to grips with theoretical physics then my focus will have changed again completely.. Essentially it is the journey that counts on something like this, something where you have to go with what you feel you are called to do and be less concerned with how it will turn out. Understanding how we demonstrate dual wave-beam nature of electrons, black holes, string theory (I could go on..) is becoming my driving motivation in life and the thing I need to achieve. I've studied a lot of things and this is the one academic subject that genuinely confounds me - like the last great mountain I need to climb.

Good luck to everyone on this journey no matter the age!

 

[snkk197]

Just an update to my last post - I graduated top of my class last month in BSc Physics and am starting my PhD at a different uni in September :-) It was a lot of hard work, but bloody well worth it. I don't know how meaningful my contribution to science will be ultimately - I suspect it will be like many, where I will make small gains in highly specific fields. As said before, just keep at it, use all the resources you have, particularly advice from your lecturers, don't worry about the age thing (here in the UK employers can't use age as part of their recruitment process), and good luck!