Recent content by max-hanrahan

Thank you for this! All three of these options are interesting to me.

Why's that? Is it because undergrad in the US is less specialized than in other countries?

I have not but I will now, thank you!

Wow, thank you. This is all very reassuring to hear. I'm not so concerned that I won't get into a place, it's just probably not going to be a top 10 physics school.

That's a very reasonable question, and I'm not sure. The reason I don't see myself finishing a full PhD is that I don't want to spend the better part of a decade in a position where I can't comfortably contribute to retirement savings IF I decide not to do the academic track. So I think a paid...

Ah, I see. Well yeah, then the first option is what I'd like to avoid (enter PhD with the intent of leaving with the master's). But I don't want to go into debt for the experience. So what to do...?

Oh my mind's not made up at all! I guess I just have some reservations about leaving midway, just cause it feels unethical to me. I know there's really nothing wrong with that and people do it all the time, but I don't want to have to burn that bridge with an advisor if I don't have to. You know...

A fair question. So what would your answer be to that?

Honestly I'm not sure what I want-- so I'm cautious about going straight into a PhD. That's why I'm interested in just a master's, if possible.

Thank you!

I just don't want to have to lie or burn that bridge. Though I do understand that people do it all the time. I am doing physics research this summer, and I'll try to pay very close attention to the things I like and don't like about it. I'm just afraid of making a 5+ year commitment.

Hello! I'm a rising senior in undergrad thinking about next steps. I'm going to have a lot of questions about life as a grad student, researcher, or whatever-it-is-I-end-up-doing, and I think you all in advance for helping me learn more.

Hello! I'm a rising senior in undergrad, and grad school's on my mind. I want to get a better feel for research but don't want to fully commit to a PhD, and so one of my professors recommend I look into grad programs with terminal master's degrees—that is, schools that offer a physics master's...