Anyone here change from experiment to theory during the PhD?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the experiences of graduate students transitioning from experimental work to theoretical work during their PhD studies, particularly in fields like atomic physics and biophysics. Participants share their personal experiences, challenges faced during the transition, and the impact on their academic timeline.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, a 3rd year graduate student, is considering a shift from atomic physics experiments to theoretical biophysics and seeks insights from others who have made similar transitions.
  • Another participant shared their experience of changing from experimental work to theory, noting that it extended their time in graduate school by 1-2 years and resulted in an unusual publication list.
  • A participant mentioned transitioning from experimental optics to Boltzmann Transport Theory, specifically related to the Hall effect in anisotropic semiconductors.
  • Several participants expressed curiosity about how others acclimated to theoretical work, questioning the amount of studying required before being able to contribute meaningfully.
  • One participant indicated that their tendency towards theory made the switch easier, as they had engaged in coding to predict results even while doing experimental work.
  • Another participant noted that their transition was smooth due to prior coursework and independent study, suggesting that the ability to contribute quickly depends on previous preparation and the advisor's guidance.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants share varied experiences regarding the transition from experimental to theoretical work, with some indicating it was a non-issue while others felt it extended their time in graduate school. There is no consensus on the challenges faced or the best approach to acclimation.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the subjective nature of experiences shared, the dependence on individual academic backgrounds, and the varying expectations set by different advisors.

Who May Find This Useful

Graduate students considering a shift from experimental to theoretical work, advisors guiding students through transitions, and individuals interested in the dynamics of academic research paths in STEM fields.

wotanub
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I'm a 3rd year graduate student doing atomic physics experiment. I was thinking of changing my group to do theoretical biophysics for a few reasons. Did any experimentalist here change to theory? What was the transition like?
 
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I did (I also changed schools), basically it meant I was in grad school about a 1-2 longer than I would have been otherwise. I only published one experimental paper, but I guess you could say it makes my publication list a little unusual (since then I've done some work in biotech and added a few more papers that don't really fit the field of my PhD). I had already taken a pretty wide range of the grad classes available so it didn't require any additional course work. It wasn't a big deal, I just changed schools (and obviously advisors). The main thing is the time that, at least from a certain perspective, was wasted.
 
Experimental optics (quantum well spectroscopy) to Boltzmann Transport Theory...i.e. Hall effect in an-isotropic semiconductors
 
How did you guys get acclimated to the new work? Was there a lot of studying before you could actually contribute in a meaningful way? I'm not really sure how theory works.
 
wotanub said:
How did you guys get acclimated to the new work? Was there a lot of studying before you could actually contribute in a meaningful way? I'm not really sure how theory works.
I always had a tendency towards theory, so the switch wasn't too bad for me. Even while doing experimental work, I spent time writing the code to predict my results and to guide my quantum well stacks...
 
wotanub said:
How did you guys get acclimated to the new work? Was there a lot of studying before you could actually contribute in a meaningful way? I'm not really sure how theory works.

It was pretty much a non-issue for me, I had taken the graduate courses that were available and had done some independent study on my own. As far as I can tell that's pretty much the same preparation the other theory grad students had. The only difference for me was I spent/wasted time doing something else. I think how quickly you can start contributing depends what course work you've done and it depends a lot on your advisor and what kind of problems he suggests to you.
 

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