Other Confused between Physics and Computer Science

[MarneMath]

I disagree with your second point. You can learn a language without a good understanding of algorithm design. It's difference between good efficient code and naive code. Compare the performance between

def russian_math(a,b):
   x = a; y = b; z = 0
   while x>0:
       if x%2 == 1: z = z + y
       y = y << 1
       x = x >> 1
    return z

and

def stupidway(a, b):
   x = a
    y = b
    z = 0
    while x > 0:
        z = z + y
        x = x - 1
    return z

The difference between both run time is rather amazing. Knowing solid algorithm design, and complexity, is generally the difference between code that "works" and code that "works well".

As for point 2. I think that mainly helps if you already have a job in a related field. If someone came to be with Coursera Big Data certificate but no prior experience and worked in a non-stem field/degree in a non-stem field, I would be hesitant to move forward with anything. However, if an engineer came to me with that and showed solid understanding, I may consider an entry level position for them.

 

[Yashbhatt]

After reading a ton of articles, I'm still not sure about either one.

 

[EngWiPy]

Is finding a job one reason you are getting a degree? If yes, have you compared your chances a physics and CS degree in the job market?

 

[Yashbhatt]

Is finding a job one reason you are getting a degree? If yes, have you compared your chances a physics and CS degree in the job market?

Of course it counts but it is not the only factor. Getting a job is a part of the reason why I'm worried about opting for Physics.

 

[EngWiPy]

If finding a job is part of the reason why you are worried, then what is the other part? and which one of them does weigh more to you?

 

[Yashbhatt]

If finding a job is part of the reason why you are worried, then what is the other part? and which one of them does weigh more to you?

The other part is being interested. I was interested in both Physics and Computer Science since long and I was very sure that I wanted to pursue Physics as a career but now after starting my Bachelor's degree, I am quite skeptical if I really like Physics that much(I find myself tinkering with the computer much more than learning calculus).

 

[Dragon27]

The other part is being interested. I was interested in both Physics and Computer Science since long and I was very sure that I wanted to pursue Physics as a career but now after starting my Bachelor's degree, I am quite skeptical if I really like Physics that much(I find myself tinkering with the computer much more than learning calculus).

That may very well be only because calculus is something you must do, while CS is a just pleasant distraction.

 

[ChrisVer]

That may very well be only because calculus is something you must do, while CS is a just pleasant distraction.

That's a constant struggle indeed (between working and having hobbies)... I always want to try something else, but when I get into it after a while it becomes boring and I start liking something else, get involved into it... and all over again...

 

[Yashbhatt]

That may very well be only because calculus is something you must do, while CS is a just pleasant distraction.

Well, that may be true. In general, I find CS much easier naturally(but that might be because I haven't studied the advanced stuff yet).

 

[Yashbhatt]

@ChrisVer @Dragon27 @MarneMath @Vanadium 50 @micromass

This kind of stuff is pretty intimidating. https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-there-is-no-cost-to-pursuing-a-PhD

 

[EngWiPy]

I agree with the professor's answer. PhD is not the answer in many cases, and I personally regret it, at least so far. I continued my PhD to get a decent stable job, and instead I spent the last 8 years doing research that hasn't given me a good opportunity, while at the same time I don't have the technical and practical experience that could have helped me secure a good job in the industry. I graduated CE in 2007. If I got a junior position then, I would probably be a senior programmer or hardware engineer now in a good company. Instead, I've ended up doing Postdoc with minimal salary and no benefits, and the job is not stable (you cannot find a position all the time, and it's usually between 6 months to 1 year contract, and you need to keep moving between universities/provinces/countries). So, basically I need to start over and built my skills after all these years, and start as if I finished my undergrad yesterday. It's actually worse, because companies take fresh graduates, while I'm not one of those either. So, companies basically don't see me as a fit not in a senior nor a junior position.

What I'm trying to say is that, I think experience in the industry is more important if you want to secure a good job. If you are interested in a topic for the sake of it, then maybe, but if you are looking for a good job in the long run, I think you need to get out there and get some experience. CS is a good program that would probably pave the path for a good career, in my opinion, and from my experience of the demand in the industry, and it's unlikely to change in the near future, as things become more and more computerized.

 

[Yashbhatt]

I agree with the professor's answer. PhD is not the answer in many cases, and I personally regret it, at least so far. I continued my PhD to get a decent stable job, and instead I spent the last 8 years doing research that hasn't given me a good opportunity, while at the same time I don't have the technical and practical experience that could have helped me secure a good job in the industry. I graduated CE in 2007. If I got a junior position then, I would probably be a senior programmer or hardware engineer now in a good company. Instead, I've ended up doing Postdoc with minimal salary and no benefits, and the job is not stable (you cannot find a position all the time, and it's usually between 6 months to 1 year contract, and you need to keep moving between universities/provinces/countries). So, basically I need to start over and built my skills after all these years, and start as if I finished my undergrad yesterday. It's actually worse, because companies take fresh graduates, while I'm not one of those either. So, companies basically don't see me as a fit not in a senior nor a junior position.

What I'm trying to say is that, I think experience in the industry is more important if you want to secure a good job. If you are interested in a topic for the sake of it, then maybe, but if you are looking for a good job in the long run, I think you need to get out there and get some experience. CS is a good program that would probably pave the path for a good career, in my opinion, and from my experience of the demand in the industry, and it's unlikely to change in the near future, as things become more and more computerized.

Thanks for the valuable advice!

 

[ChrisVer]

This kind of stuff is pretty intimidating. https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-there-is-no-cost-to-pursuing-a-PhD

I am a new phd student, like I don't even have my salary paid yet, and so far I tend to disagree with that article at almost everything... In fact the author doesn't even give a "good enough reason to pursue a phd", he only mentions what's not a good reason- and of course he comes from an economics field.

First of all, I am not sure if those people know what the salaries are in the real world economy, like if you work at the local grocery shop or as a teacher at some school. Maybe as a manager in a big company you'd have the chance to gain more money than in a phd program, but then comes the cons (and not only pros) of that decision. One example is that you are less secured (you may loose your job due to a crisis in the next month).
As a phd student I can work everyday without really caring about holidays or weekends or whatever, and I can take a day off out of nowhere (except for if I have something important to do that doesn't concern only my research- eg teaching) whenever I feel my batteries are running low. I enjoy this workload more than having all Sundays off "lazing" out for no reason like most of other public (and many private) workers do. This doesn't apply for computer-based jobs since you can always work from/at home.
Also it gives you the opportunity to travel, either to attend events or to search for a job. Not having a constant environment for example is challenging and interesting. It can never make you feel bored. For me the idea of settling in a unique place, like trying to build a family and so on, is terrifying and I don't want it.

 

[Yashbhatt]

I am a new phd student, like I don't even have my salary paid yet, and so far I tend to disagree with that article at almost everything... In fact the author doesn't even give a "good enough reason to pursue a phd", he only mentions what's not a good reason- and of course he comes from an economics field.

First of all, I am not sure if those people know what the salaries are in the real world economy, like if you work at the local grocery shop or as a teacher at some school. Maybe as a manager in a big company you'd have the chance to gain more money than in a phd program, but then comes the cons (and not only pros) of that decision. One example is that you are less secured (you may loose your job due to a crisis in the next month).
As a phd student I can work everyday without really caring about holidays or weekends or whatever, and I can take a day off out of nowhere (except for if I have something important to do that doesn't concern only my research- eg teaching) whenever I feel my batteries are running low. I enjoy this workload more than having all Sundays off "lazing" out for no reason like most of other public (and many private) workers do. This doesn't apply for computer-based jobs since you can always work from/at home.
Also it gives you the opportunity to travel, either to attend events or to search for a job. Not having a constant environment for example is challenging and interesting. It can never make you feel bored. For me the idea of settling in a unique place, like trying to build a family and so on, is terrifying and I don't want it.

If you scroll down further on that page, there are other posts by people from other disciplines like Physics and Computer Science.

Btw, I talked to a person who is pursuing a PhD here in India. Except for the low pay, he too tends to disagree with some of the ideas mentioned in the posts.

 

[ChrisVer]

there are other posts by people from other disciplines like Physics and Computer Science.

I read some... well it's obviously up to the person... things that people complain about in their comments are "fine" for others (me). People can live without having to pay 40$ for a lunch or dinner, most of the times if you are good and a conference necessary the university/your group will cover your participation expenses...
When I will get used to the current condition I will also find other things to "whine" about... but seriously none of the above.

What are the pros I find in pursuing a PhD for physics:
1. You are doing real research, creating something that will be part of the Academia (yeh, all that things that took your nights away studying during your undergrad- you are producing them now)... if you are an experimentalist you will be ruining the dreams of phenomenologists (most of the time)... more rarely you will find something (hopefully not near the ends of your phd).
Maybe you could connect your research with industry and be able to work on let's say producing gadgets, working on network systems etc.
2. You will be able to work a lot, and work is a great anti-stress pill when performed correctly.
3. You will meet a lot of people/students from every background. You won't be able to get close friends (you won't spend more than 2-3 years with them). So it's better to have close friends beforehand starting. Others find friendship in books, I was not that kind of person, but they exist.
4. You will travel.
5. Curiosity is satisfied.

 

[Yashbhatt]

I read some... well it's obviously up to the person... things that people complain about in their comments are "fine" for others (me). People can live without having to pay 40$ for a lunch or dinner, most of the times if you are good and a conference necessary the university/your group will cover your participation expenses...
When I will get used to the current condition I will also find other things to "whine" about... but seriously none of the above.

What are the pros I find in pursuing a PhD for physics:
1. You are doing real research, creating something that will be part of the Academia (yeh, all that things that took your nights away studying during your undergrad- you are producing them now)... if you are an experimentalist you will be ruining the dreams of phenomenologists (most of the time)... more rarely you will find something (hopefully not near the ends of your phd).
Maybe you could connect your research with industry and be able to work on let's say producing gadgets, working on network systems etc.
2. You will be able to work a lot, and work is a great anti-stress pill when performed correctly.
3. You will meet a lot of people/students from every background. You won't be able to get close friends (you won't spend more than 2-3 years with them). So it's better to have close friends beforehand starting. Others find friendship in books, I was not that kind of person, but they exist.
4. You will travel.
5. Curiosity is satisfied.

Thanks for your valuable response.

But from your tone you are making it sound as if I love Physics only and am just hesitant to do it for the reasons mentioned above. To clarify, that is not the case.

 

[ChrisVer]

I love Physics only

I am talking from my point of view as a physicist... In order to pursue an academic job (such as a phd) you have to somehow "love" the subject... otherwise there is no need to waste your time over doing something that does not fulfill you.
What do you expect "doing a phd" to offer you?

 

[EngWiPy]

I am a new phd student, like I don't even have my salary paid yet, and so far I tend to disagree with that article at almost everything... In fact the author doesn't even give a "good enough reason to pursue a phd", he only mentions what's not a good reason- and of course he comes from an economics field.

First of all, I am not sure if those people know what the salaries are in the real world economy, like if you work at the local grocery shop or as a teacher at some school. Maybe as a manager in a big company you'd have the chance to gain more money than in a phd program, but then comes the cons (and not only pros) of that decision. One example is that you are less secured (you may loose your job due to a crisis in the next month).
As a phd student I can work everyday without really caring about holidays or weekends or whatever, and I can take a day off out of nowhere (except for if I have something important to do that doesn't concern only my research- eg teaching) whenever I feel my batteries are running low. I enjoy this workload more than having all Sundays off "lazing" out for no reason like most of other public (and many private) workers do. This doesn't apply for computer-based jobs since you can always work from/at home.
Also it gives you the opportunity to travel, either to attend events or to search for a job. Not having a constant environment for example is challenging and interesting. It can never make you feel bored. For me the idea of settling in a unique place, like trying to build a family and so on, is terrifying and I don't want it.

Actually he gives the reason to why to pursue a PhD if you read very well. Also, he mentioned that only a small fraction of PhD students end up teaching, which seems to be your ground for pursuing PhD. As a software developer, you are unlikely to have low salary and no benefits. Of course we all like to have more freedom to work/travel, but in reality this isn't the case, in the most part. The only place I would say PhD is useful is in the computer realm (software/hardware), because your experience in computers during PhD can be directly used in the industry. In other fields, the experience isn't usually directly transferred to demanded skills. You need to make some adjustments. But if you are going to make some adjustments, why not to do them from the beginning, before pursuing your PhD. Spending 4-6 years in PhD just to find yourself in a place of learning new skills from the beginning when you finish is a waste of time, and money, in my opinion.

 

[Yashbhatt]

I am talking from my point of view as a physicist... In order to pursue an academic job (such as a phd) you have to somehow "love" the subject... otherwise there is no need to waste your time over doing something that does not fulfill you.
What do you expect "doing a phd" to offer you?

I like both subjects a lot. But I am not sure if I am willing to put in the amount of work a PhD requires.