- #1
alfredblase
- 228
- 0
I would just like to share some wisdom gained by experience.
If you are considering doing a degree in physics in the UK, job wise it won't be a good idea to pursue that path unless you achieve a first class degree from a good university.
If you get a 2:1 or less you'll most likely have to go into a career that is only losely related to physics or not at all. In that case it would have been better, job wise, to actually do a degree specifically related to such a career, e.g. programming, engineering, design, etc, etc.
I have a 2:1 honours, MPhys from The University of Sussex (a good degree from a good university) and have been unemployed for a year :S. Granted I haven't explored all my options and my personal circumstances are not usual but still...
In conlusion unless you are confident you can get a first class degree and actually do your utmost to get a first, right from the start through to the finish, and attend a good university, choose something else. Competition in the field of physics is extremely fierce. You have been warned; I wish I had been.
(P.S. my shortcoming was thinking that I could get away with a 2:1 and so not applying myself fully throughout the degree :S. I did that because my tutors at my sixth form college told me a 2:1 was the standard grade that would make you highly employable...regardless of the degree.. tools... worst advice I ever followed. Obvioulsy the job market is a lot more competitive than it was when they went to uni)
If you are considering doing a degree in physics in the UK, job wise it won't be a good idea to pursue that path unless you achieve a first class degree from a good university.
If you get a 2:1 or less you'll most likely have to go into a career that is only losely related to physics or not at all. In that case it would have been better, job wise, to actually do a degree specifically related to such a career, e.g. programming, engineering, design, etc, etc.
I have a 2:1 honours, MPhys from The University of Sussex (a good degree from a good university) and have been unemployed for a year :S. Granted I haven't explored all my options and my personal circumstances are not usual but still...
In conlusion unless you are confident you can get a first class degree and actually do your utmost to get a first, right from the start through to the finish, and attend a good university, choose something else. Competition in the field of physics is extremely fierce. You have been warned; I wish I had been.
(P.S. my shortcoming was thinking that I could get away with a 2:1 and so not applying myself fully throughout the degree :S. I did that because my tutors at my sixth form college told me a 2:1 was the standard grade that would make you highly employable...regardless of the degree.. tools... worst advice I ever followed. Obvioulsy the job market is a lot more competitive than it was when they went to uni)
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