Doing very well....but kind of lost

[CubismCubed]

Some background: I'm currently going into my senior year in a Biochemistry/Biophysics (BB) program at a large state university. I currently have a physics minor but I'm going to end up just a few courses shy of a physics major if all goes according to plan. I'm doing very well academically - 3.88 GPA (3.82 in my major and 4.00 in my physics minor FWIW), I've TA'd calculus based physics classes for a year, and all my professors seem to like me and think highly of me.

In short, despite my academic success I'm finding myself pretty unfulfilled and that's making grad school applications fairly stressful. Over the past year I have seen my interest in my BB classes wane while my interest in physics classes has increased and I've been sparse in the biochem/genetics lab that I work in mainly due to a lack of interest. I think that my PI recognizes my lack of interest but doesn't really want to confront me about it and I know that I lack the conviction to let him know. Of note, the way my major works I haven't actually taken any biophysics classes yet, I will take a sequence of three courses this year.

As graduate school open their applications I'm increasingly getting more and more stressed. I have no idea what type of grad program I should be applying to (or if I should even be applying in the first place) - do I bank on liking my biophysics classes (I loved physical chemistry and did exceptionally well in it so maybe tis is an option), do I apply to physics programs and attempt to explain why I don't have a physics major and why I one of my recommendations is from a biochemist, should I stay a fifth year to get a phyiscs major and work in a lab and then decide, or should I just graduate with a degree in biochem/biophysics and figure something else out?

I've talked with one physics professor about this and his advice was to stay for a fifth year and get a physics degree which is what I'm leaning towards but I'm hesitant to commit to any decision.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I know that a forum may not be the typical place to ask for major life advice but I imagine that others have been through similar situations.

 

[Choppy]

It's not always easy figuring out what path you want to take. I think a lot of people have this notion somewhere in their heads that there is an "ideal"
path for them and that everything will be perfect just so long as they find it. The reality is that there is no single ideal path, but lots of possible paths that one can do very well on, but none of which are perfect.

Based on what you've written, it seems like you've tried the biochemistry route and tried to get involved in research in that area, but it's just not doing it for you. If that's the case, you should think about why you're not excited about it. If it's the whole process of doing research or the competitive atmosphere of academia, then these might indicate that biochemistry isn't the problem, but research itself - in which case maybe graduate school may not be a great choice for you. On the other hand, if you're just not interested in the problem you're working on, and instead you find yourself reading up on problems in physics in your free time, that would indicate you're just not in the right field for you.

If physics is really the direction you want to go in, completing an undergraduate degree in it is likely going to be the best option. Otherwise you'll struggle with admission to graduate school, and if you do get in, you'll struggle with the coursework and exams that you'll have to take and will be starting off at a disadvantage compared to your peers.

A reference letter from a biochemistry professor in an application for physics graduate school is fine - particularly if you've done research work for this person and you have other reference letters from physicists. The reference letters all taken together are used to construct a picture of you as a candidate. Transcripts and standardized exam scores will tell admissions committees how you perform academically, but they also need to assess how capable you are of working on a long-term research project, working independently, tackling problems that don't have pre-defined solutions, and interacting with others who are doing the same things.

 

[jtbell]

I'm going to end up just a few courses shy of a physics major if all goes according to plan.

Which courses would you be missing? For admission to graduate school in physics, the key undergraduate courses are usually the following upper-division ones: classical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and thermodynamics (including some statistical mechanics).

 

[Dr. Courtney]

For me, most of the above issues resolved themselves through my participation in research, both directly (learning what I liked and didn't like) as well as through contact with grad students and faculty members on a daily basis to get their feedback.

 

[CrysPhys]

To OP: Just to clarify. If you stay a fifth year to get a BS in physics, will you also receive your BS in BB, either separately at the end of your fourth year, or as a BB/Physics dual major at the end of your fifth year? If you do get both degrees, it would appear that's the most reasonable option. Since your fondness for biochem is waning, it's not a great idea to apply for a PhD in biochem, correct? Unfortunately, you haven't taken your biophysics courses yet, so you don't know whether or not to pursue a PhD in biophysics. Let's assume that you do like your biophysics courses and decide to pursue a PhD in biophysics, then completing a BS in physics will certainly strengthen your background and position you better for grad school. Now let's assume that you do not like your biophysics courses and decide to pursue a PhD in some other branch of physics (you've indicated that your overall interest in physics has been growing), then completing your BS in physics will certainly strengthen your background and position you better for grad school. If for some reason, you flip-flop during your fifth year, and decide you would prefer to pursue a PhD in biochem, you have your BS BB to fall back on, the physics courses will still probably be of general value in the future ... and more importantly, you will have enough to make an informed choice before you enter a PhD program and spend 5+ yrs (or kick yourself for the wrong choice part way in).