Gap Between Undergrad and Grad School

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the implications of a 4-5 year gap between undergraduate studies and graduate school for a physics major planning to serve in the Air Force. Participants explore concerns related to knowledge retention, application challenges, and potential pathways to graduate education, including the possibility of pursuing a master's degree first.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express concern about how much physics knowledge may be retained after a 4-5 year gap and the potential difficulties in applying to graduate school during that time.
  • Others suggest that pursuing a master's degree first, possibly with a review of undergraduate courses, could be a viable option, especially if financial support through the GI Bill is available.
  • There are differing views on whether working in a non-physics related field during the gap would significantly impact readiness for graduate studies.
  • Some participants highlight the importance of maintaining references and the challenges of transitioning back to a student lifestyle after several years of professional work.
  • Concerns are raised about personal life changes, such as relationships and financial responsibilities, that could affect the decision to pursue graduate education later.
  • One participant mentions the possibility of the Air Force funding further education, contingent on the individual's performance and job assignments.
  • Another participant warns that job assignments in the military may not align with personal educational goals, emphasizing the need for a backup plan.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that a significant gap can pose challenges, but there is no consensus on the extent of these challenges or the best approach to mitigate them. Multiple competing views on the implications of the gap and strategies for addressing it remain present throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the discussion is influenced by individual circumstances, such as personal motivation, financial situations, and the nature of military service, which may vary widely among those considering similar paths.

Mark Wolter
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Will having a 4-5 year gap between your undergrad and grad school hurt your chances of getting into a PhD program? I'm a physics major but I'm also doing ROTC and am planning on serving in the Air Force for 4 or 5 years after I graduate before applying to grad school. Are there any huge problems with doing this? Would doing a physics masters and then a PhD be a better route after getting out of the military? Thanks!
 
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Mark Wolter said:
Will having a 4-5 year gap between your undergrad and grad school hurt your chances of getting into a PhD program? I'm a physics major but I'm also doing ROTC and am planning on serving in the Air Force for 4 or 5 years after I graduate before applying to grad school. Are there any huge problems with doing this? Would doing a physics masters and then a PhD be a better route after getting out of the military? Thanks!

How much physics do you really think you'll remember in 4 or 5 years? How much harder will the actual act of applying to graduate school be then? How will your financial situation or relationship situation change by then?

It's not impossible(it's just going to be really really hard), but you're going a round about way to doing this if that's what you really want to do.
 
Student 100, couldn't I do a masters first and take a semester of undergrad courses as review? I would also qualify for the GI bill so I could get my masters paid for. Many people work between undergrad and graduate school. I don't see how this would be any different.
 
Mark Wolter said:
Student 100, couldn't I do a masters first and take a semester of undergrad courses as review? I would also qualify for the GI bill so I could get my masters paid for. Many people work between undergrad and graduate school. I don't see how this would be any different.

If you can find a masters program that is worth attending. The GI bill is great, and would help on that reguard. I'm still not sold on how much that will help.

Many people work between undergrad and graduate school, sure, but I'm not sure that many in physics or science in general do. Also, you aren't going to be doing anything related to physics, so it's not like you're an engineer working in your profession then returning to graduate school.

Like I said, it's going to be much much harder, but not impossible.
 
Mark Wolter said:
Will having a 4-5 year gap between your undergrad and grad school hurt your chances of getting into a PhD program? I'm a physics major but I'm also doing ROTC and am planning on serving in the Air Force for 4 or 5 years after I graduate before applying to grad school. Are there any huge problems with doing this? Would doing a physics masters and then a PhD be a better route after getting out of the military? Thanks!

The issue has less to do with the school than with you and your state of knowledge.

When you are ready to apply for grad school, you should also prepare to take your GRE tests. This might one of the early indicators that you may use to check the status of your knowledge. You should also prepare yourself, even upon admittance, that you may have to spend 1 or 2 years retaking undergraduate classes that you think need shoring up.

I don't think specifically applying to a Masters program would make a difference, because you'll go through the same thing if you apply directly for a PhD admission. However, if you really think that you have forgotten a lot more than you realize, and that you need more help than just retaking classes, then enrolling in a few classes for non-credit work might help.

Zz.
 
If you are good enough, then the air force will send you to school for a masters and possibly a PhD at AFIT...
 
Dr Transport said:
If you are good enough, then the air force will send you to school for a masters and possibly a PhD at AFIT...

They can also send you to the armpits of the Earth. Armed Forces tend not to deploy their service people in the nice quiet places where everyone gets along.

There are several issues you can expect to face with a 4-5 year gap. None are completely insurmountable, and most are pretty obvious.

  1. As other have said, you'll tend to get rusty. A 1-2 year gap is one thing (and people struggle with even that). But 4-5 years is a long time to be away from something. You'll need a plan to keep your skills up, which can be very tough when you're full-time engaged in something else. And as eluded to, you may have to do some remedial work on the other end.
  2. You need references to get into graduate school. A five year old reference only carries so much weight, even if it is stellar.
  3. Don't underestimate how much of a challenge it can be to regress to a student lifestyle after you've been earning a real-world paycheque for a while. It's easy to discount this while you're still a student, but once you have car payments or start to enjoy going out for dinner occasionally or wearing clothes that are less than four years old, etc. you might have second thoughts.
  4. Over 4-5 years that span your mid-twenties there is a high probability of entering into the two-body (on N-body) problem. Right now you're (presumably) single. If you get involved in a serious relationship or start a family, the decision to go to graduate school for 4-6 years will have direct consequences for those around you. As a 4(b) you might want to think about whether you'll want to delay having children through the completion of a PhD.
  5. Opportunity cost. You might want to think about things like RRSP contributions and mortgage payments too. Your service benefits may well balance these out, but remember most people will have started a long-term savings and investment plan, and started paying down a mortgage by their early thirties. It's hard to do this on a PhD stipend.
 
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Okay, thanks for all the responses everyone. I'm just trying to make plans for the future. I suppose I could try to get a job in the Air Force like Space Ops or Physicist where opportunities exist to go to grad school on the Air Force's dime. I appreciate all the input.
 
drcne said:
Yeah, or I'll just type the wrong number on accident

Mark Wolter said:
Okay, thanks for all the responses everyone. I'm just trying to make plans for the future. I suppose I could try to get a job in the Air Force like Space Ops or Physicist where opportunities exist to go to grad school on the Air Force's dime. I appreciate all the input.

Remember, grad school is almost always paid for by the university you attend. They pay your tuition, and you get a stipend (somewhere 20k-40k, depending on school).
 
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  • #10
Mark Wolter said:
I suppose I could try to get a job in the Air Force like Space Ops or Physicist

And what do you do when they say "Hi Mark. We need Personnel Officers. Guess what you are now?" Everything but everything is decided based on the needs of the service.
 
  • #11
Vanadium, I'm completely aware of that possibility. That's why I'm trying to have a plan B for going to grad school after the Air Force (in case I do get a job that would prove hard for me to go to grad school in the Air Force).
 

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