Going into final year. Undergrad thesis and what to do after?

AI Thread Summary
Entering the fourth year of an honors physics program raises concerns about career direction and passion for the field. The individual expresses interest in scientific computing and seeks advice on stable and engaging STEM or non-STEM fields to explore with a physics degree, as well as potential master's programs. They also need guidance on selecting an undergraduate thesis topic, ideally related to the suggested fields, and have prior research experience in computational astronomy. Additionally, they are uncertain about course selection for their final year, particularly between senior electromagnetic theory and quantum mechanics, while also considering the balance of physics and applied math courses. The discussion highlights the importance of aligning academic choices with personal interests and career prospects.
mangoflux
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Hi everyone!

So I'm about to enter my 4th year in an honors physics program (in Canada if that matters) and my biggest concern is that I don't know what to do with my life after, what field to get into, etc.. things like that. and honestly I'm not even sure if I like physics anymore :(! I do know, however, that I find scientific computing pretty neat, (i'm pretty decent with MATLAB,C,C++, Fortran) and of course, Physics makes a lot of use of scientific computing. So I wouldn't mind staying in the field of physics in that regard... if that makes sense. (Also don't mind some hands-on experimental work, but not my strong suite)

I was wondering, what are some fields of STEM (or non STEM) worth getting into/checking out with physics degree? and by this i mean in terms of employment stability, interesting work(of course this is subjective, but hopefully I can get some objective comparisons such as how much if it is 'routine' work versus 'non-routine'.) And of these fields, what would be a good idea to get a Masters in? (as of right now, I don't think I'm passionate enough in anything to pursue a phD, but Masters certainly seems attainable).

Which brings my to my next problem, I have absolutely no clue what to do for my undergrad thesis! so I was hoping, based off some suggestions on fields, I could look for thesis projects as close to the suggested field(s) as possible and do a thesis based on that... I should mention that I do have some undergrad research experience working with a prof doing some computational work in astronomy, but of course I want to do something in a different field for my senior thesis.

Also, might as well ask about input on course selection... so in my last year of my honors, I have 1.5 credits to complete to finish off the honors physics requirement. the rest of my credits are electives (3.5). Undergraduate thesis is 1.0, and 0.5 is one senior physics class. I'm planning on taking either senior EM or QM for that 0.5... does anyone have any input on which to take in this regard? should I take both to keep my options open? (note: I've of course already taken a 3rd year level QM and EM). The rest of my courses are all applied math/programming courses... Should I reconsider and take more Physics instead even though I'm not sure I want to continue pursuing physics?

Thanks a bunch for any input :)
 
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