How has you chosen grad school affected your career path?

[Newtons Blue Dog]

Hey guys, just after some advice on the perceived importance of finding a top notch college to attend post-graduate studies. They field I have a passion for is Astrophysics (yes crazy hard to get a job I know) and I was wondering if anyone has any advice on choosing graduate schools and how that choice has positively or negatively affected their future career paths.

I have heard from a few people that the choice of supervisor can be a make or break factor into how your career immediately after grad school pans out.

 

[f95toli]

I have heard from a few people that the choice of supervisor can be a make or break factor into how your career immediately after grad school pans out.

Indeed, most of the time the choice of supervisor is going to be much more important than the school you go to. It is certainly also the case (at least there in the UK) that there are many example of successful scientists who are not great as supervisors (in some cases because they run large groups and don't have time to effectively supervise their students). Hence, there are many variables that come into this and I don't think there is a way to guarantee success..
Regardless of what you do you will need a backup plan, you should always remember that most students will eventually end up working outside of academia and luck plays a very large part in who has a "successful" academic career.

 

[jtbell]

In February you were just about to start an undergraduate physics major. How far have you gotten in coursework, and how is it going, so far?

 

[Newtons Blue Dog]

Yep that's right. Just finished first year and have done really well. So am in the position to change universities if there would be any advantage. My university doesn't have many good ties to top level grad schools. But that's not bothered me so far.