How likely is Physics grad school for me?

[gasaway.ryan]

Hi all. I am a Math and Philosophy double major at a top 20 university. I have recently been putting a lot of thought into what I want to do after graduation but am basically pretty lost.

I was the best physics student in my high school during my junior and senior years and really enjoyed the subject so I am thinking about possibly earning a PhD in physics. However, I have only taken the first year of university physics and am entering my third year of college in the fall.

Is it still possible for me to get into a graduate program? Is being a physicist something I need to be "passionate" about? Because really I'm not passionate about much at this point, I just want a job making good money that will be intellectually challenging and interesting.

 

[Choppy]

You're going to have a very tough time getting into a physics graduate program if you've only done first year physics. Assuming that you take the necessary physics courses over the next two years (or extend your undergrad) there's no reason you couldn't get into a physics graduate program.

The other question has to do with passion. If you want to do a PhD, you're going to need at least a little of it. Graduate student life is tough - long hours, minimal pay, little respect, lots of frustration when things don't work out, etc. You need to have something that will drive you through all of that.

If your primary goal is an intellectually challenging job that pays well, there are much better avenues than a PhD in physics.

 

[Ben Espen]

There are definitely other avenues than a PhD in physics if you want a worthwhile job. I found myself quite uncertain what to do when I was finishing my BS in Physics. I had figured out that I didn't want a PhD badly enough to get one. One of the primary determinants of success in grad school is your work ethic, more so than your smarts. Grad school can be a real grind.

I was thinking of doing a Masters in Computer Science when I got a process engineering job in the medical device industry. At first, I was honestly pretty bored. Entry level work is just that. There is a reason the FNG gets to do those things. However, if you stick to it and work your way up you can have all the challenge you would ever want in industry. As my level of experience and responsibility grew, my satisfaction did as well. I have now been working for 7 years, and made a lot more money in that time than I would have in a PhD program, and had more fun too. Sometimes I think I could just now be starting my career if I chosen the other route. Of course assuming I didn't wash out, which would have been likely.