Is it too late for a physics degree?

[Skins]

I agree with this, but on another note... It's against the law, during the hiring process, to ask "How old you are?", "When did you graduate college?", and "What is your birthday?". In my experience as well, the only time they would be able to even find out my age is when I filled out tax information or when I needed a background check/security clearance. Both of these happen after the 1st interview anyways. Good luck.

http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/discrimination/agedisc.htm#lawregs

Yes, I added the age discrimination thing into my post as an afterthought. And, like you said, there are other ways that an employer can estimate or obtain a persons exact age. For one, apearance is a giveaway. Then tax forms, background checks, etc.

For all practicality one has to expect the job hunt to be harder and to take longer if you are older and starting out in a new profession. At times it may even seem downright discouraging... I know, I've been there. But the key is to never give up and keep trying. Another good idea is to network with people. family, friends, ex-coworkers, clubs, schools, organization and affiliations. Sometimes these people can help to clue you into new jobs and openings as well as put in a good word for you, give a positive reference, etc.

 

[Andy E]

I'm really glad I found this site. Thank you to the contributors who have described their experiences and journeys to physics!

I'm 32 and about to try and get my UK maths and physics qualifications so that I can apply to do physics at undergraduate level. My aim is to become research scientist. So if I complete the BS, MS and PhD then I'd be at least 42 before I could apply for jobs, probably closer to 45..

I'm already educated to MA level and I threw in a career in the charity sector, the career I'd trained for and worked hard to start, because I was sure there was something more meaningful to be involved in. I've been fascinated by astro and quantum physics since the age of 17 and I feel I need to understand this to make my knowledge about the world around me more complete. I also feel it will consolidate in some way my religious beliefs/faith.

I know the odds are stacked against me for completing the 10 years study required to become a research physicist because of the difficulty of it and my age. And I know that even if I did get there, then it's unlikely I would actually 'contribute' in any significant way to the field (I think all physics students harbor secret thoughts of being the next Einstein!). From what I've researched so far, doing research physics on a day to day level and being involved in this sector has its pluses and negatives just like any other;

http://www.iop.org/careers/workinglife/articles/page_39060.html

It may be that I end up teaching physics in school or that once I've gotten to grips with theoretical physics then my focus will have changed again completely.. Essentially it is the journey that counts on something like this, something where you have to go with what you feel you are called to do and be less concerned with how it will turn out. Understanding how we demonstrate dual wave-beam nature of electrons, black holes, string theory (I could go on..) is becoming my driving motivation in life and the thing I need to achieve. I've studied a lot of things and this is the one academic subject that genuinely confounds me - like the last great mountain I need to climb.

Good luck to everyone on this journey no matter the age!

 

[snkk197]

Just an update to my last post - I graduated top of my class last month in BSc Physics and am starting my PhD at a different uni in September :-) It was a lot of hard work, but bloody well worth it. I don't know how meaningful my contribution to science will be ultimately - I suspect it will be like many, where I will make small gains in highly specific fields. As said before, just keep at it, use all the resources you have, particularly advice from your lecturers, don't worry about the age thing (here in the UK employers can't use age as part of their recruitment process), and good luck!