Is it too late for me to pursue physics?

  • Thread starter Thread starter dbush2765
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Physics
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the concerns of a participant regarding the feasibility of pursuing a physics degree later in life, particularly in relation to graduate school admissions. It includes considerations of part-time study, credit transfer, and the impact of time taken to complete a degree on future academic opportunities.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • A participant expresses concern about the time it may take to complete a BS in physics while working full-time and attending night classes.
  • Some participants suggest that taking multiple years to complete a degree as a part-time student is not inherently problematic.
  • One participant notes that concerns about extended duration for a degree may apply primarily to traditional full-time students, implying that the context of part-time study may be viewed differently by graduate schools.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that being a part-time student does not necessarily reflect poorly on graduate school applications, but there is some uncertainty regarding how admissions committees view extended timelines for degree completion.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference differing perceptions of degree completion timelines based on student status (part-time vs. full-time) and the implications for graduate school applications, but no consensus is reached on the specific criteria used by admissions committees.

dbush2765
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
So long story short, I've already graduated from a technical college with an Associate's of Technology in Control Systems Technology (think industrial programming) with 85 credit hours in the bag and a 4.0. I'm currently working full time as a database administrator for a marketing company in St. Louis, Missouri.

I would love to get into the science field though. I've actually already applied and got accepted to University of Missouri - St. Louis, with physics as my declared major (unfortunately, only 34 of my 85 credit hours transferred over). I actually start my Calculus I class tonight. The plan is to get a BS in physics, and hopefully transition into astrophysics in grad school.

How likely is grad school for me though? I'm assuming it will take me longer than four years to get my BS, considering I'm at the mercy of night classes. When it comes time for the higher level courses, I can convince my boss to let me work from home a few days a week so I can take those classes, but I don't really have that option for these easier courses at the moment. Even this semester, I was hoping to take more classes, but Calc I was all I could get into since I was coming in at spring semester.

I'm absolutely determined to get a 4.0, but I'm afraid the time it will take for me to get the BS will be a red flag to grad schools. I'm just afraid of getting my hopes up, I guess.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Taking multiple years because you're part time is not a problem.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
Taking multiple years because you're part time is not a problem.

Awesome, that's a huge relief. I had seen a few people mention that taking too long on a BS could be a red flag on a grad school application, so that's where the worry was coming from.

Thanks!
 
That applies if you're a "traditional" full-time student. In that case, taking more than 4-5 years to finish a bachelor's degree (in the US) sometimes correlates with failing many courses and having to repeat them.
 

Similar threads

Other Is it too late to pursue physics?
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
Admissions Graduating a year early anxieties + grad school
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K
Admissions Dropped out for 5 years -- What are my chances at Grad schools?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Admissions Plasma Physics PhD from an EE undergrad
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Career Direction after rough end to Physics degree
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
3K
Programs Questions About Referrals for Physics REUs (for Undergrads)
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Programs Is it too late for me to get into Physics?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Uncertainty in pursuing Engineering
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
2K
Other Physics PhD after working for few years
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
Programs Physics Masters at undergrad school before PhD?
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
3K