Is Switching from EE to Physics for Graduate Studies a Good Idea?

[fineline.]

Hi all,
I am new to this forum actually my first post in it but I've read many topics before I start a new one,I hope it works and attracts comments.
I did my undergrad in EE. and I worked in telecom softwares for 3 years.But I always had that deep care and passion for science within.
I am planning to go for science in graduate school,mainly in Physics/Complex Systems which is inherently a http://necsi.org/" ). I plan to start Ms from a non competitive university ( I consider San Jose State Univ. Physics for Msc,any comments?) just to broaden and build my fundamentals skills in Physics , and then switch to a well-established research group for the PhD.After the PhD i have enough knowledge and have even examined my own ideas to start my own life-time career.
The reason I chose Physics is its own beauty(something personally that you enjoy it),the analytical skills it brings to us ,its connection to experiment,and that it has abstracted in many ways the complex world around us so we can grasp the ideas very firmly , clearly and enjoying them at the same time.
How do you think about my fantasy?as this fantasy is going to shape my future,do you have any comment or critics on it?

 

[ozymandias]

Hey,

I'm pretty new here myself :).
I wish you good luck in pursuing your dreams. Just one small comment:

I plan to start Ms from a non competitive university

Definitely a no-no. Don't hold yourself back, it will damage your career if you seek one. Did you ever meet a smoker who stopped smoking "just a bit" every day? I haven't either. If you've chosen to be a research scientist, great - go get 'em, march proudly at the head of the formation. Don't hide, don't procrastinate, don't feel inferior or unworthy. Have confidence in yourself! Learn as you go. And I'll say it again: don't hide in your shell.

Your greatest concern at this point is finding a sympathetic and generous Msc advisor at a well known group. Some of them are actually nice human beings, you should try writing a few emails :).

Good luck!

 

[fineline.]

thank you for your encouragement!I just think the real research would begin in PhD program,so maybe its better to learn and master the basic skills and Read well in masters ,under no pressure.(I am not originally trained as a phycisist in undergrad,i am graduated in electrical eng.)
BTW,I read your blog and I really enjoyed it,specially the figures are very nice and friendly:)

 

[ozymandias]

Hi fineline,

There's a guy sitting next to me right now at my lab. He is an EE, doing research in a non-EE field (NMR). He's extremely competent. So, as long as you have decent math skills (can you solve simple PDEs? Can you do Fourier?) and physics (mechanics, electrodynamics, some simple statistical mechanics), you'll be fine. Research is anyway about a field you've never seen before, meaning you'll be doing lots of reading regardless of your background. Being comfortable around mathematics is the most important thing for you, the rest is much less of an issue. So, I'll reiterate - don't hide in your shell, and don't be afraid of "the pressure". There really isn't any pressure in Msc, anyway :).

Thanks about the blog comments. The pictures look like that because I have absolutely no graphics-design skills

Assaf.
http://www.physicallyincorrect.com"