Non-prestigous schools and job opportunities

[Zula110100100]

I am currently a Music major at Metropolitan State College of Denver. I am considering switching my major to physics but I am wondering if where you get your bachelor's has an effect on you likely-hood to get a job/go to graduate school. Also, How is the job market for physicists? I don't even know what real job you could get unless you luck out and work for NASA or CERN or JPL or something, are there many other physics jobs out there?

 

[Highway]

if you go to stateU, get perfect scores on everything, take 8 classes a semester, and cure cancer, MIT will accept you. so the school name doesn't matter, it has to do with what you do while you're there.

if your school doesn't offer undergrad research, make sure you are involved outside of the classroom, and do well enough to get into summer research programs. grad schools want to see you doing professional level research in your chosen field.

 

[Zula110100100]

Grades should be good, not perfect, and I doubt I will cure cancer.

I work and am only able to go to school on loans, so how important is taking 8 classes a semester?

 

[Highway]

Grades should be good, not perfect, and I doubt I will cure cancer.

I work and am only able to go to school on loans, so how important is taking 8 classes a semester?

the idea is to do as much as you possibly can. . . most undergrads don't work and go to school, especially as a physics student. so try to do some research if your grades are good, that is the best thing you can do for yourself.

 

[Zula110100100]

Do you mean try to do some research as in try to do a summer research program as you mentioned earlier?

 

[Highway]

Do you mean try to do some research as in try to do a summer research program as you mentioned earlier?

yeah, most students try to get into a lab during the year and work on projects and publish papers, so if you are unable to do that, then you need to at least show an interest in research, and demonstrate an ability in it -- also, these are the profs that you want to write your letters of rec: "steve is a talented student who demonstrated great skill in my lab, he will be a huge asset to your program"

^ this is much better than "steve did well in my class"

 

[Zula110100100]

Oh, so you mean like with the professors of my school. I was under the impression you had to be a little on your way before that. I guess as far as that goes I should just get in contact with the physics dept. at my school?

 

[Highway]

Oh, so you mean like with the professors of my school. I was under the impression you had to be a little on your way before that. I guess as far as that goes I should just get in contact with the physics dept. at my school?

yeah, and then individual professors to see if they have room for students. i went through a prof and not the department. best thing to do is 1) email everyone asking if they take undergrads; or 2) email the profs who do work you are interested in saying something like "i really love the work you do and am interested in doing graduate research in a similar area later on, do you happen to have any room or projects that i could help you out with?"