Should I Be Enjoying My Physics Internship?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the experiences and feelings of a participant regarding their physics internship in an experimental cosmology lab. The focus is on the perceived lack of inspiration and engagement in the work compared to expectations, as well as concerns about future academic pursuits in physics, particularly a PhD.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses dissatisfaction with their internship, feeling that the work is uninteresting and trivial, leading to doubts about pursuing a Physics PhD.
  • Another participant suggests that it is unwise to compare internship experiences with those of Ph.D. holders, indicating that finding out what one does not like is a valuable part of the process.
  • A different viewpoint emphasizes that all jobs, including internships, often involve menial tasks that one must master before moving on to more significant responsibilities.
  • Some participants note that the tasks described by the original poster are similar to those experienced by graduate students, post-docs, and professors, suggesting a continuity in the nature of academic work.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that internships can involve uninteresting tasks and that this experience does not necessarily reflect future academic work. However, there is no consensus on whether the dissatisfaction is a bad sign for pursuing a PhD in physics.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights a range of experiences and expectations regarding internships and academic careers, with some participants noting the similarity between internship tasks and those of advanced academic roles, while others caution against drawing direct comparisons.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering internships in physics or related fields, individuals contemplating graduate studies in physics, and those interested in the realities of academic work in STEM disciplines.

hylander4
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This summer I've been working in an experimental cosmology lab, and its really not inspiring me to go into the field of experimental cosmology at all. At first I was pretty gung-ho about everything, but the work never really got interesting. I spend half my week looking up information about trivial things on the internet, about an hour actually thinking about a problem, and then the rest of the week writing a report about the tiny problem that I solved.

I'm glad that I've learned how to use a bunch of different software sweets, but, honestly, I had more fun (and got paid more for) killing bugs last summer than I'm having in this internship.

Did you guys enjoy your internships? Is this a bad sign for me if I had been thinking of a Physics PhD?
 
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I don't think it's wise to compare the work of an internship with that of a Ph.D. holder. :wink:

My advice is to give it some time. There's nothing wrong with finding out what you don't like about a subject.
 
All jobs, especially internships, suck until you prove yourself by competently executing menial tasks. Once you master coffee 101 [or lunch boy], your stock will rise. Einstein got his start as a patent clerk - you think he didn't lick any boots?
 
hylander4 said:
I spend half my week looking up information about trivial things on the internet, about an hour actually thinking about a problem, and then the rest of the week writing a report about the tiny problem that I solved.

Apart from occassionally substituting "grant proposal" for report, that's not too different from a week of mine.
 
Dembadon said:
I don't think it's wise to compare the work of an internship with that of a Ph.D. holder. :wink:

Except that in this case, it's pretty close to what a typical graduate student/post-doc/professor does.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
Apart from occassionally substituting "grant proposal" for report, that's not too different from a week of mine.

twofish-quant said:
Except that in this case, it's pretty close to what a typical graduate student/post-doc/professor does.

Good to know!
 

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