Student Membership Benefits at APS: Is It Worth It?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Simfish
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Student
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the value of student membership in professional societies like the American Physical Society (APS). Key benefits include free online access to prestigious journals, a subscription to Physics Today, reduced registration fees for conferences, and enhanced resume credentials. However, some participants question the actual value of these benefits if their university already provides access to the journals. Concerns are raised about the perception of resume padding when listing multiple memberships, especially if the individual is not actively engaged in related activities. The conversation highlights the importance of professional societies in providing networking opportunities and keeping members informed about the physics community, while also suggesting the potential advantages of joining local student chapters.
Simfish
Gold Member
Messages
811
Reaction score
2
The benefits are listed at http://www.aps.org/membership/student.cfm

You get a free online subscription to Physical Review Letters, Reviews of Modern Physics or one section of Physical Review.

But is that really a benefit if your university already has access to these journals?
 
Physics news on Phys.org


You'll get a copy of Physics Today, which is good. You'll get reduced registration fees for their conferences. And you can put it on your resume, which will show internships/grad schools that you're getting involved.
 


Hm I see. I can view all physics today articles for free (on my university connection) even when I'm not logged on though. And if I put it on my resume, does that just make me look like I'm padding up my resume? (especially since I'm not doing anything in it?)
 


I wouldn't say so...professional societies are good.

I'm an aerospace major, and I am a member of AIAA (professional soceity for aerospace) and IEEE. I'm also considering joining SIAM, APS, and AMS...
 


Simfish said:
Hm I see. I can view all physics today articles for free (on my university connection) even when I'm not logged on though. And if I put it on my resume, does that just make me look like I'm padding up my resume? (especially since I'm not doing anything in it?)

A student membership also gives you discounted (even free) registration to conferences, and prompt news on what's going on within the physics community. They may also send you info that specifically benefits students.

Besides, it is always a nice thing to support a professional organization that you either find beneficial, or something you might work in. Note that if you have a SPS branch at your school, then you might want to consider joining that since it ties in with the APS as well.

Zz.
 


Oh okay - thanks for the info.

Hm, if I'm a member of 3 professional societies, then is it resume padding to put this membership on my CVs?
 

Thread 'What are the best A-Level options for someone wanting to do Physics?'

Bit Britain-specific but I was wondering, what's the best path to take for A-Levels out of the following (I know Y10 seems a bit early to be thinking about A-levels, but my choice will impact what I do this year/ in y11) I (almost) definitely want to do physics at University - so keep that in mind... The subjects that I'm almost definitely going to take are Maths, Further Maths and Physics, and I'm taking a fast track programme which means that I'll be taking AS computer science at the end...
View full post »

Thread 'Hepth programs in Europe'

After a year of thought, I decided to adjust my ratio for applying the US/EU(+UK) schools. I mostly focused on the US schools before, but things are getting complex and I found out that Europe is also a good place to study. I found some institutes that have professors with similar interests. But gaining the information is much harder than US schools (like you have to contact professors in advance etc). For your information, I have B.S. in engineering (low GPA: 3.2/4.0) in Asia - one SCI...
View full post »

Thread 'Should I pursue a masters degree after 4.5 years working in IT?'

I graduated with a BSc in Physics in 2020. Since there were limited opportunities in my country (mostly teaching), I decided to improve my programming skills and began working in IT, first as a software engineer and later as a quality assurance engineer, where I’ve now spent about 3 years. While this career path has provided financial stability, I’ve realized that my excitement and passion aren’t really there, unlike what I felt when studying or doing research in physics. Working in IT...
View full post »

Similar threads

Job Skills APS: Success in Industry Careers Webinar Series
Replies
5
Views
2K
Programs Cal Poly SLO vs a UCSB Physics Undergrad
Replies
14
Views
3K
Courses Edinburgh, Imperial, Oxford, Cambridge....?
Replies
10
Views
3K
Which Physics Journal is Best for Second-Year Undergraduates?
Replies
8
Views
3K
Schools Recommendation for able high school physics students
Replies
1
Views
2K
List of recognized journals in Relativity and Gravitation
Replies
4
Views
8K
What's the best major between Physics & Chemistry for entering MS in Nuclear Engineering?
Replies
12
Views
2K
Admissions Curious about my grad school prospects
Replies
3
Views
3K
Schools Which University should I go to for my undergrad in physics?
2
Replies
82
Views
7K
Other Engineering Physics vs Pure Physics
Replies
11
Views
3K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top