- #1
hadsed
- 492
- 2
Hey guys, I'm new here. I read Zz's 'So you want to be a physicist', great post and I learned a lot about it. However, I have some questions pertaining specifically to theoretical physicists.
Are there less theoretical physicist jobs than experimental physicist jobs? What constitutes a theoretical physicist's job anyway? I'm under the impression that they work a lot with mathematics and [duh] theory, but do they do any experimental work at all? This seems as though they're confined greatly to faculty positions at universities. I have a great passion for mathematics and physics, especially theory, but I don't want to major in mathematics or computer science because I really love physics and that incorporates both (or all three). What exactly do theoretical physicists work on? I mean, is it more difficult than experimental physicist jobs? Are there actually jobs for theoretical physicists to actually work as theoretical physicists?
Also, I have a few questions about research. Do undergraduates often do research simultaneously during semesters? When do they usually begin? I'm very eager to start but I don't want to get off on the wrong foot asking researchers for things that aren't even feasible or sensible.
Any advice at all is appreciated, thanks.
Are there less theoretical physicist jobs than experimental physicist jobs? What constitutes a theoretical physicist's job anyway? I'm under the impression that they work a lot with mathematics and [duh] theory, but do they do any experimental work at all? This seems as though they're confined greatly to faculty positions at universities. I have a great passion for mathematics and physics, especially theory, but I don't want to major in mathematics or computer science because I really love physics and that incorporates both (or all three). What exactly do theoretical physicists work on? I mean, is it more difficult than experimental physicist jobs? Are there actually jobs for theoretical physicists to actually work as theoretical physicists?
Also, I have a few questions about research. Do undergraduates often do research simultaneously during semesters? When do they usually begin? I'm very eager to start but I don't want to get off on the wrong foot asking researchers for things that aren't even feasible or sensible.
Any advice at all is appreciated, thanks.