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So first of all a little background. I am a rising sophomore at Swarthmore College and I have absolutely no idea what I want to do when I grow up. I have had some free time this summer before my internship starts and have been thinking about it, so I can plan classes out for the near future.
I am really interested in international affairs and foreign policy, but don't really want to bank on making a career out of it just because it is not something to get into easily. I also am very interested in science, understanding how the world works. I love nothing more than watching a good history channel show on the universe or reading about advances in dark matter or string theory. I also figure that if I get a science degree I can go into defense and whatnot (RAND, MITRE, etc) - the other way is much harder.
So here I am sitting wondering what exactly it is like to be a scientist? I did not take physics last semester and if I want to get back on track I have to self-study mechanics over the summer and place out of it to get into e&m. I am willing to do this but I want to make sure its the right thing for me. What exactly is research in physics like? Is it enjoyable? Are physics PhDs happy with their lives?
Because I took the semester off from physics I had began to consider possibly going for a math major which I am currently on track for. I enjoyed my high school statistics class and figured if I concentrated in applied math and statistics I could work in a manner similar to that a physicist would do. I think even if I major in physics I can still fairly easily major in math so this is a little less of a concern but any comments on the field of mathematics might help as well.
I'm not even sure if I want to do physics and I am already concerned with looking at graduate schools. One of the things I am worried about is grades at Swarthmore. I love the school but its certainly hard to get a good gpa. I have a great understanding of things that I have taken classes in and have learned so much, but I am still going with a gpa in the low 3s right now. Swarthmore in known for low grades, and is especially hard in the sciences, but I am afraid I won't be able to get into a very respectable research PhD program if this is the path I choose to take. Should this be a concern for me?
I think the overall thing I am concerned with is what I am going to do with my life. I know that isn't something I should be worrying about now but I am a little and would like to just have a better idea of things. I would greatly appreciate any insight on physics/applied math/stat research and careers and possibly how they can be connected to work in foreign policy and defense. I also love to travel, especially abroad. Is this something that can be a part of the life of a scientist? Also, should I plan to take programming/comp sci classes or do the skills I need for that come with the other classes I will take?
WOW sorry for such a long thread! I guess this is what happens when I have a lot of free time :p Thanks in advance for any insights :D
I am really interested in international affairs and foreign policy, but don't really want to bank on making a career out of it just because it is not something to get into easily. I also am very interested in science, understanding how the world works. I love nothing more than watching a good history channel show on the universe or reading about advances in dark matter or string theory. I also figure that if I get a science degree I can go into defense and whatnot (RAND, MITRE, etc) - the other way is much harder.
So here I am sitting wondering what exactly it is like to be a scientist? I did not take physics last semester and if I want to get back on track I have to self-study mechanics over the summer and place out of it to get into e&m. I am willing to do this but I want to make sure its the right thing for me. What exactly is research in physics like? Is it enjoyable? Are physics PhDs happy with their lives?
Because I took the semester off from physics I had began to consider possibly going for a math major which I am currently on track for. I enjoyed my high school statistics class and figured if I concentrated in applied math and statistics I could work in a manner similar to that a physicist would do. I think even if I major in physics I can still fairly easily major in math so this is a little less of a concern but any comments on the field of mathematics might help as well.
I'm not even sure if I want to do physics and I am already concerned with looking at graduate schools. One of the things I am worried about is grades at Swarthmore. I love the school but its certainly hard to get a good gpa. I have a great understanding of things that I have taken classes in and have learned so much, but I am still going with a gpa in the low 3s right now. Swarthmore in known for low grades, and is especially hard in the sciences, but I am afraid I won't be able to get into a very respectable research PhD program if this is the path I choose to take. Should this be a concern for me?
I think the overall thing I am concerned with is what I am going to do with my life. I know that isn't something I should be worrying about now but I am a little and would like to just have a better idea of things. I would greatly appreciate any insight on physics/applied math/stat research and careers and possibly how they can be connected to work in foreign policy and defense. I also love to travel, especially abroad. Is this something that can be a part of the life of a scientist? Also, should I plan to take programming/comp sci classes or do the skills I need for that come with the other classes I will take?
WOW sorry for such a long thread! I guess this is what happens when I have a lot of free time :p Thanks in advance for any insights :D