- #1
soothsayer
- 423
- 5
Hey PF!
So I just finished my undergrad degree in Astrophysics, and I'm interested in going back to get my PhD. I really love physics, and I don't mind the kind of grind and time that it would take to be a successful PhD student. I'm not looking to get higher paying jobs after I get my PhD, I really just want to put myself in a position to have a more exciting career in physics or physics-related industries. I'd be really interested in becoming a researcher, or maybe even a professor.
My problem is that I just don't think I did well enough for myself in my undergrad career to be able to have a very fruitful graduate career. I've already talked to a few guys with PhDs in Physics about grad school, and one thought it would be worth it for me to do, one was wary of the kind of opportunities that I'd have, and the programs I could get into, and one generally believed that grad school for physics was a scam and wouldn't really recommend it for anyone.
So, I don't know what to think. I graduated from a UC with about a 3.2, and my Physics GRE score was just around the 50 percentile. I plan on retaking the GRE, but I'm not sure I'll do much better, if at all. I know these numbers won't get me into a top-notch program, and I'm wondering if trying to get a PhD in the first place would be worth it to me at all. Many people have suggested getting a Masters in Engineering, but I'm not really sure I'd be interested in that at all.
What do you guys think?
So I just finished my undergrad degree in Astrophysics, and I'm interested in going back to get my PhD. I really love physics, and I don't mind the kind of grind and time that it would take to be a successful PhD student. I'm not looking to get higher paying jobs after I get my PhD, I really just want to put myself in a position to have a more exciting career in physics or physics-related industries. I'd be really interested in becoming a researcher, or maybe even a professor.
My problem is that I just don't think I did well enough for myself in my undergrad career to be able to have a very fruitful graduate career. I've already talked to a few guys with PhDs in Physics about grad school, and one thought it would be worth it for me to do, one was wary of the kind of opportunities that I'd have, and the programs I could get into, and one generally believed that grad school for physics was a scam and wouldn't really recommend it for anyone.
So, I don't know what to think. I graduated from a UC with about a 3.2, and my Physics GRE score was just around the 50 percentile. I plan on retaking the GRE, but I'm not sure I'll do much better, if at all. I know these numbers won't get me into a top-notch program, and I'm wondering if trying to get a PhD in the first place would be worth it to me at all. Many people have suggested getting a Masters in Engineering, but I'm not really sure I'd be interested in that at all.
What do you guys think?