Undergraduate Research: Weighing the Options

[rukshan]

Please tell your opinion with reasons (if possible). I hope this will be important for those who do not have a good undergrad research experience

Please consider all the factors including the demand, funding, research, jobs,...etc.

 

[robphy]

"Safer future"... in what sense? for whom? over what period?...

 

[Laura1013]

All the news I'm hearing is that funding for biology, life sciences, and the medical sciences is way up. Interestingly, the only other vote in the poll right now is for high-energy physics, an area that's getting funding slash in a huge way right now (in the U.S.).

 

[Mororvia]

Safer as in, job security? Thats what I'm guessing. If something else, I'll have to change my vote ;)

 

[robphy]

I would say that none of those fields "guarantees a safer future" for job security.
It's not so much the field... but your ability to succeed in that field... but nothing is guaranteed.

Maybe your question is more about "what's hot [fashionable] now"?

In what capacity do you want to work in that field?
Academic Research, Academic Teaching, Corporate Research, Industry, ...?
When [how long from now] will be you be in that position?

 

[tgt]

Feynman was once asked to comment on the future of physics. He chose an extremely long time period, one which he would not live to see. He was not shy to state his reason which was that he knew he would certainly be wrong and people would be there to point it out if it was during his lifetime.