Is a career in physics really worthy? is it really that

>>7691149
>Is a career in physics really worthy?

If you love physics. If you want money/fame, etc. there are better ways to go about it.

>is it really that hard to get a job after?
If you want to be a professor, yes. Especially in certain subfields. But there are tons of places that employ physicists, you definitely won't be without a nice paying job.

>>7691170
Thanks senpai

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>>7691149
do physics 1,2,3 and then pick electrical engineering or mechanical engineering,etc

you can always get a BS MS in EE,etc then PhD in Physics

if you do a degree in physics, be premed. there are no "physics" jobs without being a professor at a university.

Not hard to get a Job, hard to get a job within physics which is a right kick in the bollocks when you realise you spent 8 years training for that field.

physics is the only meme degree more memer than math

I did Physics and PhD. Looking back on my career and those of my fellow PhD students (so this is just more than a single data point):
- getting a post.doc job isn't too hard; this is the first step on a huge ladder where "tenure" is the promised land way beyond the cloud layer. and your position is slave labour.
- pay is dire, positions last 2 - 3 years and you need many rounds to get tenure
- no social life, no family life; in fact one fellow researcher lived a while under his desk I(not joking here) to save money
- on the plus side you can get post.doc positions in more exotic countries like Japan (I did) and you can learn the language and culture (I did) which will help you later in life
- if tenure isn't coming your way you can jump to industry and get a R&D job
- much "research" in industry is just glorified development but it pays, a whole lot more than in academia
- you can always get a software job where "research" is even more inflated as a concept and social life is dire or non existing
- many start in patenting, either as a patent examiner or patent agent/attorney, where both positions are well paid and job security is pretty good and your R&D and language skills are appreciated.

Getting return on a PhD in Physics takes time but in the end it was worth it for me and I do not regret it.

>>7691149
I can give you my opinion on maths grad stuff. It's similar.
>>7685030
>>7685033

>>7692719
Mind saying more on the PhD route? As above, I'm considering the maths PhD route, although I'm looking more and more to actuary.

>>7692719
How competitivr is high energy physics grad proframs at low ranking schools for a domestic US undergraduate?

>>7692782
>Mind saying more on the PhD route? As above, I'm considering the maths PhD route, although I'm looking more and more to actuary.
I did solid state physics, normally relatively safe approach wrt. jobs. Also I did it as experimental physics (as opposed to theoretical or by computer simulation) which also helps wrt. job prospects.

I left academia and went to industry to pay my student loans. I am still not used to having disposable income...

>>7692811
>How competitivr is high energy physics grad proframs at low ranking schools for a domestic US undergraduate?
Not sure though my impression is that it is a narrow and competitive field with limited job opportunities outside academia and natnl. labs.

Oh, one more detail about the PhD and life as a researcher: it usually kills off your chances of getting married. 2 years fellowships and then move, perhaps overseas? No spouse will accept this.

>>7693254
Any tips for actually applying to physics graduate school?

>>7693271
Sure.

1: make sure you know what you are in for
2: make clear in your application that you actually know what you are signing up for an, most importantly, that you are a stayer who will follow through, and on time, willing to take whatever it takes to complete the PhD studies.

>>7694032
>make clear in your application that you actually know what you are signing up for an, most importantly, that you are a stayer who will follow through, and on time, willing to take whatever it takes to complete the PhD studies.
Isn't that the case for any application for anything?