Where to Pick Up Women In the Sciences?

[Ascendant0]

I'm making a big life change. Physics has always been a hobby of mine, but going back to college to finish a long overdue degree in physics. I'd love to find some social circles, particularly since I don't have any friends in this area yet.

As far as college, I'm in my 40s, so I'm probably going to be seen as the weird old guy going to school. I also know that the vast majority of the people in my classes (starting back at my 3rd year of undergrad) is going to be men. So, even if I manage to build social circles with the younger college students, my odds of finding someone there will be slim.

I'm honestly lonely. I've been so wrapped up in work and preparing for college that I have virtually no social life, and miss having a significant other. I'd love to have someone to share this experience with, someone to talk about all of it with. I've never had a hard time finding women, just a hard time finding the *right* women, and what I want now I know is a niche that's hard to find.

Back when I did college before, we had what we called "star parties," where we'd get together with a bunch of telescopes, but of course that's late at night, so socializing there isn't really feasible. There were study groups, but again nearly everyone in it was men. Looked at the local Meetup groups, none locally for anything to do with science.

I have a couple dating profiles, but with how picky I am in what I'm looking for, typical dating sites are impractical for me.

If anyone has any suggestions of ways to find social circles for people interested in sciences (really just about any of it, including psychology), and with some people that would be my age range as well, it would be greatly appreciated. I've been so socially isolated that I'm having a hard time staving off depression.

 

[nuuskur]

I would firstly ask if it's necessary for your new friends to be fellow students. It wouldn't be a bad thing sure, but you are much older than (most of) them, so it stands to reason you wouldn't connect with them nor they with you.

You said you don't have problems finding people - so socialise and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[Ascendant0]

I would firstly ask if it's necessary for your new friends to be fellow students. It wouldn't be a bad thing sure, but you are much older than (most of) them, so it stands to reason you wouldn't connect with them nor they with you.

You said you don't have problems finding people - so socialise and let the chips fall where they may.

Well, I am hoping to click with at least some of them for study groups at times when needed if not anything else. But yea, I'm thinking connecting with most of them would be a challenge.

As far as socializing, maybe I didn't word that well. I don't have a hard time finding women to date. Socializing is much different. I started building up a social circle before covid, then that died. Then I was focused on work and family, then we split up. Since then, I've been focused on school prep, work, and my kids.

I've looked for Meetups near me, but I can't find anything particularly interesting. There's a gaming group that sounded fun, but it's all young guys in their early 20s. I felt awkward, like I was the parent supervising play time, lol.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Are you looking to meet women or to pick up women? They are not synonyms.

 

[robphy]

Maybe there’s one near you:
http://cafescientifique.org/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Café_Scientifique

 

[docnet]

Is this thread really happening?

 

[erobz]

Are you looking to meet women or to pick up women? They are not synonyms.

I think it’s the latter! Multiple of them! I can see immediately why they might be in the situation they are in…