Need advice regarding choosing my master's research project in theoretical physics and applied maths

[Hooriah]

Hi,

I am pursuing a master's in theoretical physics and applied maths and now I need to start working on a research project. It has been so tough to decide the topic as I currently don't feel ready to commit to one particular research area. Based on the modules I have taken so far, I do get narrowed down to a few fields but even then I don't know why I am not getting the "this is it" feeling. As I delay making the decision, the anxiety is catching up to me and I feel so behind as compared to my peers.

Can anyone who's been through a similar phase has some advice to give? Even better if you're from the theoretical physics background but tbh, any help is appreciated at the moment!

 

[berkeman]

Welcome to PF.

Well, you really haven't given us much to go on, right? Are we just supposed to throw out random research topics to see if you like them? What journals do you read regularly? What are the top 5 most interesting journal articles that you've read lately?

 

[Choppy]

A lot of students experience this kind of anxiety.

Presumably at this stage of the game you would have talked to all of the potential supervisors in your department and reviewed the projects that they have. If you haven't done this yet, that's the first step... discuss potential projects in detail, brainstorm, do the background reading. Usually at the MSc level the supervisor carries the lion's share of the project outline, so you shouldn't feel too much pressure to come up with ideas of your own. (For what it's worth, my experience is in the Canadian system where a research-based MSc is common prior to a PhD.)

Doing this will put you in a position where you narrow your project into a set of discrete choices... project 1 with supervisor A, project 2 with supervisor B, etc.

Then you can explore a little further if you want to. Just because you've spoken with a potential supervisor, it doesn't mean you can't circle back for another appointment. Be up front and tell them you're having a tough time deciding on something.

In addition to the details of the potential project, consider other aspects. What skills are you going to be developing in each given project? How transferable are those skills going to be to the commercial world if academia doesn't work out? What is the supervisor like to work with? Will they be an effective mentor for your learning style? What are the rate-limiting factors for the project (that's probably more relevant for experimental projects, but you could consider whether the project requires you to have access to a computing cluster, or a given data set that isn't yet acquired... the external/uncontrollable factors that might prevent you from finishing on your optimal schedule). Look at recent graduates who have worked on similar projects. What are their career prospects? Are they going on into places you'd like to go? You should also look at what the day-to-day work is going to be like? How much fun are you going to have working on each project?

The other thing I would add is that this is not the be-all, end-all choice that it can seem like. Yes, it's a big commitment, but an MSc project can go by fast. If it works out... great. You'll be that much further ahead when it's time for a PhD. If it doesn't, well, you slog through it and learn about yourself and put yourself in the best position possible for figuring out the next step.

 

[Hooriah]

Welcome to PF.

Well, you really haven't given us much to go on, right? Are we just supposed to throw out random research topics to see if you like them? What journals do you read regularly? What are the top 5 most interesting journal articles that you've read lately?

I am not looking for particular research topics to be told to me, I already have those. I just need more of a general advice as to how to approach the issue. if it makes it any better, I am confused between two fields: Biophysics and Astroparticle physics and since the latter is a new one and not established enough, there aren't projects directly concerned with it and I think I'll have to take something remotely related and then specialize in it further. I know they're kinda a weird set of options to be confused among but it's what clicking in my head rn.

 

[Hooriah]

A lot of students experience this kind of anxiety.

Presumably at this stage of the game you would have talked to all of the potential supervisors in your department and reviewed the projects that they have. If you haven't done this yet, that's the first step... discuss potential projects in detail, brainstorm, do the background reading. Usually at the MSc level the supervisor carries the lion's share of the project outline, so you shouldn't feel too much pressure to come up with ideas of your own. (For what it's worth, my experience is in the Canadian system where a research-based MSc is common prior to a PhD.)

Doing this will put you in a position where you narrow your project into a set of discrete choices... project 1 with supervisor A, project 2 with supervisor B, etc.

Then you can explore a little further if you want to. Just because you've spoken with a potential supervisor, it doesn't mean you can't circle back for another appointment. Be up front and tell them you're having a tough time deciding on something.

In addition to the details of the potential project, consider other aspects. What skills are you going to be developing in each given project? How transferable are those skills going to be to the commercial world if academia doesn't work out? What is the supervisor like to work with? Will they be an effective mentor for your learning style? What are the rate-limiting factors for the project (that's probably more relevant for experimental projects, but you could consider whether the project requires you to have access to a computing cluster, or a given data set that isn't yet acquired... the external/uncontrollable factors that might prevent you from finishing on your optimal schedule). Look at recent graduates who have worked on similar projects. What are their career prospects? Are they going on into places you'd like to go? You should also look at what the day-to-day work is going to be like? How much fun are you going to have working on each project?

The other thing I would add is that this is not the be-all, end-all choice that it can seem like. Yes, it's a big commitment, but an MSc project can go by fast. If it works out... great. You'll be that much further ahead when it's time for a PhD. If it doesn't, well, you slog through it and learn about yourself and put yourself in the best position possible for figuring out the next step.

Thank you so much for your response! It literally answers so many of my doubts, especially what you said about the "be-all, end-all" thing.

 

[haushofer]

David Albert spent four years on a computational quantum physics PhD because the dean of his university didn't allow him to research quantum foundations. He survived and continued pursuing the foundations of QM :P

 

[Hooriah]

David Albert spent four years on a computational quantum physics PhD because the dean of his university didn't allow him to research quantum foundations. He survived and continued pursuing the foundations of QM :P

Thank you for the inspiration :)