Best place for theoretical physicists

[ahsanxr]

"Then why did God made way for physicists so tougher"

Are you sure you have the proper scientific mind to become a physicist in the first place?

Why would you say that?

 

[Kalidor]

And my Indian friends with even "average" intelligence and knowledge are getting good job easily

Smug!

 

[NegativeDept]

Theoretical physicist here! (Disclaimer: PhD student, not professor)

One of my favorite things about theoretical physics is that it can be done almost anywhere. Here's what I need to do research:

1. a reliable computer with reliable internet access
2. access to research journals
3. money to buy textbooks
4. money to buy food, clothing, and shelter
5. a desk, nice chair, and lots of coffee
6. a Mathematica or MATLAB license is nice, too

These things can be found at any well-run university. So, in my opinion, the best place for theoretical physicists is "anywhere that pays you enough to survive and buy textbooks while providing enough free time to do research."

Obviously, wealthier countries tend to have more research universities, and it can be easier to get published if you're at a prestigious university. Still, the best journals care more about what your research says than where you wrote it. If you live in a safe area, your advisor is competent and helpful, and your university pays you enough, then you can do theoretical physics. That's just as true in Azerbaijan as in Zurich.

Well, then there is the matter of money.
I come from the Netherlands myself where the university is sponsored by the government.
I've been given to understand the the entrance fee to US universities is about 10 times as high as in my own country.

It's difficult to compare directly, but I've been to universities in the US and NL and the cost really is much greater in the US than in the Netherlands. I think "10 times as high" is an OK first-order estimate. Undergrad tuition is misleading because many (most?) people don't pay the full advertised price. We submit our tax forms and financial papers to the university, they figure out what we can afford, then they charge more than that and we go into debt. (It's a special kind of debt which can't be discharged when you go bankrupt.) Then there's the health-system fiasco: my university requires me to pay $1200 per year for an insurance policy with a $50K cap. If I get seriously ill or hit by a bus, I'll go bankrupt.

For most science programs, grad school is cheaper. (Not for medical doctors!) Typically, we pay little or no tuition, work as teaching assistants, and get paid roughly the minimum amount necessary to survive. Many of us take on more debt as student loans.

Personally, I think charging people a zillion dollars for education - early in our careers, when we could be inventing things or starting businesses or starting a family - is one of the stupidest financial policies in the history of the United States. But I suppose that's off-topic for this thread.

 

[Locrian]

Then there's the health-system fiasco: my university requires me to pay $1200 per year for an insurance policy with a $50K cap. If I get seriously ill or hit by a bus, I'll go bankrupt.

What State are you in? In my State such a premium would buy a 25-35 year old a very nice comprehensive plan.

If you're in New York, on the other hand, you will pay more because you're subsidizing everyone else.

PS: Are there no HDHP sold on the market? You'd be better off just not paying for what you have and using the savings to cover your low cost expenses.

 

[NegativeDept]

What State are you in? In my State such a premium would buy a 25-35 year old a very nice comprehensive plan.

If you're in New York, on the other hand, you will pay more because you're subsidizing everyone else.

PS: Are there no HDHP sold on the market? You'd be better off just not paying for what you have and using the savings to cover your low cost expenses.

I'm in Pennsylvania. It's a good idea to look at individual plans, but I tried that and they're all much more expensive. On top of that, my university requires that any individual plan include a bunch of luxury items with no value to me, e.g. addiction counseling. The plans which meet those requirements cost far more than I can afford.

Not to drag us off-topic, but... individual plans are often insanely expensive because health insurance is inherently a lemon market with severe adverse-selection problems. This was all much easier when I lived in Holland. I paid $50 a month and went to the doctor when I was sick.

 

[Locrian]

Nah, like I said, $100 a month buys a very nice plan in the State I'm in - I think you could get an entirely acceptable one for maybe $75/month. Addiction counseling doesn't add much cost to a plan, and definitely doesn't explain the cost of the one you're in (which I would describe as "absurd").

I don't know much about PA, but I believe you're suffering the same problem they do in most of the NE - due to local regulations, you're subsidizing lots of other people.