BS in Physics: Debate on Career

[mal4mac]

It would be great to get a lab tech position with a BS in physics.

I once applied for a lab tech position in really beautiful part of the world, doing really interesting things, but I was told I was over qualified.

"The money will not be good enough for you they said."

Telling them I loved beautiful countryside, and loved the idea of having total control of a small observatory didn't help; neither did having a truly superb chief technician from a big university as competition. (Probably the real reason they rejected me, while trying not to puncture my supposed BS pride...)

But if you do "badly" in your BS (e.g., get a "third" as they say the UK") then surely a lab technician post "somewhere" has to be an option. Stress to the interviewers that you found the mathematics difficult, but loved doing the lab work (if it's true!)

I've always liked what I've seen of working as a lab technician. At school they were all behind the scenes and didn't have to do "child minding", just mess around with cool apparatus. At university, still no child minding, and they become expert at some particular technical areas so no one could touch them if they took an "easy" attitude to the job.

"I'll sort, your computer when I've finished my coffee break, young man... Oops sorry its 5p.m., see you tomorrow...", is the typical kind of comment. No pressure, no stress, great life.

With a reasonably OK BS, you can aim for "computer officer" posts, in the UK at least,... "posh" technicians posts with a bit more money - similar pay scale to lecturers. You might have to pretend a bit more interest in the students, and you'll be first over the top in bad situations (think Lieutenant Blackadder rather than Private Baldrick in WWI...)

All these "anything for an easy life jobs" aren't great for the $$$ oriented of course :)

 

[VoloD]

My acceptance letter

This is the acceptance letter that I mentioned would be posted for those you who said it was not possible. I am particulary looking at you StatGuy2000 and Choppy. I am going to improvise my study habits considerably and put everything into being better in mastering the material.

This is not a show of arrogance, but proof of my resolve.

 

[mpresic]

Congratulations VoloD. Best of Luck at Southern University. EE is a great field. Although my doctoral degree is in physics; I tend to do most of my work these days in Controls and Estimation Theory. I even do a fair amount of programming microcontrollers. I also had a good day. A new job.

I know I suggested military applications (nuclear program or government labs). I think government hiring is getting better and this may be a good option in a few years. I'm sure they will need EE's.

 

[StatGuy2000]

This is the acceptance letter that I mentioned would be posted for those you who said it was not possible. I am particulary looking at you StatGuy2000 and Choppy. I am going to improvise my study habits considerably and put everything into being better in mastering the material.

This is not a show of arrogance, but proof of my resolve.

Hi VoloD. I should clarify that in my post in this thread, I didn't specifically say that it was impossible for you to get into a graduate program with the GPA you had quoted (I'm not sure what your final GPA was), just much more difficult in comparison to others, and I had tried to provide some constructive advice on how you can go about improving your grades.

At any rate, I want to offer my congratulations to your being accepted to a graduate program at Southern University. I wish you all the best in your studies.

 

[Choppy]

This is the acceptance letter that I mentioned would be posted for those you who said it was not possible. I am particulary looking at you StatGuy2000 and Choppy. I am going to improvise my study habits considerably and put everything into being better in mastering the material.

This is not a show of arrogance, but proof of my resolve.

I never told you getting into graduate school wasn't possible. The point of my post had nothing to do with you getting in or not getting in. The point was that it appears that you were struggling in your final years as an undergrad and that perhaps you should think about what would happen if you did get accepted. That doesn't mean that I think you'll fail in your MSc program. But I do think you'll have just as hard a time, if not a harder time than you have so far, and the question then becomes: is that really what you want to do with your life for the next two years or so?

 

[VoloD]

You are correct Choppy. I have spoken with SU and they have said that they suggest I take "foundation courses" in EE at their school in order to be prepared. I am okay with this since Ill get to re-learn needed information and that it gives me the chance to utilize more effective study techniques than when I first started college. I realize from my advanced classes in Physics (senior and graduate electives) that I need to allocate plenty of time to practicing problems in both homework problems and unassigned book/online materials in order to be prepared. I let a proffessor with an abrasive approach to teaching stop me, and no matter what I did to improve, it was never enough for his standard. The worse part is that its not IVY league school, so his arrogance is unfounded and passing him means little in the grand scheme of things. Also, I never realized how important being an engineer was to me professionally and personally. This became more obvious as I did research under a Physicist, work on my personal research project, and did online job searches. (though to be fair, there are engineering graduates at my school who struggle to find work in part cause of the schools non-existent intern and co-op policy). I refuse to be simply what my instituition labels me because I am more than that. And now that I have a chance to prove that, if I have to go to another school so be it. It won't be easy, but I know what I must do and I won't take this chance for granted nor let anyone else stop me anymore. I heed your concern, which is why I will take things very seriously with my education from now on.