What are the ambitions and plans of a young physicist?

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In summary, a young physicist has ambitions to make groundbreaking discoveries and contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge. They often have plans to pursue advanced degrees and conduct research in their chosen field. They may also have a desire to collaborate with other scientists, present their findings at conferences, and publish their work in reputable journals. Additionally, many young physicists strive to make a positive impact on society through their research, whether it be in the fields of renewable energy, healthcare, or technology. Overall, the ambitions and plans of a young physicist revolve around pushing the boundaries of science and making meaningful contributions to the world.
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undefined314
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Here's a bit about myself (past stuff, present status, future hopes), though I might not go into enough detail to uniquely identify me:

As far back as middle school, I'd say I was committed to studying physics. Although, now I'd say it's hard to commit from a decently-well-informed standpoint until one at least finishes a lower-division introductory physics sequence of courses (spanning the intro to classical mechanics, a little bit of thermodynamics/statistical mechanics, E&M, basics of geometric and physical optics, special relativity, QM), though that's debatable.

Anyhow, I went into high school with the intent of focusing on physics and math, while messing with programming primarily as a hobby, though I'm now starting to do more physics-related problems with those skills. (By the way, ProjectEuler is a great site for those interested in math/CS puzzles of varying difficulties.)

Right now, I'm a 2nd-year undergraduate, getting into my upper-division coursework (just wrapping up formalized mechanics and the first half of more advanced E&M). Next term, I'll be juggling 4 upper-div courses: statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, the second half of E&M, and a solid-state physics course, so I'm excited for that. I'll also be starting as an undergraduate research assistant with a theorist who does condensed matter work.

As far as my remaining undergraduate plans go, I'm debating between graduating with my B.S. in 3 years, following a 4-year M.S. plan, or following a 4-year plan with a minor or double major (likely in math or computer science). (If you have advice on this decision, please go to this thread (https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/3-year-b-s-physics-vs-4-year-b-s-m-s-vs.960117/).) I do hope to go on to a PhD program.

As far as career dreams go, I can't really imagine myself existing outside of academia, so that's one reason I'd like to become a professor. However, I do understand that I'll need to consider many alternatives, due to the high demand for tenure-track faculty positions and limited number of spots.
 
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Wow, sounds like you have a good start. We're glad to have you here on PF. You'll find that there's much that can be learned here.
 
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