I always thought my path was to go to graduate school and work towards a PhD in physics. I studied for the pgres, did research during undergrad, did the best I could, and applied to graduate school.
During this time, I also applied for several jobs. Kept applying until I made progress somewhere.
The thing is now, I am sitting on a few offers from grad school and a job offer! I didn’t apply to this job just to apply, I really wanted it. I studied hard for the interviews and everything! I applied for the job before I got into any school and even initiated the interview process before I heard back from schools.
Now I am sort of confused. Most people, that I know, believe I should go to grad school because I loved physics and worked very hard for it. I do not deny loving physics, but PhD physics programs isn’t just about loving physics, it’s also about being passionate and driven towards specific topics in specific subfields. I visited a couple of schools, met potential PIs, and really enjoyed the overall visits. I was amazed by the stuff they work on and amazed by the various opportunities the grad students have after PhD.
The one thing I also realized that I have no idea if I would enjoy it. I am wondering if I am willing to gamble 5 years of my life working towards a PhD just so I can make myself more marketable for certain jobs when now I am realizing that there other ways of doing that…
However, how much can one progress in a career with just a Bachelor’s in physics? I guess that really depends on the one’s career goals? I used to want to be a professor, but now I really do not. I am not too sure where I see myself, but it doesn’t sit well with me to go to graduate school just because I don’t know what’s next.
What do you think?
Sorry if it’s very long!
If the job you were offered is related to your career goals, perhaps you should take it and see if any of your grad school offers can be deferred for a year.
This is just one data point. I have a phd in physics and I’ve barely used it. It took me 8 years (5 is pretty quick for a physics phd, although every school is different). In retrospect I wish I’d worked for a bit after undergrad to try to figure things out.
If you have a great job offer in a city that you’d like to live in… I guess my gut would be to go with that, if you are drawn to it. You can always reapply in a couple of years to grad school if you decide that’s the right path. I will say that out of the group I started grad school with, only a few of them ended up as professors. A lot went into industry or government research.
But like I said… I’m just one data point. Almost everyone I started grad school with was also fresh out of undergrad, so i guess that (was… it was a while ago now) is the more standard path.
I’ll speak from the perspective of a physics professor who has advised both undergraduate and graduate students. If you can see yourself enjoying the job and it can lead to a career you are interested in then take it. Graduate school will always be there. You got in once and the odds are you can get in again later if you choose to do so. YOu really should be convinced that the research direction is the right one for you before you give earning power for such a long time.
You could certainly ask to delay your admission for a year but if you have financial aid offers there is no guarantee they will still be there. I think that you should simply reapply later if you decide that getting a Ph.D. is truly the right thing for you. After a year or two of working, you will see what your career options are and whether the Ph.D. is truly necessary. You also might find that you have changed your mind again and want to pursue an academic career. You never know.
Thank you for the replies everyone, I really appreciate it!
@washugrad, you are right that it seems to be the norm that students usually go to graduate school right after undergrad ( at least for PhDs). This leads me to think I am sort of failure ( sometimes I think this) that I did not. This is actually my second time applying to grad school, which I think is important to mention. My pgre was very bad the first time…
When I applied for Fall 2015, I did so more carefully and also took the time to consider lots of new possibilities. I also applied for a different subfield. When I applied last time I applied because I wanted to learn more about the field and work in it. This time, I chose a field that has more applications in the industry. I am happy the way things have turned out this time and I am so grateful for the options that I have. I guess I am desperate to make the right choice, but it requires a lot of inner soul searching.
@xraymancs, have you had prospective grad students who have deferred admission for a year? This does not seem to be common, but I have heard that this does happen. I know grad school will always be there, but I wonder how my recommenders would feel. Would it be annoying to them to write several letters for me again? I know I shouldn’t think about this since it is my life, but what if I do have to apply again? I do not want to burn bridges in either direction ( job or school).
I am thinking about the deferral option and maybe I can work something out. If I were to go the PhD route, my goal would be to work at the company I got an offer from or a company that does related work.
^I came to say exactly what @xraymancs already said.
Graduate school will always be here, and if you were a competitive candidate this round, you will likely be a competitive candidate in 2-3 years if you decide you want to return for a PhD. On the other hand, graduate school is designed to be a means to an end - you get a PhD because you want to be a scientist and/or a professor in physics, or do something else that requires a PhD in the field. If you can already get a sweet job/career that pays well and that you are excited about without getting the PhD…well, then! What’s the point of going to the PhD then!
I also think you should work because…well, the PhD is a long haul - 5-6 years for most people. It’s an expense; even if you don’t have to pay tuition and fees, you are still paying in time: lost earnings, lost work experience, investing retirement income, etc. In 6 years in a full-time job your responsibilities and income can grow; but in 6 years of a PhD program, your income will remain stable, and then you might do a postdoc for 2-4 years in which you get paid not much more. That’s 7-10 years - you could be mid-career by then, making a lot more money and maybe managing people. While I think it’s an excellent decision for some people (after all, I have a PhD) I think you should be really, really sure that a PhD is what you want and that a research career is what you’re passionate about doing before you make the commitment.
There’s always the option of working until you hit a wall, and then going back to get an MS if you decide you need one. But quite frankly, there are very few jobs outside of professor that require the PhD. (In the physical sciences, I guess if you wanted to lead research at a national lab or for a defense company/contractor, or even a private corporation, there’s that.)
Thanks for the reply @juillet! You make a good point about thinking about graduate school as a means to an end! I used to think that way until I became more confident about my career goals. When I applied to this time , I started to look at grad school as a place where I develop additional skills for a particular type of career.
I don’t know if a research career is the only thing I am passionate about because i don’t know what anything else is like. I have only research experience and zero industry experience. However, I did enjoy my research experience. Unfortunately it was in a field that is extremely competitive and I was rejected from all programs when I indicated an interest in that field.
Thanks again for the advice! I seem to have a lot to think about and so little time!
@Bluechic92 - I know of many graduate students who have waited for a year or more before deciding to jump back in. My son did this twice, once before a M.S. and then again before a Ph.D.
Let me put it this way, if you have a good job and you decide to leave it and go to graduate school, you are going to be very committed and convinced that it is the right path for you. The chances for success will be high.