Careers/Education Questions - Weekly Discussion Thread - August 21, 2025

[u/AutoModerator]

This is a dedicated thread for you to seek and provide advice concerning education and careers in physics.

If you need to make an important decision regarding your future, or want to know what your options are, please feel welcome to post a comment below.

A few years ago we held a graduate student panel, where many recently accepted grad students answered questions about the application process. That thread is here, and has a lot of great information in it.

Helpful subreddits: /r/PhysicsStudents, /r/GradSchool, /r/AskAcademia, /r/Jobs, /r/CareerGuidance

[u/friendlypotato44]

So I'm stuck in the "applying to college but realizing that an engineering degree is a lot more versatile than a physics one" boat. Basically, I get the whole reason that engineering is a smarter decision because you can do more with it. But I'm worried that I won't be interested in the actual work as much. I *think* (because I kind of feel like, how could I possibly know for certain) that I'd be more interested in the theory and thinking work done in physics, and was just wondering what the most "theoretical" engineering principle is? I feel like mechanical seems the most general, but also the farthest from modern physics, so would aerospace be better? I don't know. I'm lazy so I probably haven't looked deep enough into what each path would have me doing, but I'm honestly really scared that I have no idea what I actually want to do or what a career in either field would be like. I mean, how am I supposed to know `_0_/` I guess that's my issue, what does an engineer or physicist actually do on a daily basis? And if lab research is an answer, what does that mean?

Just tell me I'm crazy and should do more research on my own first.

[u/Facupain98]

So, I'm gonna do a máster in physics in UNISA (Salerno), I can take 6 optatives, 4 of physics and 2 of every department of the university, so I was wandering which take, first of all I'm very interested in the (call me idiot) nerve gear concept of the anime SAO (is a human computer neuro interface for virtual reality, like the next step of neuralink maybe), to be honest, dedicate my life to one project like that is like a dream come true, but idk what path take, I know that for neurocience, statistical mechanics is very good path, but very mathematical, and nanotechnology call my attention a lot, I want to do some lab experiments etc, so, what are you advices ? I want to do Erasmus, but Idk if do that in a master is even "possible" (very hard), I put the link to the course in the next comment. 

[u/Facupain98 → u/Facupain98]

https://unisa.coursecatalogue.cineca.it/corsi/2025/500849/insegnamenti/9999?annoOrdinamento=2025

Rn, my elections are: 

Introduction to nanoscience and nanotechnology 

Nanoelectronics

Advances computational and quantum computing 

Complex system and neural networks 

To add, I can select 1 or 2 specialist lab I will take: Nanotechnology 

Idk which other (physics of matter sounds the correct election) 

[u/smooshed_napkin]

So I'm wanting to go back to university for physics in about a year. I really love physics and its always been a passion but i never believed in myself. Unfortunately my gpa is bad (2.2) because i was struggling with intense depression while working full time and doing school full time plus i was hard addicted to pot then. But I have 92 credits, so my gen eds should be mostly done with by now.

I want to transfer to a school, but they require gpa of 2.5 to transfer. I've quit pot, I'm living with family so i can drop to part time and i want to take classes part time so I can manage it. I'm also on medication and therapy now.

For about a year and a half ive been self studying randomly for fun, i dabbled in calculus, taught myself set theory, even taught myself projection matrices and general physics equations. Ive started a self study plan to learn calculus and read some physics books to help with the concepts. Should I go to community college first for my gpa? Or do you think they might let me back into uni? Im very determined to do this