Look out world, future mover and shaker incoming!!physicsguy wrote:When I was 21, I felt sure that I wanted to do science for the rest of my life. I thought the dream was to get a Ph.D., become a professor at a renowned research institution, and live a life of academic purity. On a fellowship application, I wrote that my career goal was to stay in physics research, and I meant it. Now, I could stay in physics. I am pretty good at it, and I enjoy the work, too. And the freedom to set your own schedule cannot be beat.Vincent wrote:If you don't mind my asking, why law?physicsguy wrote:I'd prefer not to go into that detail, since it would be possible to identify me from that. The number of people graduating with a Ph.D. in a particular year in a particular subfield of physics from a "top" university is not that high. Black holes are tres cool though.bbkk wrote: Just out of curiosity, what kind of physics you study? I have a very good friend who is getting a Ph.D in Physics in Stanford. He studies the black hole and time machines. IT IS SO COOL.
However, to add to this wonderful discussion on math that I've incited, I'll say that I did Mathcounts, and I also did the AIME test but didn't qualify (or even come close) for USAMO. I never did Putnam, though I remember looking at some of the questions in college and feeling frightened. But I really enjoy applied math, and even abstract math to a point.
But I've changed and grown a lot since I was 21. My interests and passions have evolved. Over the last couple years I have begun feeling the desire to be more directly involved in society and with societal issues than I can be as an academic scientist. I want to be engaged in issues that involve people. The physics research that I work on might be useful to people in the future, sure, but it doesn't hold quite the same excitement. My passions have simply turned elsewhere.
I am drawn to law and government as the arenas where I can potentially do the most good for the most people. The stakes are high there, and previously I never thought about them as within my "sphere of influence". Then I had a revelation where I realized that I can be involved. I can do more than just sit back and complain about the way things are. I have the opportunity, the ability, and the drive to make a difference, and I will use these to help people to the best of my ability.
Oh sure, they're all pounding down my door.AmericanBeauty wrote:Are MIT, Harvard, Caltech, Stanford, Princeton, and Berkeley all not offering tenure track professorships for your particular field in physics?!
Looks like you are made for Harvard or Yale.
I am glad you found your passion, that is exciting.
