I am a new member of this forum and hope to ask many questions over the coming years. I am currently an undergraduate Physics/Mathematics double major at a state university with hopes of continuing onto a PhD in Mathematical or Theoretical Physics. At the time of posting this, I will have completed my first semester after switching from engineering to physics, so I have probably another 2-3 years of college before I apply to graduate school.
Moreover, even if physics is highly competitive, I am confident I can make a career in physics. I don't need to solve quantum gravity or anything like that. I just want to be part of current research and satiate my curiosity about how the laws of nature dictate its behavior. Before I discovered physics, I was temped to pursue Mathematics, so that is why I said mathematical or theoretical physics. Unfortunately, the idea of being part of experiments doesn't interest me very much, so theory is for me. Plus, I can't imagine any better job than sitting at a blackboard all day and playing with various equations, operators, and mathematics to gleam any new insight about a research subject. I know there is more to it than that, but no deal breakers that I can think of yet. Of course, plans can always change and I might think differently in a few years, but for now this is my perspective.