Advice for an Undergraduate: What to do after I finish my Physics/Math double-major BS degrees?

[opperator]

Hi, I'm an undergraduate student in the US going into their 3rd year (of 4), and I can start to feel the weight of deciding what to do after my undergraduate studies. I'll break down the concerns into 2 main questions, and any advice is greatly appreciated!

For context, I am on track to finish a double degree (physics BS and applied maths BS, 3.95 GPA), I have 2 research experiences, one in a lab at my school doing hands-on active matter research (spring through summer), the second at a math REU (summer) doing applied/computational/numerical math. I am also the president of the local Society of Physics Students (SPS) chapter at my school. Previously, I wanted to pursue something more theoretical, but with my recent performance in class, I'm a little discouraged. I've recently developed naive interests in a few things: clean/sustainable energy, particularly looking at nuclear energy, software engineering w.r.t. music/streaming services, as well as (hmm) transportation infrastructure.

I guess my first question, is what kind of elective courses would one try to take if they were interested in energy systems and nuclear energy? I will have plenty of time for these in my 4th year, as I will have finished all requirements for both degrees by the end of the 3rd year. I am taking quantum computation as my elective requirement in Physics.

And my second question, is more of a lifestyle question. I studied abroad in a country in Europe last Spring, and it was very eye-opening (and affordable compared to my US education). I am thinking of doing a Master's program in Europe (e.g. Erasmus Mundus) before deciding to finally go for a doctorate or break off into industry/public service. If anyone has similar experience, or thoughts in general, please give it a whirl, I'd love to know what other people have done.

I understand that at the end of the day, these things are mostly my own decision based on passion and performance, but I'd just like to get some opinions. Thanks in advance!

 

[CrysPhys]

I guess my first question, is what kind of elective courses would one try to take if they were interested in energy systems and nuclear energy?

Does your school have a dept of nuclear engineering? If so, start there. There should be an intro to nuclear energy and systems course; if they do, check prerequisites. If you don't have a dept of nuclear engineering, is there a junior/senior level intro to nuclear physics course in your physics dept? Alternatively, does your school have a dept of environmental science and engineering? If so, look there for courses on "green energy" or "alternative energy" systems.

 

[Vanadium 50]

If you want a career in software development, a little bit of domain knowlege gives you something of an edge. A lot of domain knowledge, but a lot of domain knowledge doesn't give you a corresponding increase in the edge. And having strong domain knowledge but being unable to code is going to be a problem. Can you code? I don't mean cobbling some spaghetti Python together to do something trivial, or to write Hello Wprld in 14 languages. Can you code? And can someone tell from your records?

Why do you want a math major? There are two kinds - one for people who want to go on to grad school, and one for people who will be teaching high school geometry. You don't fall into either category. If you are interested in a class, take it, but taking classes just because the major requires it looks kind of pointless. It can even impact your plans negatively if it conflicts with a class that will better help you reach your goals.

You are getting to the point where you are going to have to make decisions that will close some doors. If you don't, the world will do it for you, perhaps less favorably.

 

[opperator]

Does your school have a dept of nuclear engineering? If so, start there. There should be an intro to nuclear energy and systems course; if they do, check prerequisites. If you don't have a dept of nuclear engineering, is there a junior/senior level intro to nuclear physics course in your physics dept? Alternatively, does your school have a dept of environmental science and engineering? If so, look there for courses on "green energy" or "alternative energy" systems.

There’s no nuclear engineering dept at my school, but I will definitely be taking the physics dept’s Intro to Nuclear Physics class, and have already taken an even simpler version of it (during my time abroad). I will also look into what you’ve said about the second point. Thanks!

 

[opperator]

If you want a career in software development, a little bit of domain knowlege gives you something of an edge. A lot of domain knowledge, but a lot of domain knowledge doesn't give you a corresponding increase in the edge. And having strong domain knowledge but being unable to code is going to be a problem. Can you code? I don't mean cobbling some spaghetti Python together to do something trivial, or to write Hello Wprld in 14 languages. Can you code? And can someone tell from your records?

Why do you want a math major? There are two kinds - one for people who want to go on to grad school, and one for people who will be teaching high school geometry. You don't fall into either category. If you are interested in a class, take it, but taking classes just because the major requires it looks kind of pointless. It can even impact your plans negatively if it conflicts with a class that will better help you reach your goals.

You are getting to the point where you are going to have to make decisions that will close some doors. If you don't, the world will do it for you, perhaps less favorably.

I should definitely brush up on my coding (“scripting”) skills, I’ve done stuff mostly in Python, and some in MATLAB and C.

I was interested in taking a lot of classes in the math dept, since some of them go quite well hand-in-hand with some of my physics coursework (e.g. advanced lin alg, statistics) and there were some classes with more practical applications (e.g. Machine Learning, scientific computing) that I took which coincide with the applied math concentration. Now I’m just one class away from declaring the double degree so it seems like I should just go for it.

Thank you for the advice! It’s clear I have a lot of thinking to do.

 

[gwnorth]

Regarding clean/sustainable energy, what's your Chemistry background like?

 

[CrysPhys]

And my second question, is more of a lifestyle question. I studied abroad in a country in Europe last Spring, and it was very eye-opening (and affordable compared to my US education). I am thinking of doing a Master's program in Europe (e.g. Erasmus Mundus) before deciding to finally go for a doctorate or break off into industry/public service. If anyone has similar experience, or thoughts in general, please give it a whirl, I'd love to know what other people have done.

If you think the experience abroad has value in and of itself, by all means pursue it. But just be aware that if you return to the US for your PhD program, your master's degree might not shorten the time needed to attain a PhD. This will be highly case specific; i.e., depending on the details of the master's program you complete and the PhD program you apply to.

 

[StatGuy2000]

Why do you want a math major? There are two kinds - one for people who want to go on to grad school, and one for people who will be teaching high school geometry. You don't fall into either category.

@Vanadium 50 , what you state above is false at face value -- there are more than 2 kinds of math majors.

For example, there are the following:

1. Math majors who seek a math-related career upon graduation, often taking courses in combination to their math degrees (e.g. math and accounting, math and economics, math and computer science).

2. Math majors who specialize in statistics/data science, and seek careers in or work in industry in this area.

3. Math majors specializing in applied/computational math, and seeking careers in industry in this area.

I myself fall into category #2.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Sure...we can divide things up on many different levels. I have a math major from MIT, but due to some rather bizarre rules in place at the time, I could get a degree in Math or in Physics, but not both. And I can tell you I am completely unprepared for math grad school. (But not statistics grad school, or at least one program)

 

[StatGuy2000]

Sure...we can divide things up on many different levels. I have a math major from MIT, but due to some rather bizarre rules in place at the time, I could get a degree in Math or in Physics, but not both. And I can tell you I am completely unprepared for math grad school. (But not statistics grad school, or at least one program)

That's interesting that MIT (at the time you had completed your undergraduate studies) would not allow you to have both the Math and Physics degrees, even though you had completed the requirements necessary for the math major.

 

[Vanadium 50]

MIT, for good or ill, does everything its own way.