- #1
blondie68
- 4
- 0
I'm about to graduate with a BS in Physics and am currently trying to decide which graduate school to attend. I'm trying to decide between four right now (UIUC, U of Michigan, Northwestern, and Indiana U). I'm not completely set on an area of research yet, and I'm trying to consider the various options different fields would allow me.
I have a boyfriend, whom I hope to marry sometime during graduate school, and he will pass his boards to become an RN as of August. We have been long distance for a few years now since we are attending different schools, so I would especially like to avoid having to do the long-distance thing in the future again. So as I consider all of my options I'm trying to keep in mind what would be best for us as a couple in addition what would be best for me as a physicist.
I've worked in Gravitational Wave Physics (LIGO and LISA) before , on instrument science projects, and I really enjoyed it. There is a professor at Michigan who is doing instrumental work with LIGO and might be interested in taking me on as a PhD student. However, I have a few concerns with pursuing GW physics.
The first is that on this specific project (and many projects in the field), after I finish the first two years of classes, I would have to move to one of the LIGO sites to finish my PhD. The second is that my impression is that it would be hard to pursue a career path outside of academia with this sort of background. If it were just me I was concerned with, this wouldn't necessarily be a problem, but it effectively means I'm going to be moving every 2-4 years for the next 10 years or so. In addition to it probably being very difficult for my boyfriend to find and adjust to a new job every 2-4 years, it doesn't seem to be a lifestyle that lends itself well to settling down and/or having kids.
For this reason, I'm considering research fields that would allow me more options in industry beyond my PhD, such as AMO physics or condensed matter. I've seen that many students from labs in these fields go on to work in industry or government labs rather than academia.
There are many research opportunities in these fields that I find fascinating, so I'm not too worried about that, but I know that deciding what research direction to go in should weigh heavily in my decision of where to go to grad school. I just would like any input/advice anyone has about dealing with this situation, and I'd like to make sure none of the assumptions I've made here about my opportunities are incorrect. I feel like I'm weighing so many factors that will influence future decisions and career paths, I'm getting a little overwhelmed and would appreciate any help.
I have a boyfriend, whom I hope to marry sometime during graduate school, and he will pass his boards to become an RN as of August. We have been long distance for a few years now since we are attending different schools, so I would especially like to avoid having to do the long-distance thing in the future again. So as I consider all of my options I'm trying to keep in mind what would be best for us as a couple in addition what would be best for me as a physicist.
I've worked in Gravitational Wave Physics (LIGO and LISA) before , on instrument science projects, and I really enjoyed it. There is a professor at Michigan who is doing instrumental work with LIGO and might be interested in taking me on as a PhD student. However, I have a few concerns with pursuing GW physics.
The first is that on this specific project (and many projects in the field), after I finish the first two years of classes, I would have to move to one of the LIGO sites to finish my PhD. The second is that my impression is that it would be hard to pursue a career path outside of academia with this sort of background. If it were just me I was concerned with, this wouldn't necessarily be a problem, but it effectively means I'm going to be moving every 2-4 years for the next 10 years or so. In addition to it probably being very difficult for my boyfriend to find and adjust to a new job every 2-4 years, it doesn't seem to be a lifestyle that lends itself well to settling down and/or having kids.
For this reason, I'm considering research fields that would allow me more options in industry beyond my PhD, such as AMO physics or condensed matter. I've seen that many students from labs in these fields go on to work in industry or government labs rather than academia.
There are many research opportunities in these fields that I find fascinating, so I'm not too worried about that, but I know that deciding what research direction to go in should weigh heavily in my decision of where to go to grad school. I just would like any input/advice anyone has about dealing with this situation, and I'd like to make sure none of the assumptions I've made here about my opportunities are incorrect. I feel like I'm weighing so many factors that will influence future decisions and career paths, I'm getting a little overwhelmed and would appreciate any help.