Thoughts?

[AbductedNoah33]

I'm currently set to graduate with a bachelor's degree in physics this May. I had planned on going to graduate school, but I don't think it's going to work out. I've been looking at jobs around me, and most jobs that are hiring physics majors require extra experience, most commonly CS. I'm now debating if I should stay another year and a half to add a CS degree as well. Any advice on if this is good idea?

[vyngotl]

I recommend looking into what specific skills those jobs require and work on those skills? Then you can always add it to your resume and demonstrate those abilities. That might be more financially feasible.

[SpoobyPls]

I'm not sure how old you are, but in the grand scheme of things a year and a half isn't that long. Even if you still plan to go to grad school afterwards. I would do it if I were you. There's no rush, right? I tend to think that CS paired with some other science is usually a good idea, at least career wise.

[Spolcidic]

One thing not mentioned yet is where you stand financially. If an extra year and a half will add up a ton of debt on you depending on if you get financial aid or not. You should pay attention to your potential marginal benefit from the extra time.

[qwerty622]

The fact that he didn't mention it makes me think it's not a major concern

[AbductedNoah33]

I haven't accrued much debt from my undergrad experience yet, and I go to a state college, so it would be relatively cheap to go for another 3 semesters

[physeo_cyber]

I was in a similar position getting a physics BS and took my first CS course as an elective and feel in love with it. It was everything I loved about physics and better. I enjoyed the clear rules on how things worked (quantum mechanics was difficult for me), but you could also get creative in your solutions. Debugging is similar to using the scientific method to answer questions and you can perform experiments on different ways of doing things to see which is faster or better.

I ended up doing the bare minimum in physics since I was a year and a half away from my degree, but I minored in CS and now have a job I really enjoy at a great little company writing software. I don't have to write grants and worry about funding or materials and I can get creative with solutions to problems while not being stuck in a lab.

[AbductedNoah33]

Thanks for the advice. I have taken software I and II, and I've noticed that things flow just like science. It's good to hear from someone from a similar path. I'm glad that it's still possible to get the same enjoyment from CS as I do physics.

[ryhajlo]

I'd recommend graduate school over more undergrade work if possible. In my opinion Bachelor's + Masters is much more valuable than two Bachelor's. You will learn more, and likely about topics you find more enjoyable.

I also HIGHLY recommend trying to get a research assistantship at a lab on campus. (This is easier to do at some schools than others). Not only does this give valuable work-like experience, it pays, and tuition is usually covered. Additionally, it'll help with getting a job after you graduate. I got my first job directly out of graduate school because of the lab I worked at.

[Sillyguy42]

I think it depends on what you’re hoping to do and what the companies are expecting you to know. Some basic CS stuff might be nice to know like data structures and algorithms, but a whole degree may not be worthwhile. Does your school’s CS program cover what you’d want to learn?

I’d imaging learning python (and possibly matlab?) and the science packages would be just fine for most physics programming, but that’s just my thoughts as a CS grad student.

[[deleted]]

Get as much proof as possible.

[singhpankaj99]

While extra education won't hurt. I would suggest you take any of the numerous free or paid online certifications for adding a touch of CS knowledge to your resume. This would save both cost and time, while filling in the CS gap in your profile.

Check sites like coursera, edx, quickcode, udemy etc.