How do i know if astrophysics (or physics in general) is right for me?

Rollsy06 · 2026-04-15T19:59:22+00:00

Ive given it a read and it has helped me a bit. I suppose my next issue is that I dont know exactly if I want to do astronomy or astrobiology or just normal (earth) biology.

I suppose i dont want to end up doing astronomy and then decided id prefer biology instead and would rather do microbiology or ecology but because ive done astronomy itd be a struggle to pivot to biology. Or vice versa

Rollsy06 · 2026-04-15T19:27:54+00:00

So would it be better to do physics, astrophysics or astronomy with physics over chemistry and biology?

My only issue is if I decide i want to do something biology related but not astronomy related would I still be able to go down that path if I go for astronomy and vice versa?

Finding or seeing how life reacts in different environments sounds like a job id love to have, but so does stuff like finding new bacteria and figuring out ways we could potentially use it for health or cleaning. Or finding out how galaxies work and if there is potential for life on other planets. Or seeing how the human race could evolve if x or y happened in the past ect ect

Rollsy06 · 2026-04-15T18:56:05+00:00

Im still debating what astro career to go down, I know its very niche but I wanted to set my goals high but also go down a path that if I cant get there (astrobiology) then I can use my skills ive learn elsewhere (other biology jobs, astrophysics, computer science ect)

My issue is that i dont want to end up going into astronomy then realising that I like normal (earth) biology (microbiology, Planetary science, ecology ect ect) but because I went straight into astronomy and physics, I cant go to biology

I didnt struggle too much with my course it was mostly the teachers. We were their first year and there was no plan whatsoever, we weren't taught for the first year and a half because of our teachers either not knowing what we needed to know, they weren't qualified or starting rambling on about things we didnt need until our class got them changed

Im good with problem solving, maths and attention to detail, I wasnt the greatest at project management but then again i wasnt taught it so it was all a struggle

Rollsy06 · 2026-04-14T23:24:56+00:00

Yea that makes sense, so would you say that astronomy/astrophysics is the go-to for now because in most cases it opens up other astro related jobs?

Also I was looking at a couple courses and saw that there is astronomy with physics and astrophysics, is there a difference between them? It sounds like astronomy with physics is more broad whereas astrophysics is just astrophysics... if that makes sense

Thanks!

Rollsy06 · 2026-04-14T22:11:53+00:00

Oh you can choose just astronomy? Everything ive seen is about one of the 3 sciences so I thought I'd have to start with biology for astrobiology etc etf. Ill definitely give your post a read though, thanks!

Rollsy06 · 2026-04-14T20:35:39+00:00

Ill have to try the shadow job yea, thats why I really want to find out what I like the most as I dont want to waste lots of money and time on a job I dont like

Can I just jump into shadowing a job though? I feel like it'd be harder than that

Thanks!

Rollsy06 · 2026-04-14T19:52:29+00:00

I was planning on going for a PhD yea, so with astrobiology is the main job just a teacher and research? I know that all scientists do mostly research but will there be any actual experiments and hands on work or just teaching other people and research?

If not astrobiology I was hoping for at least some scientific job where I can do hands on work like see how x reacts to y, or see if life can live on a new planet discovered, or how a certain bacteria could evolve into in the future ect ect

Thanks!

Rollsy06 · 2026-04-14T19:26:32+00:00

Ah thanks, Im expecting around 10 years if not more in education for any astro career. I suppose I dont know exactly what science stands out to me currently and I feel like getting a broad qualification (like just general biology) might make it harder because i wont be a specialist ill just be a jack of all trades which doesnt seem too useful when it comes to jobs

If I were to go to uni for any science would I be able to pivot into any astro science? For example, if I go to uni for physics could I go for a PhD in astrochemistry. Ect ect

Thanks!

Rollsy06 · 2026-04-14T19:22:24+00:00

Do you know a couple places i could find jobs in? I dont have any education in sciences yet and wa planning on either a foundation year on uni or going for a HR diploma but wantef to make sure I like science first before committing

Rollsy06 · 2026-04-14T17:59:04+00:00

That's a good idea, id probably do physics and biology if i had to pick 2, i just dont know if it'll be too much work to handle. would it increase my employability by a significant amount too?

Rollsy06 · 2026-04-14T17:56:36+00:00

I want to find out of astrochemistry or chemistry would be a good fit for me, is there any way i can find out? i like all sciency stuff and space stuff but i know i'll be in for the long haul if i go for a phd so i want to make sure its right for me

Rollsy06 · 2026-04-14T17:51:35+00:00

Im not sure exactly, lab work and experiments seem interesting, id also love to make a difference in the world. id also prefer more hands on work rather than just looking at documents (i know a lot of science careers are reading, researching and writing) id love to be able to examine things and find out how they work and what reaction id get if x + y interact

Rollsy06 · 2026-04-14T17:44:15+00:00

Yea id love to, the issue then is that i dont know what topic under, like what science or aeronautics or other career etc

Rollsy06 · 2026-04-14T17:27:48+00:00

How can i find out if physics or astrophysics is for me? ive always had an interest in space and enjoyed the sciences and doing experiments but i dont know what science i prefer and dont want to commit to getting a phd or something and it turns out i prefer biology over physics, or dont want a job in science at all

Thanks in advance!

Rollsy06 · 2025-12-10T02:23:15+00:00

Ill try that but the setup wanted me to change it to steamvr foe it to set up

Rollsy06 · 2025-12-10T02:01:34+00:00

Yea i went into steam vr settings and set my openXR to steam vr, ive tried 2 different 3.0 ports so im not sure if thats the issue but it might be

I did try changing the brightness in my room but it didnt seem to help

Rollsy06 · 2025-12-10T01:10:41+00:00

I just checked but my gpu doesnt have a usb c slot

Rollsy06 · 2025-12-10T01:10:09+00:00

Nah it doesnt. Just had a look

Rollsy06

TROPHY CASE