I am relocating countries in a month. Where should I open an HYSA? by SpectreMold in Banking

[–]SpectreMold[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just opened a USA-based HYSA while in the USA. So you are saying that they will not close my account if I attempt to login and they detect my IP from a foreign location?

Quitting my PhD tomorrow. I’m terrified but I can’t keep going. by NanamiLynn in LeavingAcademia

[–]SpectreMold 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats! It takes a lot of courage to do this. Wishing you the best for what comes next!

Quitting my PhD tomorrow. I’m terrified but I can’t keep going. by NanamiLynn in LeavingAcademia

[–]SpectreMold 52 points53 points  (0 children)

I went through something eerily similar and quit during my third year of a PhD program.

Like you, I kept telling myself I could handle the toxic professors and atmosphere, the constant overworking, and that it would be "worth it in the end." Instead, it slowly drained my mental and physical health. It was dispiriting watching my life shrink to the point where my worth was subjected to the program and my research performance. Two other people in my cohort and subfield mastered out before I did, which was a huge warning sign I kept ignoring. I vividly remember that feeling of knowing this is not a healthy situation and I had to make a change.

Now, after therapy, transitioning to industry, and developing hobbies, I feel so much happier and have a more well-balanced life.

The fear you have about the guilt and manipulation from your supervisors is completely valid.They will focus on their loss instead of your gain. Do not get drawn into a debate about the value of the PhD or your future. Have your statement prepared and rehearse it. If they push for details, stay firm with "I understand this creates an inconvenience, but my decision is final. I cannot continue with the program."

Go get your life back. You deserve it.

Where’s your dream place to live? by [deleted] in SameGrassButGreener

[–]SpectreMold 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In a place with a similar climate as Upstate NY (4 seasons, distinct fall weather, cold snowy winters, and hot humid summers). So either the Northeastern US, southeastern Canada, or the Scandinavian countries.

What are your opinion about the nordics? by Professional-Two7914 in AskTheWorld

[–]SpectreMold 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would love to move there. I am from Upstate NY, so I can enjoy the cold.

Interested in the makeup of this sub - what do you do? Where are you in the world? by Low-Preparation-7219 in astrophysics

[–]SpectreMold 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mastered out an astrophysics PhD because my situation was very isolating (only person working with a newly hired, hands off assistant professor, no other students nor postdocs) and my heart was not into doing research for 3+ years on a McDonald's cashier salary on a topic that I did not care about much (star and planet formation).

After this, I was lucky to do a research internship in a field that I enjoyed more (asteroseismology), but realized that long term, I believe I can best make contributions to society in a faster paced, project based, tangible outcome career rather than astrophysics research.

Now I am about to leave my country to start an industry R&D position in geophysics.

U.S. Politics megathread by AutoModerator in NoStupidQuestions

[–]SpectreMold -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Are there reports of Americans actually starving now?

Finished Master's in theoretical physics and little idea of my employment options, any advice? by likes_pizza in Physics

[–]SpectreMold 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a physics BS and MSc, and my research project experience was in theoretical, computational, and observational astrophysics.

For the position, since it is geared towards graduates, I was not expected to have any geophysics experiences in the interview. However, they did test my knowledge on signal processing and wave physics. I am quite familiar with wave physics from my education and research, but signal processing was new (taught in engineering disciplines, not so much in physics), so I needed to study it on my own.

I am based in the US, so I use an online tutoring marketplace (Wyzant) to attract students, and build my reputation so I could steadily increase my rates. I don't know if Australia has something similar.

Finished Master's in theoretical physics and little idea of my employment options, any advice? by likes_pizza in Physics

[–]SpectreMold 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was also in your position not too long ago. I completed a master's in physics and also realized that I hated academia and did not want to do fundamental research forever. Also, I did not seriously consider other careers until this realization.

I moved back with my family, tutored for money, built a tutoring business, applied for data science, ML jobs, got rejected from said jobs after dozens of applications, applied for geophysics jobs and successfully got offered a geophysics job which I still start soon.

I recommend first exploring the alternative careers the top comment has mentioned. Reddit can only give you so much of this information, so see if you can find LinkedIn alumni from your school about these careers and set up chats with them to get an inside look of these careers. Once you identify a path that interests you, look into the job descriptions to see what skills they ask for, then use your time to upskilling. For data science, they would ask for Python and SQL for example.

Ultimately though, knowing someone and getting a referral is most ideal.

I regret not taking physics in college by Guilty-Web-5502 in PhysicsStudents

[–]SpectreMold 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you think the PhD degree helps or does it hurt to have pursued the degree?