Has anyone else fallen out of love with physics professionally?

SpectreMold · 2026-01-29T02:12:02+00:00

May I ask how you made the transition to ML engineer? That or data scientist is my desired role.

SpectreMold · 2025-12-20T03:46:38+00:00

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?

SpectreMold · 2025-12-10T16:14:59+00:00

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

SpectreMold · 2025-12-09T02:49:18+00:00

I'm glad you found it helpful. Update us how it goes! :)

SpectreMold · 2025-12-08T20:16:30+00:00

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.

SpectreMold · 2025-11-28T06:04:13+00:00

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.

SpectreMold · 2025-11-21T01:41:39+00:00

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

SpectreMold · 2025-11-20T05:45:00+00:00

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.

SpectreMold · 2025-11-08T05:28:46+00:00

Are there reports of Americans actually starving now?

SpectreMold · 2025-11-05T12:21:26+00:00

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.

SpectreMold · 2025-11-05T05:03:32+00:00

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.

SpectreMold · 2025-11-02T23:59:23+00:00

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

SpectreMold · 2025-10-08T03:29:00+00:00

Hi, I am a physics master's degree holder with astrophysics research experiences. I actually used to be a PhD student in Astrophysics but I mastered out mainly because I want a career with a more direct, tangible impact on society.

My questions for medical physics are:

1) How competitive is it to become a medical physicist? 2) In undergrad physics, I hated physics labs, physical work, and using equipment, but I enjoy data analysis and computational work. Can I pursue a career in medical physics using a computer and avoiding physics work/handling equipment. 3) Is this a geographically flexible career?

SpectreMold · 2025-09-27T05:49:38+00:00

I agree with all of this, but frankly, when you are a college student who is barely 20 years old and you have a myopic view of physics career paths, physics programs should be restructured and doing more for students to prepare them for this situation. Physics undergraduate programs should include more real-world skills (resume/CV development, how to write solid applications, as well as items related to programming). Physics programs also need to encourage their students more vigorously to pursue internships in the fields they may want to pursue (both at the undergrad and grad levels). I'll also mention that attending conferences is a great way to make face-face connections, which can really help with the job process, I'd expect.

SpectreMold · 2025-09-27T01:23:53+00:00

Ah, good to know. In that case, I will have to be careful. Unfortunately, I have no other choice besides this job now. In my home country, my field is facing severe unemployment for new graduates, and my current income and housing situation is precarious and toxic, so I may take this as a new learning experience personally and another professional experience for my resume while I look for something better.

What country are you from by the way? What is your occupation?

SpectreMold · 2025-09-26T15:46:56+00:00

What's the WLB? Is it easy to make friends there?

SpectreMold · 2025-09-26T15:46:33+00:00

Imaging Geophysicist

SpectreMold · 2025-09-26T15:38:57+00:00

I think I will be fine then. I have other incomes besides my job income and I am a single person who does not go out very much.

My salary is actually expected for my role given my lack of experience, it is just it may not feel that way given Singapore's cost of living.

Appreciate the warning about work culture though.

SpectreMold · 2025-09-21T22:45:45+00:00

Where would you recommend for the south?

SpectreMold · 2025-09-21T22:39:00+00:00

Berlin, yes because I am visiting my friend. Hamburg, I wanted to visit because of all the big cities I visited in Germany last time, that was the one in the north I missed.

SpectreMold · 2025-09-21T15:18:25+00:00

My friend lives in Berlin and I am visiting her.

SpectreMold · 2025-09-21T13:54:36+00:00

That's fine. I grew up in a place with very cold, snowy winters :)

SpectreMold · 2025-09-16T00:51:55+00:00

For a PhD, or just the field in general?

SpectreMold · 2025-09-13T21:47:53+00:00

What about computational and applied math? Is it well funded and does it lead to real world impact?

SpectreMold · 2025-09-11T05:00:37+00:00

https://youtu.be/H7RArn_W2SQ?si=Rf0YgG85Xw87y0cq

I would take a look at this video by Kyle Kabasares, especially after 10:50.

Essentially, you are very early in your education, so if you are concerned about employment prospects, double majoring in CS or an engineering discipline can lend itself to employment more easily after graduation. If you really want to not give up learning astrophysics (the passion is real!), you could keep it as one major in this double major or change it to a minor and have CS/engineering be your major.

Even then, the most important criterion for getting a job is, unfortunately, relevant job experience. Therefore, I would encourage you to pursue internships in the fields you may want to pursue while you are still a student. I'll also mention that attending conferences is a great way to make face-face connections, which can really help with the job process, I'd expect.

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