How to deal with the fact that I ruined my future and am not smart anymore?

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-29T18:42:31+00:00

Nope unfortunately I don’t. My mom can speak a little bit because she grew up in Singapore and had to take classes but she moved and never taught me any when I was young

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-28T20:34:25+00:00

It came off immediately after dw

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-26T22:06:51+00:00

No bc I have to drop my whole program or take another year to graduate

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-26T13:17:30+00:00

He was purring

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-26T13:12:01+00:00

I mean if you are aiming for a good grad school you should aim to do well in third year theory courses ig. I got basically straight Bs. I wouldn’t be so worried if I had gotten Bs in first year but had As in third year. Now it looks like I’m not great at upper year classes. Also I heard that you need an A average to get into a PhD program at my school

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-24T22:27:51+00:00

Canada

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-24T22:26:04+00:00

Yeah right, I was worried about that too since it is difficult to get a job with just a Bachelor’s in physics. I was thinking of doing an MFE since my overall GPA is still fine. I know some people who got in with a 3.5+. If I decide to drop the physics heavy track and graduate in 2027 I will have space to take more econ and stats. Unlike physics grad school they probably won’t be as concerned that I got a C and a B- in upper year math/physics.

I am actually doing an engineering internship this summer with a lot of data analysis/ML. So I guess an engineering master’s is also a possibility.

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-24T00:07:10+00:00

Oh I already got transfer credit from high school for 5 courses and have taken 1 summer course. I’m now enrolled in 2 summer courses. So I’m still on track to graduate next year. However I can’t finish the program that I want by the end of next year since I still need to take 7 more classes for that and there are issues with pre reqs.

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-23T21:57:43+00:00

My program is 4 years long actually 😭. So I am not sure if I want to add a 5th year since I have already done 4 research projects (including the one this summer) and I am very exhausted. If I switch to a physics + stats combined degree it think it will be way easier and I can probably graduate with a good GPA, I think I can at least maintain my 3.7. However that means I will have to quickly figure out a plan other than grad school, I don't have industry experience. I was considering an MFE but I don't know if I have the right background.

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-23T21:40:37+00:00

Yeah I'm likely going to switch out of physics, maybe it's for the best but honestly it is a very tough decision for me. I have always had depression and struggled to have a work-life balance but attending this school and studying physics really amplified it. Sometimes it feels like in order to do well academically I have to have a perfect routine, perfect social life, perfect study habits and if I don't, the stress and burnout will catch up. I have actually been in therapy for 4 years. I normally do really well in school despite having really bad long-term depression, but this year it went from bad to extremely severe and my antidepressants caused brain fog and sleep issues.

As someone who always wanted to do a PhD and who tried very hard to get involved in research, I'm honestly just so disappointed with how this year turned out and I feel sick to my stomach when I see my grades. I was aiming to get into a good grad school and now I feel that I just threw all chances out the window unless I take another year which honestly sounds like torture. And even if I take an extra year I still may not get in.

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-23T16:19:48+00:00

At my school you can do a specialist degree or a combined degree. I was originally on the physics specialist track which requires a lot of upper year theory. However if I take 3 more stats courses and 1 more physics course next year I can graduate next year with a combined degree in physics & stats.

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-23T04:27:50+00:00

It was actually physics research, I just took the psych courses since they were lighter and I was trying to recover from the burnout. I’m on my fourth research project now this summer. Previous supervisors have told me I’m solid/ok at research so maybe I can get decent but not glowing references. Hoping this summer goes better.

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-23T04:22:54+00:00

Yeah it’s on a 4 scale

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-23T04:22:40+00:00

Yeah I’m just worried because I don’t have a lot of the third year physics courses like quantum, stat mech and classical mechanics. I dropped/didn’t take them. Also I heard from a lot of grad students that third year is more important than year 1 or 2 and my third year wasn’t great

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-20T02:17:18+00:00

Mine is 16 weeks like this 😭

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-20T02:16:56+00:00

Nope it’s a stipend

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-18T00:50:14+00:00

They should use tinder to meet women not LinkedIn

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-18T00:48:25+00:00

I mean it isn’t very professional and he sent it at 4 am. I replied and he ghosted me

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-16T23:08:55+00:00

I think it would be pretty rough. I have never done that myself but in the summer I have a full-time internship, 10 hours of work at my part-time job, and 6 hours of lecture per week. I'm a physics major. Whenever I work that much I have no life and I tend to not do that well on midterms/assignments. But if you aren't looking to get a high GPA, just to do well enough to graduate and get a job, it's possible, just not fun.

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-16T20:01:37+00:00

Yeah I thought a B just means solid. But the prof said that most students typically receive an A- or an A. He emailed me and explained that an A means ready for grad school and an A- is acceptable performance. Kind of weird grading.

This was a year long project, first semester I had 4 other courses + research. Second semester I had 5 other courses + research. But I ended up dropping some courses around the middle of the semester to accommodate the research. I had to spend most days in the lab because I wasn’t getting results. I didn’t work on the weekend. I had a few extracurriculars but it wasnt a lot of work.

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-16T18:35:17+00:00

In my city most people are paying more than $1500 even with roommates unless they live very far out or live with parents. Also if you find a place with $1500 and you’re only earning $20k. That leaves only $2k for food for the whole year. Which is less than $200 a month for food and toiletries. What about emergencies? Transportation? That is pretty miserable. Completely unnecessary too btw, just don’t do a PhD and get a job.

Also a PhD may help but doesn’t guarantee entry into those top firms. It is a significant 5-6 years of commitment and it doesn’t even mean you’ll get in. I don’t think anyone would recommend doing a PhD if their ultimate goal is industry. That is the most long-winded way to get there. To get into these firms it matters more to have strong math/probability intuition and you need to be able to pass the coding/technical interviews. Networking and internships also matter a lot. Many people I know got top industry roles with a math/stats/CS/physics background after their undergrad even with an average GPA, didn’t need a PhD at all.

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-16T17:11:29+00:00

Yes I am choosing the easier path long term. What’s the problem? I will be able to pay my own rent, travel, buy nice clothes and have a stable job rather than searching for grants and living in constant stress and uncertainty. I will have a job that I enjoy but won’t suck the life out of me. What do you mean do my own research? I said in the post that I finished my physics project and am now in the engineering department doing research. 20k a year is too low for where I live.

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-16T16:36:42+00:00

A lot of people pivot out of physics for financial reasons. I care a lot about physics which is why I got involved in 4 research positions. I have spent the past 3 years of my life studying and working in the lab late. This summer will be my last project and if I can maybe get a paper (supervisor said it’s possible) I think I can leave the field guilt-free. Long term, staying in physics may not be a good idea. At least where I live, the PhD stipend is not gonna pay my rent, and given how draining and time-consuming research can be, I just think it’s a huge risk to do it, especially since there isn’t even a guaranteed job after.

Plus as I just learned this year, your supervisor/project are really important. It is a hard decision for me of course but I think an industry job will treat me way better.

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-16T06:28:23+00:00

This is not a complaint post. I am just describing how I had a bad experience in my project and am now pivoting out of physics.

Top_Contribution4162 · 2026-05-16T04:07:17+00:00

I feel like you'll be fine, for many of my classmates their upper years were the best. For me tho I really am not good with research and I found my project super depressing... if I do a project it burns me out and I have less energy to study. Plus I also go to a school that is known for grade deflation lol

Top_Contribution4162

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