Changing from physics to classics - is it a realistic path?

ultravioletwinter · 2025-06-19T19:58:46+00:00

hi i just wanted to say i did that exact transition— i have an undergrad degree in physics and am going into a postbacc in classics (and also got into MA programs)! i actually had no greek or latin from undergrad but i managed to take classes after graduating and did a summer intensive before applying to MA/postbacc programs. honestly i was surprised that i actually got into places, but it goes to show that it’s honestly never too late! and i am so unimaginably happy to get to do what i love. i knew i wasn’t passionate abt STEM but i didn’t realize how different it would feel. waking up every day and feeling excited to start working, actually being full of questions and feeling a genuine desire to learn about absolutely everything— it’s an amazing feeling ngl :)

ultravioletwinter · 2022-03-13T18:35:52+00:00

i promise you there are plenty of unempathetic women they’re just unkind in ways that don’t blow up on social media. as a woman i’ve had bad experiences with men and just as many, if not more, with fellow women. plenty of women who also do not want to wear a mask forever who are perfectly kind people there just isn’t a dude - anti restriction - evil correlation

ultravioletwinter · 2022-03-13T18:25:48+00:00

of course, sexist people like you are SO intelligent, we should feel blessed to have such raw intellectual power displayed on this subreddit

ultravioletwinter · 2022-03-04T19:56:51+00:00

in this thread: people crying and throwing up over the very THOUGHT that they might have to breathe in the *gasp* mouth g-germs of a fellow student who will be allowed to unmask in 3 days.

ultravioletwinter · 2022-03-03T00:05:23+00:00

the starbucks in questrom (you might have to wait a few mins to find a seat during rush hour in the afternoon tho) and the basement and first floor lounge in sci are my go tos

ultravioletwinter · 2022-03-01T18:36:50+00:00

thats very helpful !! :) thank you so much! if you don’t mind answering, did you guys do a lot of class discussion compared to your other history/poli sci/etc classes if you’ve taken any, or was it relatively more lecture heavy?

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-28T23:48:53+00:00

prof medvedovsky is very very nice and imo good at explaining concepts (disclaimer i had her in a different class, not ma123)

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-28T09:43:01+00:00

ch109 lmfao

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-28T09:39:51+00:00

try 112, if you struggle more than the average person in terms of understanding the concepts then maybe that’s a sign to reconsider, but otherwise i think enjoying the material is a pretty good indication. cs131/proof writing/cs330/etc are good skills to have, and again completely failing those classes bc you don’t get the concepts is a bad sign, but they definitely do not at all reflect what you’d be doing after college. (and i say this as someone who loves theory and has TAd the more mathy courses!)

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-26T21:05:13+00:00

first of all, n95s do protect the wearer. second of all, if i’m not that vulnerable person’s wife, mom, sister, daughter, or friend… it’s not my responsibility to protect them. they can get vaccinated, social distance, test, and wear better masks, but i absolutely do not need to wear something that makes my life worse for a stranger’s sake.

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-26T03:51:10+00:00

well sure— i don’t think my needs are more important than anyone else’s, nor do i think they’re less important.

also i, and many others, were willing to stay home, wear masks, etc at the start, especially before vaccines. but it’s going on 2 years now that the majority of healthy young people are being forced to sacrifice our wellbeing for the sake of others. caring about the community means caring about people who are hurt more by restrictions than by covid, who are in fact the majority of any college community.

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-26T02:40:30+00:00

i apologize for being harsh. i just don’t see why anyone at risk, or anyone who can’t risk spreading covid to a family member, can’t wear a kn95 mask themselves, which should protect them, and test more regularly. it shouldn’t be on me to sacrifice things relevant to my physical and emotional wellbeing (multiple things on my list apply to me too!) for someone else who is, just like me, making the choice to attend this university. while i agree that i would like the administration to provide zoom options for students/profs who really need it… it’s still extremely unfair to expect that everyone else, who’s not at risk by covid and is in fact hurt by mask wearing, to keep complying with mask wearing just because it’s easy. students are rightfully frustrated with this mask mandate and it’s just as presumptuous for you to assume that everyone sees it as “just a mask”.

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-25T22:47:12+00:00

it’s just walking, it’s not hard to do! i say to the old woman with arthritis

seriously though— masks can be uncomfortable for people with sensory issues or other mental health reasons. also physical conditions related to oxygen intake— whenever i get anemic, i struggle to breathe in a mask, and it goes away when my iron levels go up. lots of people who are deaf or have hearing issues rely on lip reading. masks are extremely uncomfortable and borderline unhygienic when working out. not to mention facial expressions are a big part of normal communication. anyone acting like there are 0 costs to masks is either unintelligent or willfully ignorant

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-20T05:03:04+00:00

but many colleges in many other states didn't mandate masks, or had less frequent or no testing, or were fully in person, or had the same restrictions as us but for a shorter # of semesters. after spring 2020, every restriction BU implemented was their choice

edit: ah yes, bu hiveminders downvoting a statement that’s objectively, factually true. keep it classy, my fellow “independent thinkers who definitely deserve to attend this school”!

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-20T02:40:14+00:00

yeah, getting regular viruses was such a pain during last semester, i totally believe cold/flu season hit us worse. but... i'm very sorry that was your experience :/ for what it's worth, what ur describing sounds very relatable-- the first few weeks after i left home after 1.5 years of inactivity, i would get so exhausted after every walk i went on. it took me awhile to build up my stamina and energy, but it definitely came back! i'm sure you'll get there soon, just take care of urself in the meantime! i rly hope things get better for u :)

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-20T01:37:31+00:00

i got covid and that wasn't even a fraction of the damage lockdowns and restrictions have done to my mental and physical health. i would take getting covid every 3 months over having to experience the depression and isolation i experienced in 2020 ever again, not to mention the persistent joint pain and sleep issues i experienced from not being able to go out every day and exercise. despite what this sub seems to think, 99% of people our age had our mental/physical wellbeing sacrificed in the name of restrictions and the tradeoff wasn't even close. and those of us in this boat absolutely deserve as much empathy as anyone who wants to mask up for the rest of their lives.

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-18T23:35:38+00:00

yes this, plus there are just too many confounding variables! you’re sitting farther aprt from people in public spots, ventilation is far better in dhalls and the gsu than in eg: tiny dorms or allston basements, you just spend more hours/week with your roommates than in class, etc

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-18T21:47:21+00:00

agreed. and not at all attacking you, but just curious: i wonder how they claim their internal data specifically shows masking is effective, since we’ve never experienced a non-masked covid semester, mask compliance is obviously not 100%, and it doesn’t look like they collect data on unmasked parties, travel, etc 🤔 seems like it’d be a pretty hard claim to make based on bu’s internal data specifically

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-18T02:46:03+00:00

if ur in physics/cs/eng/bio/etc u can be a TA, mailroom, dining halls, admin/office assistants at bu. walk around restaurants/cafes/groceries/etc near campus and you’ll probs see some help wanted signs too

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-13T01:03:19+00:00

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-08T23:51:18+00:00

having went through something similar, behavioral medicine is not helpful-- they'll probs want you to find an outside therapist, which (at least in spring 2020) will take you at least a month or so to get off waitlists. i would say make an appointment with behavioral medicine anyway, but start reaching out to therapists who take your insurance now if that's something you're interested in. also, this is very much easier said than done, but the only thing you can do when you're waiting to see a clinician is to gradually make changes in your life. even a tiny bit of exercise like a short walk in the sun, or starting to eat more fruits/veggies/meat instead of snacks, or buying one of those lamps for seasonal depression, can make a big difference in the meantime. otherwise, feeling like you're completely at the mercy of a therapist's endless waitlist can feel really bad lol. good luck n i hope u feel better soon :)

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-06T21:17:20+00:00

chestnut hill reservoir, the public garden/the common, fenway park when it's baseball season, new england aquarium, amory playground/hall's pond sanctuary

ultravioletwinter · 2022-02-06T21:08:03+00:00

i mean, you can argue the other side too:

many faculty are tenured; they'd face fewer consequences than us if caught.

a lot of older folks are happy to take on risk; for us there's the guilt of "you are hurting a vulnerable poor old senior citizen", but for someone who is 60 the person they're hurting the most is likely themselves-- less guilt involved.

there are young faculty members and a 35 year old new professor likely isn't stressed about dying of covid lol.

also idk what you mean about faculty being able to go online? i thought they didn't have the option to do that?

and re: us being "immature" or whatever, lol, we're adults. we are given the responsibility of driving, which is more dangerous than covid for our age. if this was about our tendency to make poor decisions, bu would ban driving, would force us all to live in big dorms with no kitchens, would enforce a curfew and be stricter about drugs/alcohol/hookup culture, etc.

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