2 yrs job in Ericsson! Want to pursue physics as my career!

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vishal.ism25
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:09 am

2 yrs job in Ericsson! Want to pursue physics as my career!

Post by vishal.ism25 » Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:23 am

I am passionate about physics since I was in class 9th. I cracked IIT-JEE and chose electronics engineering as my major for undergraduation. But I never could develop interest in this field. Earlier also I tried to switch my major, but I couldn't.
Now, after 2 year of job I feel I am only made for physics and research. So, I am planning to give GRE Physics in october this year. My long term research goal is the Unification of Four Forces of Nature. Now, I want to work on research topics of gravitational field theory. To make backbone, I have taught myself advanced topics in Physics and Maths such as SR, Differential Geometry and Vector Calculus till this date.
I just want to know few things:
1. Is thiis possible to get admission for PhD at this point of my career in some good/average Universities in US ?
2. How should I prepare for my application, if it's possible ?
3. How should I proceed....What's do next ?

Kindly help me !

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midwestphysics
Posts: 444
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2010 12:37 am

Re: 2 yrs job in Ericsson! Want to pursue physics as my career!

Post by midwestphysics » Sun Aug 03, 2014 7:09 pm

vishal.ism25 wrote:I am passionate about physics since I was in class 9th. I cracked IIT-JEE and chose electronics engineering as my major for undergraduation. But I never could develop interest in this field. Earlier also I tried to switch my major, but I couldn't.
Now, after 2 year of job I feel I am only made for physics and research. So, I am planning to give GRE Physics in october this year. My long term research goal is the Unification of Four Forces of Nature. Now, I want to work on research topics of gravitational field theory. To make backbone, I have taught myself advanced topics in Physics and Maths such as SR, Differential Geometry and Vector Calculus till this date.
I just want to know few things:
1. Is thiis possible to get admission for PhD at this point of my career in some good/average Universities in US ?
2. How should I prepare for my application, if it's possible ?
3. How should I proceed....What's do next ?

Kindly help me !
All other things set aside like the ridiculous field you're looking at (seriously), the funding, etc. The question that really needs to be answered here is have you ever done physics research before? I'm not talking undergrad projects and such, because those are training wheels included by far. I will tell you it is not what it seems like from the outside looking in, what is? It's very fulfilling but I've seen a lot of people who thought they were very passionate about physics and research get into it and realize it's not what they imagined at all. Some even hate it after realizing what it really is and how it's really done.

I'd suggest you try and get involved with a team on the side before you move forward so you can really get a feel not only for the research but for the state of the field. It's a long long long and very hard road that has many odds stacked against even the most qualified people. I would be dead sure that you absolutely want this before wasting the next 6-10 years at a slim shot at it. Science it not all curiosity and challenging questions, it's personal poverty, tons of politics, money driven, and filled with mind boggling craziness like any field. Don't come into this thinking those things can be avoided.

Also be prepared for people in physics asking you how to get into EE firms lol, a lot of people are looking for a way out.

You know with an electronics background you could maybe get into a research group as a tech or engineer which is just a title, they all do as much original research as they want. You'd never be a PI, but that's the case with most of them in the direct field anyway.

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quizivex
Posts: 1031
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2007 6:13 am

Re: 2 yrs job in Ericsson! Want to pursue physics as my career!

Post by quizivex » Sun Aug 03, 2014 11:58 pm

Your odds of getting into a good American graduate school are low. The following things all count against you in the application process.

a) International student from a country that produces countless 990 PGRE's
b) Two years out of school
c) Not being a physics major
d) Wanting to enter an extremely competitive theoretical field

I suggest that you not get started down a dead end.



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