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Theoretical physics choices.Follow

#27 Nov 15 2013 at 1:19 PM Rating: Good
My postgraduate level classes are somewhat eye-opening. I'm doing quantum chemistry for chemists, which makes it really painfully obvious that I don't know the first bit about Fermi-Dirac (or Bose-Einstein) statistics, and quantum chemistry for physicists, which I'm somehow acing so far.

Extra maths and preparing for this particle physics stuff next semester is interesting, too.

And now I'm teaching a physicist Python because I'm too lazy to write my dissertation in C and have enough freedom not to. Smiley: lol

(Honestly, though, does anyone even care about your undergrad once you've got your first Nature/Science/Cell paper? Smiley: tongue)
#28 Nov 15 2013 at 1:55 PM Rating: Excellent
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Kalivha wrote:
And now I'm teaching a physicist Python because I'm too lazy to write my dissertation in C and have enough freedom not to. Smiley: lol
That's okay, everyone should learn python at some point.

Kalivha wrote:
(Honestly, though, does anyone even care about your undergrad once you've got your first Nature/Science/Cell paper? Smiley: tongue)
I wouldn't know, but could imagine... Smiley: glare

But yes, it seems to be like job experience in that regard. Once you have a couple of years of doing something under your belt people look at lot less at the degree and a lot more at what you've been up to since then.

At least that's the hope. Smiley: lol
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#29 Nov 15 2013 at 2:40 PM Rating: Excellent
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Ugh, python. Use ruby or something.
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#30 Nov 15 2013 at 3:25 PM Rating: Good
I like Python. Also, libraries. 90% of my dissertation is in libraries that only seem to be available in Python, C and Fortran.

But yeah, I didn't mean that Nature papers are necessary. Like even a couple that are like IF 3 or so seem to be okay?

Now just to hope that that cobalt paper gets published in some semi-decent journal in the next 5 years or so. I'll get like 4th author! Smiley: lol
#31 Nov 15 2013 at 3:30 PM Rating: Excellent
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Internet fail. Smiley: disappointed


Edited, Nov 15th 2013 1:33pm by someproteinguy
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#32 Nov 15 2013 at 3:44 PM Rating: Excellent
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Kalivha wrote:
But yeah, I didn't mean that Nature papers are necessary. Like even a couple that are like IF 3 or so seem to be okay?
I dunno how it works for you guys. It seems for us biomedical people getting your name thrown in the middle somewhere is good for someone with a 4-year degree trying to get a lab rat job. It's something that says "hey I can mix stuff in beakers without killing myself or my lab mates" or along those lines. Shows you can be a contributor in a prospective lab.

First author papers, say more like "I can manage a project and I understand this stuff at least well enough to produce results" which seems to be a nice shoe-in-the-door for like a lab manager type. If you want to impress and get yourself a nice post-doc it'd be good to have a long list of stuff to point at, and some of that in journals that people outside of your small slice of the field would recognize. Competition for that kind of thing is crazy, and getting your own lab? Sheesh, glad I'm not doing that... Smiley: lol


Edited, Nov 15th 2013 1:46pm by someproteinguy
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#33 Nov 15 2013 at 3:48 PM Rating: Excellent
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Sir Xsarus wrote:
Ugh, python. Use ruby or something.
Someone had one too many unexpected indents methinks. Smiley: wink

Okay oops, I just realized I triple-posted. That really wasn't intentional... Smiley: frown

Sorry. Smiley: flowers


Edited, Nov 15th 2013 1:50pm by someproteinguy
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#34 Nov 15 2013 at 4:00 PM Rating: Good
This is pretty accurate for my field, actually.

I can hopefully get first author in some obscure physics journal with my BSc project, and if I can get the whole thing published citations will kind of happen with this type of project. Apparently.

I don't want my own lab but there seem to be more tenured professorships than mid-range permanent academic posts. Plus, writing grant applications seems somewhat interesting (I'm sure that will wear off).
#35 Nov 15 2013 at 4:06 PM Rating: Excellent
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Kalivha wrote:
Plus, writing grant applications seems somewhat interesting (I'm sure that will wear off).
It will, but in the meantime you'll be everyone's favorite collaborator. Smiley: lol
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#36 Nov 15 2013 at 4:35 PM Rating: Good
It's kind of bad that that is a factor at all.
#37 Nov 15 2013 at 4:40 PM Rating: Excellent
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Considering how few proposals get funded at times, and that places like ours now require faculty to have at least 3 active grants, then add in the other stuff you need to do, and ugh. Smiley: frown
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#38 Nov 17 2013 at 10:42 AM Rating: Decent
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I'll skip the most of the thread.

Go for the Standard Model for sure, just because it will be a great foundation for just about anything else you choose. After that, pick one that really interests you. With the foundation stuff already being taught, you should keep up well. But you need the desire, the hunger to learn more to really apply yourself.

...

Then go take a ******* shower already.
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