Heard on the street (11th ed)

[Jon Miller]

I am pretty sure that the average in my department is still ~6 years. I am one of the last of my year to graduate, only those who did like me and switched after 3 years of graduate school still haven't graduated (for the most part).

We are pretty much shown the door after 7 years, I think. Even those whose experiments were sorta duds (have no good papers) are still graduating this springish.

I have friends from my year who graduated in 4 years. The particle theorists/etc graduated in 5-6. Most of my friends graduated 1-2 years ago.

And it is true that if you included just theorists that the average IQ of physicists would go up. That doesn't mean that all of the experimentalsts are stupid though.

JM

[KrazyHorse]

I am pretty sure that the average in my department is still ~6 years. I am one of the last of my year to graduate, only those who did like me and switched after 3 years of graduate school still haven't graduated (for the most part).

We are pretty much shown the door after 7 years, I think. Even those whose experiments were sorta duds (have no good papers) are still graduating this springish.

I have friends from my year who graduated in 4 years. The particle theorists/etc graduated in 5-6. Most of my friends graduated 1-2 years ago.

And it is true that if you included just theorists that the average IQ of physicists would go up. That doesn't mean that all of the experimentalsts are stupid though.

JM

Take it easy Jon. I was being a dick on purpose

[Jon Miller]

I know that I feel super tired of it all at 7 years in graduate school. I think it is entirely unreasonable for the average in your department to be over 7...

JM

[KrazyHorse]

Average for condensed matter experiment. Overall average like 6.5

[Naked Gents Rut]

I can't imagine spending that long in grad school. Is it really worth the opportunity cost? I feel like you guys could've been making bank for several years now with your mathematical ability.

[Jon Miller]

It isn't. I think you have to get your PhD in 4 years for it to be worth the opportunity cost.

Feels that require a PhD are really the only reason to get one.

JM

[TCO]

I thought it was a blast. had a fun gf. Didn't work hard. Etc. Etc. Of course, I was one of 100 and picked a sleazy field. but I loved it. Have a paper with 45 cites now. total stamp collecter crap science. but still fun...

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-us%3AIE-SearchBox&q=george+palmer+cosub

[KrazyHorse]

From one of the little "true stories from job interviews" bubbles:

When asked why he left theoretical physics for quantitative finance the candidate responded "Why does a bank robber rob banks?".

[KrazyHorse]

I thought it was a blast. had a fun gf. Didn't work hard. Etc. Etc.

Maybe in 5 years I'm going to be able to look back on all this and smile, but in current situation I do not have that perspective.

[DanS]

Are you interviewing now?

[Zkribbler]

From one of the little "true stories from job interviews" bubbles:

When asked why he left theoretical physics for quantitative finance the candidate responded "Why does a bank robber rob banks?".

[KrazyHorse]

Are you interviewing now?

There's a guy from MS coming in to talk to me as well as to give a recruitment speech to the grad students in general.

[TCO]

Maybe in 5 years I'm going to be able to look back on all this and smile, but in current situation I do not have that perspective.

I knew mine was different...even at the time.

[TCO]

Hey my "advisor" just finally had a student finish off a paper that I had all but done in 1999 (without me). It's not that big a deal. Just a phase diagram. Still funny. I think even with gin-brain addling and 8 years out of the field, I could still ***** slap his ass on the literature and concepts.

[SpencerH]

I was trying to explain to yet another parent at a volleyball tournament this weekend why I dont want my girls to become scientists. The average person seems to think we make bags of money and have a great life. The reality is that it bites and it will only get worse.