Expert: Daniel Mazur - 8/27/2009

Question
i curently don't know what to study when i leave high school' but i'm good in Maths,Science and technology. i really want to do something that has something to do with physics.....HELP

Answer
Dear Manaka,
with interest in physics and good marks in maths and science you have a huge number of options. You can study physics until a Ph.D. (for cca 10 years from finishing high school) and then become a physicist doing fundamental or applied research. You could also study chemistry or biology or even medicine and in specialization choose a physics-related, scientific direction. That would mean a scientific career, quite challenging, taking full advantage of your intellectual abilities, giving you the delights of having flexible working hours, and moderate income (very much dependent on your country situation), enough traveling world-wide.
You can choose to become an industrial researcher, that is a scientist doing research for industry, for factories... This will require you only to get to an M.S. (about 6 years), the salaries are on average higher than a scientist at a university, national lab or government-funded research institute. On the other hand working hours are not as flexible and you have no choice in what you want to work on.
You can choose to become an engineer in one of the many branches. You need to only study until Bc. or Master degree, your salary will be from the beginning higher than of a physicist (scientist) doing state-funded research. But you will have no say in what project you'll work on, you'll work according to what customers of your employer demand. Engineering contains enough physics, but it is more hidden in formulas and software you use, so in the professional life you won't deal with physics in the real sense.
Then there are several occupations that are not physics or scientific, but which you will be able to do immediately after a scientific degree, simply because of the mathematical and analytical skills you'll attain.
The decision must come from inside you. I recommend that you pay a visit to some research teams at a nearby university, see what their work looks like, have them explain, what they work on and why.... Only that can give you an idea, if that line of work is something you'll like.
Good luck!
Daniel