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If I Want to become a Scientist what should I do ?
I am currently in class 10. I want to become a scientist in Physics Sector. What should I do after 10th. Some people say that do IIT and AIEEE some say do plain B.Sc and then M.Sc and ultimately P.Hd. But I am a lot confused between these options. Most of my interests are in Astronomy, General Physics and Computers. I am currently in India. Please Help.. Suggest the options available in India! Please make your answer as clear it could be. Thank You !!
Closing Statement from Amrut Deshmukh
Thanks ..... Everybody for your kind and helpful replies .....
Wadood Sultan Abdul
Regarding which universities to go to in India, I don't know much(except for the fact that the entrance exam IIT-JEE is quite tough). I would refer you to a friend of mine on facebook. Please ask him your queries about IIT and AIEE. Find him at http://www.facebook.com/sahal.kaushik
Try applying to LUMS Scholl of Science and Engineering in Lahore, Pakistan. It's a great school, and no one would eat you, I promise.
Lastly, I saw the website created by/for you. Just one last piece of advice,don't develop a love for accolades.
I am eagerly waiting for your thoughts on my comments.
Best Wishes for you. Remember me in your prayers.
Wadood Sultan Abdul
If, unfortunately, you don't get into US or Hong Kong or Australia(on scholarships, don't be a burden on your family if they can't afford you) then apply in India.
Now we have entered the realm of '3 Idiots(for the people outside sub-continent, it's an epic movie highlighting the problems of South Asian,or global, education).
I hope that be the end of your 12th year, you would have decided whether you want to do science or engineering. Whatever you want to do, go for it. In India and Pakistan, one thing they say is that if you want o do science(Physics,math,chem,Bio) you could always do it after engineering. In the case of Physics, people will gove a lot of examples of people doing Electrical engineering and then switching to physics. They say that one must have a professionla degree as to secure a job. Although I am a student and amateur myself, I am against this dogma. Do physics if you want ot become a scientisti. DO engineering if you decide to do engineering. I hope that by the end of 12 year you would know which way to go. I guess it would be science, as it is more 'pure, thought-oriented' as compared to the 'commercialised engineering'(no offence). This is the reason I ask you to study more than just the school teaches you, so that you can find the subject that resonates with you.
Assuming that you go for Physics in India, you do a four year degree(it can be a 2 year BSc + a 2 year MSc or it could be a 4 year BS or it could be a 5 year integrated MSc) Don't worry about the terminologies. You just have to study a 4 year course(which you can also do in three years if you work harder). After that you get to do research i.e. a PhD. A strong foundation in undergraduate physics will prepare you for research work. After your PhD, you could do further research as a post-doctoral researcher, or combine research with teaching.
(TBC)
Wadood Sultan Abdul
And I guess your interest is in Physics. For that I would say that apply for the Indian Physics Olympiad. It would boost your thinking skills with witty problems that will literally stretch your mind. Also apply for the Asian Science Camp 2012 and 2013. If selected, you'll get a chance to learn first-hand from Nobel Laureates in the Natural Sciences.
By the START of your 12th i.e.final year, you should have average knowledge(advanced in some topics, but overall you must have scanned the whole course) and have thought over the 12th year Physics and Mathematics. Every individual has his own pace of studying. Schools tend to fasten the slow and slow the fast. There's nothing wrong with going slow. But it's wrong to be slow if you can go fast. You should, through self study, finish the course by the end of 11th year. In the 12th year, think deeper, solve problems e.t.c and apply to universities.
These are not hard and fast rules, these are guidlines set under the experiences of a fresh graduate of the South Asian education system(which is,btw, very versatile in itself) I hope that your convivtion to pursue Physics will strengthen during these years, but never hesitate to love another subject if its love pervades you.
Finally, I would recommend you to apply to US for undergraduate studies. The US universities and colleges(in the US, college is used synnymously with university) Admissions are tough, but not impossible. Work hard and give it a try. The US universities will surely help you achieve your dreams. For South Asians, it's good to start working on US admissions in the 11th year of school. Do not be afraid. It's just fun if you have ample time. Contact your school counsellor(if you have one) for inquiries about US admissions or go to http://www.usief.org.in/index.aspx.
(to be continued)
Wadood Sultan Abdul
But the main thing is perseverance. No matter where you go, follow your passion, work really, really, really, really(no need to stress further) hard, and work even harder on developing the creative, individual attitude and way of looking. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. That's all you can do for the long term.
For the short term(next 2-3 years), you could do the following:
1) Get good grades in all subjects, specially sciences, at school.
2) Think. Never stop questioning and discussing with your teachers and peers. Never be afraid to make stupid guesses and dumb explanations of questions. Always ask why is this topic the way it is? Delve as much deep as you can. You would find that there are some topics/subjects that you can think about easily( think and study them further)
3) I like your projects. Similarly explore further any topic in the sciences that interests you(e.g genetics, applications of calculus, entropy in physics, rates of reactions e.t.c) I would recommend Halliday Resnick for Physics study. Consult some experts for university level books on bio,chem and math also that you can use as a reference.
(To be continued)
Wadood Sultan Abdul
It feels good to see an aspiring scientist from India(Asia needs those).
Best wishes for your life and your passion.
Salim Solaiman 50+
Michael Czajka
mojtaba azari
just one point that I have learnt from my masters
!! never think that you know all things and know more than other and try to learn ,even from usual people !!
James Turner 10+
Gabo Moreno 100+
Ajay Ramanathan Chettiar
Sidharth Hariharan
Sidharth Hariharan
Ajay Ramanathan Chettiar
Ajay Ramanathan Chettiar
Sidharth Hariharan
Mr. Anony mouse
Comment deleted
Amrut Deshmukh
Ria Navarro
Amrut Deshmukh
Matthieu Miossec 100+
Amrut Deshmukh
Matthieu Miossec 100+
Elvis D'Souza
I believe IIT-JEE is the entrance test for IISc (Not sure though, you should confirm this)
If not IISc, you can join IITs/NITs/BITS for Engineering, but the onus is on you to be close to research and eventually become a scientist.
Christophe Cop 500+
Don't know about places in India, though they have tons of good institutes I heard.
You can dig into a lot of websites to learn a lot about science already.
http://www.khanacademy.org/ is probably one of the most useful.
And try and do experiments! find out the speed of light and sound
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/clifford_stoll_on_everything.html is a great talk to get inspiration (I watched it at least 5 times ... I absolutely love that talk!).
Go and observe meteorites with your local astronomy organisation, so you can triangulate it's origin with others (for example).
Or make a robot!
Anayway, a lot of things you can do just to dig further into your interest, and you could probably imagine a lot of things yourself...
Amrut Deshmukh
and about the TED Talk its awesome. Its all correct you told but I want to know that what else I can do further in my career. What can i do after 10th ? .. Again Thanks for you reply !
Christophe Cop 500+
10th... what does that mean? (School systems are different across the globe... Belgium has kindergarten, pre-school (3 years), primary school (6 years), and secondary school (6 years). After which the bachelors (3 years) and masters (1 or more years) follow. And then Phd, More masters and what have you not)
So what can you do: probably go to further science education, no? I probably can't help you on the precise choice as I don't know the difference between the different systems you have.
Nor do I have sufficient data about where your passion lies most (be it theoretical, applied, value of the acquired degree, reasons to chose for the one or the other,...)
Amrut Deshmukh
Christophe Cop 500+
(If the outcome gives you a bad feeling about the decision: eliminate that from the list and repeat the process)