Should you take up physics?

It is always good to know that there are students wanting to become a physicist,especially those with a brilliant brain. As the way I see it, in overseas, the most gifted student will normally end up in their countries' best physics school. After graduation, they become the most versatile problem solvers in most technical jobs.

But for young enthusiasts in Malaysia, the job prospects of a physics degree is always an issue. I wish to offer my opinion on this.

One should consider to further his postgraduate after a basic physics degree, because only by doing so will one sees the best benefit to be a physicist. A B.Sc (with or without Hons.) does not qualify one to be a physicist, so a B.Sc in physics is comparatively less competitive in terms of job market value. A M.Sc (by research) or PhD in physics is in a much different category than a mere bachelor degree. With a postgraduate degree one can do much more. The level of competition is also very much different from those who only hold a B.Sc. In general people who are very much into physics will go for a higher degree else it would be of not much use. So if one is considering physics as a career in the long run, she/he should prepare for a further study to higher level. If one only wants to get a mundane job after a B.Sc then engineering or other applied science field may be more practical.

So my advice to those who want to do a physics course depends very much on the motivation of that individual. In most cases, Malaysian students, being influenced by the survival mentality and shortsightedness of their parents and society, only want a mundane live and having a mundane job after their bachelor degree. For these people, who lack the necessarily motivation to become a physicist, a physics degree is probably not the best choice as it offers a much lower job market value compared to other professional fields of specialisation (engineering, for example). Further, if he/she has only a mundane talent or a very weak mind for physics, it's better for him/her to do something else (computer engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, direct sales, sale engineers...). But for those minds which are quite above average and truly with really strong motivation to become a physicist, who are willing to sacrifice years of hard life to earn his/her M.Sc or Ph.D, then I strongly encourage him/her to take up physics.

For those who are exceptionally good in everything, of course then he/she will do excellently in whatever fields he/she choose to hope in.