How do I Become an Astrophysicist? - Ask a Spaceman!

[@hyperpotato812]

Well I'm in high school and I wanna be an astrophysicist. I don't care about the nature of those jobs or the salary. I just love physics and I wanna work on it. I just love it. I don't think I'm making a wrong decision. Any tips or advice?

[@raintrain9921]

Look into undergraduate programs for physics/ physics and astronomy in universities that you can fesably go to. Find one that you think looks good and apply for it when it's time to apply for university.

[@PaulMSutter]

Exactly. One step at a time. Focus on doing well in undergrad, then move from there.

[@Kami42w]

Sankhasuvra Das you got the right idea go for it

[@connoruzzo4004]

Probably just try physics as an undergrad, this would allow you to have more access to things like condensed matter or particle physics research positions, as these are at least somewhat more common. Also, consider aerospace engineering- in astrophysics you’ll spend most of your time on computers writing code in outdated languages, and it can certainly be very interesting but you may find you enjoy designing spacecraft/aircraft/satellites etc using the principle you learn in your physics classes- of course, if only astrophysics excites you then go for it! It is a lot of hard work but it’s still very much an evolving and growing field

[@syncboi4985]

@@Showtube887 ya and then come back from the dead and dislike ur comment

[@damienwayne3755]

You sir just saved me. I was feeling so depressed about not being able to follow the career of my dream and this makes me feel like I can actually do it. Now I won't stop at anything until I get the education I long for. Many thanks!!!

[@PaulMSutter]

It's a tough road but not an impossible one. Good luck!

[@minukiadhihetty2109]

All this time ive known that i want to be an astrophysicist, work on the big unanswered questions and research mind-boggling topics. A lot o f people keep telling me that it is one of the hardest carrier paths and that i have a thin chance of actually reaching that point, which actually made me doubt myself for a second. And now, this video has helped restore belief.

[@neosilver7259]

I did like the books of Brian Green too and am now trying to work through "B. Schutz - A First Course in General Relativity" and it is hard as i do it autodidactically. I don't need to be at a college to live out my interest and enthusiasm for astrophysics and i am not able to. And of course i am progressing slower then a college student, but it is my passion and my curiosity will maintain it.

[@PaulMSutter]

Very cool, keep it up!

[@SLIZZAL101]

Literally I connected with you story so much. I started my college career with the hopes to get a degree in computer science. Then things in my personal life changed and I really looked into what interested me. I was struggling for a month or two, GPA falling. I barely passed my classes at the time and thought I’d start fresh in 2018. Started an astronomy class and was instantly hooked. Now 2 months later, accepted into Michigan State, I am pursuing a degree in Astrophysics.

[@PaulMSutter]

So cool, best of luck!

[@maryamali3859]

Hi im a high school student who aspires to become an astrophysian and the only reason I want this is because I love space People always said that it was too difficult and that I would not make it Thank you for the video U have given me hope

[@candypinkjuby1287]

Hey do you want you should take in 11th and college to study astrophysics in future

[@tatjanagobold2810]

Wow thank you for this video! I really felt this was going to dicourage me and that now you would reveal the truth.. and you talked about your personal experience which ended up encouraging me even more :) because I love this type of experience, where you can always improve! So thanks for sharing!

[@PaulMSutter]

Glad I could help! I get so many questions about what people need to make sure they do before starting this career, and I look back and realize it was all basically on-the-job training...

[@laurencheer640]

I am a sophomore physics major and have been feeling very overwhelmed by how much I don't know and intimidated by the task of learning it all. I've tried to talk to my profs about this but they never really understand my issue. Finally, some advice from a relatable human being. Thank you!!

[@newshaghorbanniaa6390]

Wow I am in the beginning of this road 🤩🤩🤩🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@HarshColby]

My sister gave me Gödel, Escher, Bach and it´s always been one of my favorite books.

[@PaulMSutter]

Agreed!

[@joehartman87]

This is the sweetest most encouraging post. Thank you.

[@christtumbledryer3677]

I'm in secondary school and I'm about to select my GCSE subjects that Sappourt my career choice (which is an astro-physists) I enjoy every aspect of science wether it's biology, chemistry or physics. Of course my favourite is physics but i still really love biology and chemistry.

[@maryamali3859]

Me too

[@Gustavo-lz5mi]

Thank you very much for this video, you're helped me a lot!! I think this is not only about the way to become an astrophysicist but also about another areas of science (as you said). I have plans to apply in a PhD in nursing, and every word that you said fit very well in my own experience, I felt scared about the enormous quantity of knowledge required in a PhD program but now I realize the nonsense of having such feelings. Blessings and keep going!

[@PaulMSutter]

Exactly, best of luck!

[@_Halaby]

Could you please talk about computational astrophysics in one of your videos. I'm a CS PhD student myself and I'm really interested in this subject. Love your videos, keep it up :)

[@PaulMSutter]

I did some videos a few months ago about simulating galaxy mergers and how it's done, but I'd love to talk more about it!

[@_Halaby]

Yeah, please do. Specially important discoveries in the field that involved computation. Thanks :)

[@krisrubioartist]

I’m 37 with a bachelors in communications at CSUN. I always loved astronomy and want to pursue a degree in it but I’m intimidated by the amount of work and my mediocre math skills. Plus, I don’t know if it’s too late in my life to pursue something like this and the risk of getting into massive debt when I’m close to 50. Any advice? Just saw this video and clicked the “subscribe” button because your knowledge is worth listening too. Keep up the good work.

[@PaulMSutter]

It's never "too late" - it's up to you to balance the risk/reward vs. other priorities in your life. Every situation is different!

[@brucewilkinson8599]

Great video. Thanks for offering this perspective on the journey you've made and the path you're walking as a scientist.

[@PaulMSutter]

Thanks! I think it's important to share because my path was pretty typical, which I don't think many people realize.

[@mycount64]

meeting with a Fellow at the Perimeter Institute who after graduating before his Fellowship at 34 was required to do 10 years of applied math for professors... then got a kick at the can. Not he works on inflation theory... one of the 100's of inflation theories.

[@PaulMSutter]

Sounds about right.

[@nazhatkhan8470]

Excellent speech given to build up a career of astronomer with immense hard work, concentration, interest, time schedule where will and skill is compulsive to thrive on a long road then a mountain which is a task to keep on going till the final step to be an astrophysicist.

[@PaulMSutter]

One step at a time!

[@nazhatkhan8470]

Thank u Sir

[@zenithalizesquads4873]

Apparently, study steady is best. So I am 15 I started learning differential equation and Integration and trying to understand Gamma Beta and Laplacian operator works. Wasn't too fast right? Because I've done fundamental calculus at 14 but still I did some test on physics but I didn't made a good score.

[@itsmarv3982]

Hey i wanna be a astrophysicist and u rlly helped me thank u very much yey!

[@muhammadosama3358]

Can I do Astrophysics after BSc. Electrical Engineering?

[@mdwoods100]

I wish I was just starting out. This video is great.

[@priyajanswongamikha3294]

Do you recommend studying in school life? Getting A+ by memorizing? Should I work hard in school? Should I give my 70% time for school course,do you recommend it? I want to be Astro physicist I want to learn how is universe formed and it's nature and why is it... I want to discover quantum gravity... But the thing is that the more I learn about my school the more less I feel motivated to work harder... I mean students are just memorizing everything even if the teacher says don't memorize understand the concept the book and teacher teaches us in a way where we had to root our way in.... Most of student in my school reads for grades ..is it good..? I am confused ...looking for advice

[@neonpirate6430]

Learn concept, especially Mathematics "The language of physics"

[@peterginsburg2465]

Paul, you barely mentioned the financial aspects of how you got to become an astrophysicist or scientist in general. Just to get a BS degree at a decent school, will put people in debt for a long time. To go on to an MS and PhD would pretty much double it. Since the number of openings for professional astronomers and scientists in academia in general is rather small, to spend about $200K-500k to get a PhD can be pretty much out of reach for some, unfortunately. And if you're lucky enough to land a research job in academia, how does one pay the bills? And how do you keep a job, if the grant money dries up and there's no money for salaries. And if you don't produce published papers and/or attract grant money, a science job starts to get precarious. So, the knowledge aspect is as you say, a long but possible road. But, how does one pay for all of this? I can see it being a rewarding field, but I guess one has to have a backup plan to handle the financial aspects, just in case. Have you thought about putting together and using a Light Board for your videos. They're pretty cool. Here's one of Anna Frebel's talks. kzbin.info/www/bejne/baS5e5SMnL14ga8

[@PaulMSutter]

Hey Peter, I'm actually going to address this in my next video. Yes, you need to pay for your undergrad degree, but graduate school in physics is paid for by teaching or research assistantships. You get all tuition covered plus a stipend. You do give up a little earning potential by pursuing a PhD, but it's not as bad as other fields. The post-graduate salary range for Physics PhD's is $80-$120k (higher in industry, lower in academia), so in the end it's not that bad an investment.

[@dramese]

Thank you so much for this advice

[@sanchipanpatil3756]

I am so happy and emotional right now by looking at this video! Paul you are my inspiration! I love to hear your podcast i recently discovered it on Spotify. I am so into space since my childhood. I am a Computer Science student too! And i am willing to do my Masters in astrophysics. This video is real motivation! Thank you so much Paul Sutter (Butter but with an "S"😉)

[@juniourkings3840]

Thanks buddy I finally revealed my last ingredient of becoming an astrophyso

[@mikesharp1974]

Years ago my brother was studying physics and for some reason he decided to get out of it. When I asked him why he left he said that most students that graduate with a physics degree go to work for the government or the military. Do you find this to be true of your students?

[@PaulMSutter]

Most go into industry actually. I'm planning a follow-up video on the subject next month. Stay tuned!

[@05_nitikdas46]

I want to be an astronomer. And for that I'm preparing for engineering entrance exam in India...... Am I in a right track..... Please reply sir......

[@itsmarv3982]

E=MC^2

[@sethketchem9067]

Thanks for this video! I remember you coming in to talk to my astronomy class at OSU a few weeks ago; you were extremely articulate and entertaining. I'm curious about your opinion on why so many people drop out of the hardcore science majors like astronomy/physics. Do you think it's because of the mountain of difficulty or because of the field itself? Or something else entirely?

[@PaulMSutter]

Hey, glad you remember! I really think it's the mountain of difficulty, and the middle years of undergrad are deliberately designed to be incredibly difficult.

[@penguinepete5066]

Thank you so much

[@thingonathinginathing]

I'm 24 and I just got out the Marines, and now my fucking dream is to BA AN ASTROPHYSICIST!!!1!

[@Ethans-Life]

I have wanted to be an astrophysicist since 7th grade.

[@StrangeHooves]

Math wise, what would be good classes to take in high school that may be helpful later on?

[@PaulMSutter]

The most advanced classes your school offers, plus computer programming.

[@StrangeHooves]

Paul M. Sutter my school sucks and the most we have in computer programming would be our game design class ._. But I'll see what I can do

[@MutairuW.O]

Thank you so much for the video. Do you please have an idea about which university offers an online bachelor's degree in Astrophysics?

[@jaredmatthew3231]

Can i still be an astrophysicist if i dropped out of highschool, but went back for a ged?

[@Efferri]

Super inspiring! I'm an almost 40yr old computer scientist thinking about changing career paths. Any tips on where to start would be greatly appreciated.

[@PaulMSutter]

Thank you! You can always start at the beginning :) No joke - either go back into undergrad, or find opportunities to take your skillset into a new field.

[@Efferri]

I'm seriously contemplating it. My only worry is that my ambitions outweigh my capabilities :\ Thanks again, Paul. Big fan of your channel and Podcast.

[@pallavijawa4124]

I am a student of class 12 in india I want to become an astrophysicst Can you please tell me if i can enter in the field of astrophysics if i do btec in computer science.

[@msthesia1643]

I’m about to graduate and i’m so lost, and I recently discovered this career path and I feel passionate about it. I’m terrified of entering the field and it end up, not being wrong for me, but too difficult. I want to push forward though, can you lend a word of advice/encouragement?

[@MrKago1]

One of the things that concerns me about the current trends in colleges is to punish students for having too many units. they are expecting 18 yo's to know exactly what they want to do with their life. completely unrealistic. at that point they are still emotionally in highschool and have far too little experience with life to know that. Elegant Universe was a phenomenal book, but it was Cosmos that made me love astronomy. always wondered, if we do become an interstellar civilization, does astrophilosophy then become a thing? should be a thing now imo.

[@PaulMSutter]

Well I made "AstroTherapy" a thing on my radio show (www.spaceradioshow.com), where I give listeners a weekly dose of blow-your-mind :) But agreed that we really push kids too early to figure out what they want to be when they grow up.

[@jimashby43]

That was good.

[@PaulMSutter]

Thanks!

[@chanchan12215]

Thank you so much for the inspiration spaceman. I have a one question though, i saw a lot of people talking about financial aid down there when pursuing higher education. Don't universities have like scholarships that are offered to the best students, From foreign countries? Is it possible to be awarded such scholarships as foreign students who have performed really well on their own country's entrance exams?

[@xibbit6322]

Did you go to embry-riddle? My dad went there

[@PaulMSutter]

For two years, yes!

[@lamedude8976]

Hey Sir I hope you reply i am teen who jumps everday from his career choices from software engineer to astrophysicist kind of confused but i eagerly love astrophysics like it gives dozens of dopamine listening all about this i am good at maths i know i can do it but can you give me the idea of salary because for me financial situation does matter as my parents are not well educated actually i will be the only one in my family who will choose to be a scientist and i have some family debt i wanna pay this is why somehow money matters for me. I hope you understand the perspective of 16 year highschooler who just want to do something different that nobody in my ancestry even knew of😅

[@jagadeesanganesh8895]

how long did it take to get your PHD and did anyone guide you on your path?

[@golamrabbi2079]

i am studying mechanical engineering but can i make my carrier astrophysicist?

[@lochanrp7348]

I love to study astronomy

[@farzanabano9941]

Hi guys I am in 8th class now I live in india I also want to be an astrophysicists as just you want I want advice or suggestions for me I want to study astrophysics in usa Harvard Because I love space and I love physics and science from class 1 to 8th my favourite subject was science and I also want to become a scientist So how can I be

[@mag1ngarr0w]

well thats 11 minutes ill never get back

[@vasanth2256]

Do we need iit or jee

[@mrinalsood9887]

Doesn't this career asks for talent,an above average or a high IQ? Were you talented also or only curious and hardworking?

[@PaulMSutter]

Perhaps, but not necessarily talented in the areas you might think.

[@tekkenchallenge3487]

Well now I have completed 10th from India and want to become astrophysicist. What's the group should I choose now?

[@rachanarajesh3306]

waghmare aniketh Physics Chemistry and Maths

[@rachanarajesh3306]

waghmare aniketh I'm in 9th and I'll be writing my boards next year too. I'm planning to do the same.

[@SagarSharma-no5fh]

Can I read astronomy in master's taking maths major in bachelor's?

[@GAmerJUM]

So you wanna be a gangstar, but your wheels ain´t right?

[@anirudhadhote]

❤ Very good 👍🏼

[@kpeducationprakash8]

I am in 8th standard and i am highly in love with physics. I want to join NASA. Any advice ?

[@evallamas5591]

How much math is required ?

[@shawnhutchinson2088]

I wish I knew this this was a career option 22 years ago. I kinda went a similar route in college. I end up taking computer programming. But I got burned out on it after a year. I honestly would of jumped on a astronomy career if I knew it was a option. I'm 40 now, so a little too late to start over now.

[@PaulMSutter]

It's never too late to become an enthusiast, or to help out with citizen science projects like galaxy zoo or cosmo quest. Especially someone with your skills would find themselves very valuable!

[@shawnhutchinson2088]

Paul M. Sutter, Thank you for that. I have been involved in galaxy zoo for many years now. I didn't know if all the data on all the different project I have done on there actually helped out not. I'm involved in most of the astronomy, astrophysics & helophysics project on there. I do it mainly because I really enjoy it. But never really knew if it really helped out the astronomy/ astrophysics scientist. But that's good to know it does. I never heard of the other site you mentioned. I'll have to check that one out too. Thank you very much for the reply back!

[@deepring]

you are discouraging àll of us. bad guy

[@PaulMSutter]

Don't hate the player, hate the game.