Should I go for higher eduction in Science & Engineering?

"Questions can be categorized into four groups: 1: Ones for which both a student and a teacher know the answers; 2: Ones for which only the teacher knows the answer; 3: Ones for which both the student and teacher do not know the answer, but someone in the world knows the answer; 4: Ones for which no one knows the answer." 

―A. P. Shukla

"Research is what I am doing when I don't know what I am doing." 

―Wernher van Braun

After graduation, many students are in quandary: Job, higher education, switch field, take a break, etc. In this blog, I will try to discuss the joys and sorrows of higher education in science and engineering.  

I believe that the most dominant factor in your career choice should be what interests you most. You will be productive and happy if your passion becomes your profession.  A good college, good teachers, and friends may help you discover your inner talent, but finally, it is you who has to discover your inner fire and dream that you could pursue all your life.

I cannot talk about most professions, but I can, to some extent, expound on higher education.   Undergraduate education provides you with a broad exposure to your field of specialization.  Since each scientific field has expanded enormously, one needs to dig deep to master any field.  Hence, if you have a burning desire to learn a certain scientific field and contribute new ideas there, you should go for higher education.  

There are several levels in higher education: Masters level, Doctoral level (PhD), and postdoctoral research.  Career options diverge at each level.  Some students are satisfied with skillsets learned during masters program; such students get into industry, research institutions, or into college/school teaching.   But, some students who want to dig even deeper get into doctoral research on a certain topic under the supervision of an expert in that field and perform original research.  Note that original research deals with category four problems for which no one in the world knows an answer.   If you are lucky, you may be able to solve a major problem.  Note that de Broglie, B. Josephson, and some others won Nobel prize for the work done during their PhD dissertation. However, most often, students are able to solve average-level problems during their thesis work.  But, the drill during the PhD provides him/her an experience on how to tackle problems that may require years of continuous thinking and effort.

After a PhD degree, many researchers join research labs/industry.  Note however that to get a university professorship, you would typically require postdoctoral research experience.  One of the eligibility criteria for most academic institutions in India (e.g., universities, IITs, IISc, NITs, TIFR) is a minimum of three years of postdoctoral research work.  After postdoc work, some researchers succeed in getting into these institutions and continue to grind further to solve problems they have taken up.  

It is also important to contrast academic research with industry research.  Industry research is typically goal-driven. For example, a laser company attempts to make new lasers within several years.  On the other hand, academic research could be open-ended.  For example, our research group works on the origin and dynamics of the magnetic field in planets and stars. Such works may or may not have direct applications for industry or human lives in a short time.

It must be said that serious research work requires tremendous patience and perseverance, and it is often without glory (unlike sports or movies).  Also, at present, many more PhDs are being produced than those who can be absorbed.  So only a small fraction of PhDs end up getting academic or research-oriented jobs.  It is often the case that trained researchers take up software jobs, become teachers in colleges or schools, or take up a totally different kind of work.  Due to these considerations, I believe that a student should get into higher education if he/she is very passionate about it.

I recommend the following biographies to get a flavor of what a research career looks like:

A. I. Miller, Empire Of The Stars: Friendship, Obsession and Betrayal in the Quest for Black Holes 

G. Venkatraman, Journey into Light: Life and Science of C.V. Raman 

J. Gertner: The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation

W. Isaacson: Einstein: His Life and Universe