Choosing BIO-ENGINEERING

 

What Is Bioengineering?

Exact definitions of bioengineering can differ slightly. Most academics would agree that bioengineering involves using the principles of engineering to develop solutions for health-related products and techniques that improve the quality of life. But from there, it can take off in slightly different directions, depending on the focus of a specific program or research project.

The National Institutes of Health defines bioengineering as "the application of the life sciences, mathematics and engineering principles to define and solve problems in biology, medicine, healthcare, and other fields." Some practitioners want to apply bioengineering to any engineering discipline that works with a living system. That would include humans, plants, and even microscopic organisms, in addition to some aspects of agricultural engineering and national defense.

A few degree programs use the term "biomedical engineering" synonymously with bioengineering. Other schools' biomedical engineering programs emphasize applications in medicine and health care, and reserve "bioengineering" to emphasize non-medical applications, such as artificial intelligence or agricultural engineering. The term bioengineering will be used broadly here, but when considering colleges, it is important to research just what each school means by the term and what each program offers.

Despite differences in terminology and focus, bioengineering is a rapidly growing academic discipline across the United States. Student demand has led many universities to add programs at the undergraduate, master's and Ph.D. levels. These new engineering degree offerings have drawn many working professionals and medical practitioners back to school, often part-time or online, so they can stay current in the profession and get ahead in their careers. For experienced engineers who have already mastered the hands-on aspects of training, online degrees in bioengineering allow them to further their careers without sacrificing continued experience.

Although bioengineering may encompass many areas, one of its primary functions is to develop better solutions for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease; patient rehabilitation; and to improve health.

Bioengineering has been vital in developing:

• Artificial hips, knees and other joints
• Ultrasound, MRI and other medical imaging techniques
• Engineered organisms for chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Pacemakers, dialysis machines, and diagnostic equipment

What Does a Bioengineering Major Do?

Because bioengineering combines the two major disciplines of biology and engineering, bioengineers have a wide variety of career choices. Some graduates may work alongside medical practitioners, developing new medical techniques, medical devices, and instrumentation for manufacturing companies. Hospitals and clinics employ clinical engineers to maintain and improve the technological support systems used for patient care. Graduates with advanced bioengineering degrees perform biological and medical research in educational and governmental research laboratories.

Bioengineering often applies traditional engineering expertise to human applications in medicine. Many bioengineering professionals seek to help people by solving complex problems in medicine and healthcare. Some bioengineering jobs combine several disciplines, requiring a diverse array of skills. Digital hearing aids, implantable defibrillators, artificial heart valves, and pacemakers are all bioengineering products that help people combat disease and disability. Bioengineers develop advanced therapeutic and surgical devices, such as a laser system for eye surgery and a device that regulates automated delivery of insulin.

Bioengineering techniques have led to major scientific breakthroughs, such as:

• Ultrasound
• Computer-assisted tomography
• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Other medical imaging systems

Bioengineers conduct research in many areas. In genetics, for example, engineers try to detect, prevent, and treat genetic diseases. Sports medicine bioengineers develop rehabilitation and external support devices. Medical research bioengineering specialists also examine rehabilitation and assisted living techniques. In industry, bioengineers conduct research and create designs for a more in-depth understanding of living systems and technology. Government researchers often work in product testing and safety, where they establish safety standards for medical devices. A biomedical engineer employed in a hospital might advise on the selection and use of medical equipment or supervise performance testing and maintenance.

Bioengineers design artificial joints, tissues and organs. They create artificial devices that substitute for missing body parts, including hearing aids, cardiac pacemakers, artificial kidneys and hearts, blood oxygenators, synthetic blood vessels, joints, arms, and legs. The devices used by medical professionals to diagnose and treat ailments are designed by bioengineers. Some examples of these innovative tools are the computers that analyze blood, the laser systems used during corrective eye surgeries, and medical imaging devices such as MRI and CT scanners.

Bioengineering is not confined to designing and producing medical devices. It can include any situation in which technology interacts with a living system. Because the discipline encompasses a broad range of knowledge, it is vital that bioengineers be mentally flexible. They must be willing to experiment with techniques from other industries and to work with people from other disciplines. Developing a kidney machine, for example, requires combining several different engineering specialties. It incorporates water treatment and purification, heating and temperature control, measurement systems for flow and pressure, electrolytes, alarm systems for monitoring vital signs, data collection and processing, ergonomics, and electrical safety.

Career Education in Bioengineering

A core college curriculum in bioengineering will be heavy in math, physics, chemistry and biology. Other courses that will help include computer science and communication classes that emphasize verbal skills. Bioengineering involves a great deal of interaction with other professionals and that requires communicating effectively.

Preparation for bioengineering is similar to any other engineering discipline--except life science courses should also be included. When available, advanced placement courses in these areas are beneficial. At the college level, the most common option is to earn an engineering degree with a specialization in bioengineering.

College degrees in bioengineering often emphasize particular aspects of the biomedical industries, such as prosthetic devices or medical instrumentation; other programs emphasize bioengineering as a pre-med major. Courses in chemical, electrical, or mechanical engineering constitute a major portion of the curriculum for many programs.

Many students earn their college degrees in a different engineering specialty and then move into bioengineering for a master's degree or doctorate. Most graduate-level programs look for students who have a background in engineering or science. Typically, a graduate program will seek students with some mix of coursework in calculus, physics, chemistry, and biology. Bioengineering must be studied in a lab, but many of these preparatory college degrees may be earned online by busy working adults.

Is an Advanced Degree Necessary for a Bioengineering Career?

Although many engineering specialties do not require a graduate degree, it is typically recommended or even required for entry-level jobs in bioengineering. The combination of knowledge in biology and engineering is often more than can be mastered in a single undergraduate program. A master's degree is preferred. Doctorates are more typical for those who want to advance into research, especially at a university.

Survey results have repeatedly confirmed that almost a third of graduates obtaining a B.S. in bioengineering go on to medical school, a third go on to graduate school, and a third go straight into the workforce.

What Can You Do With a College Degree in Bioengineering?

Because bioengineering is such a broad discipline, preparing students for a bioengineering degree is a challenge for any program. Becoming a good engineer is the first prerequisite for a career in bioengineering. After that, students should acquire a working knowledge of the life sciences.

Some students will have an opportunity to major in bioengineering. Others may combine on-campus or online engineering degrees with additional biology classes. If a bioengineering specialty is not available at your college, you still have an opportunity to obtain a master's degree in bioengineering elsewhere. Graduates should be able to demonstrate well-defined engineering skills that apply to the biomedical field when entering the job market. This can include a major project or practical experience through work or an internship.

Bioengineers generally have their choice of jobs in hospitals, universities, industry, or research laboratories. They're employed by medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, regulatory agencies and medical research institutions. Bioengineering graduates are often qualified to pursue advanced study for careers in medicine, law, business, education, and other fields. As technology advances, new jobs and fields of research are constantly appearing. Computer-assisted surgery, for example, as well as molecular, cellular, and tissue engineering, are developing rapidly. Rehabilitation and orthopedic engineering specialties also are growing quickly.

The Biomedical Engineering Society has developed a list of some specialty areas in bioengineering, including:

• Bioinstrumentation, which applies electronics and measurement techniques to create devices used in diagnosis and treatment of disease.
• Biomaterials, involving living tissue and artificial materials that are implanted in individuals. This specialty requires a deep understanding of living material.
• Classical mechanics, such as statics, dynamics, fluids, solids, thermodynamics, and continuum mechanics, which are applied to solve medical problems through biomechanics. Developments in this area have led to the artificial heart and valves, artificial joint replacements, bone cartilage, and tendons of the musculoskeletal system.
• Cellular, tissue and genetic engineering, using the anatomy, biochemistry and mechanics of cellular and sub-cellular structures to attack biomedical problems at the microscopic level.
• Clinical engineering, involving the development and maintenance of computer databases of medical instrumentation and equipment records. Clinical engineers often work with physicians to develop instrumentation that applies the latest technology to a specific healthcare system.
• Medical imaging, which generates an image for physicians that can be used in diagnosis or patient treatment.
• Orthopedic bioengineering, examining the friction, lubrication and wear characteristics of natural and artificial joints. Orthopedic engineers perform stress analysis of the musculoskeletal system, and develop artificial biomaterials for replacement.
• Rehabilitation engineering, a growing specialty whose function is to enhance the capabilities and improve the quality of life for people with physical and cognitive impairments. This niche includes prosthetics, the development of home, workplace and transportation modifications, and the design of technology to enhance seating, positioning, mobility, and communication.
• Systems physiology, involving the engineering strategies, techniques, and tools needed to understand the function of all living organisms, from bacteria to humans.
• Consulting. This career choice is particularly inviting for someone who prefers variety in work assignments. Besides solid credentials in the field, consulting also requires some business and entrepreneurial expertise and substantial communication skills.
• Teaching. The growing number of bioengineering degree programs has increased the need for college-level instructors. Teaching bioengineering at the university level, however, is likely to require a doctoral degree along with professional experience.

Bioengineering Career Trends

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) counted about 20,080 biomedical engineering jobs in 2014, and projected a 27 percent increase in positions through 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. Most bioengineering specialists work in medical equipment and supply manufacturing, scientific research and development services and pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing. Many others work for hospitals, government agencies, or as independent contractors or consultants.
An aging population, focused on health and quality of life issues, has increased the demand for better medical devices and equipment. Coupled with this long-term trend is an industrial concern for cost efficiency and effectiveness. This requires the talent of biomedical engineers.

Universities across the United States are adding bioengineering to their curricula as a separate department or as an engineering specialty. The growing interest in this field has increased the number of degrees granted in biomedical engineering. Students who do not begin their bioengineering degree programs soon will likely face stiffer competition for jobs, despite the growth in this field.

45 Pieces of Career Advice That Will Get You to the Top

By The Daily Muse Editor

When it comes to your career, sometimes it feels like you could use all the advice you can get. From picking the "right" career to actually excelling in it, there's certainly a lot to learn.

And that's why we've gathered our all-time best career advice. From starting out at the bottom of the totem pole to advancing to a more senior position to—who knows?—maybe even branching out to open your own business, we've collected 45 of the best tips for whatever stage you're at in your career.

On Working a Not-Quite-Dream-Job

1. The best career or job is the one in which you’re using the skills you enjoy. But, not every job needs to address all of your passions. Use every job as an opportunity to learn something new and keep an open mind; you may find that you really enjoy something you never imagined would appeal to you. Miriam Salpeter, Founder of Keppie Careers

2. Don't take yourself (or your career) too seriously. Plenty of brilliant people started out in jobs they hated, or took paths that weren't right at the beginning of their careers. Professional development is no longer linear, and trust that with hard work and a dedication to figuring out what you want to do with your life, you, too, will be OK! Kathryn Minshew, CEO of The Muse
3. Every person you meet is a potential door to a new opportunity—personally or professionally. Build good bridges even in that just-for-now job, because you never know how they’ll weave into the larger picture of your life. Kristina Leonardi, Career Coach
4. My friend Andre said to me, "You know, Marissa, you’re putting a lot of pressure on yourself to pick the right choice, and I’ve gotta be honest: That’s not what I see here. I see a bunch of good choices, and there’s the one that you pick and make great." I think that’s one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten.” Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!
5. No matter how low on the totem poll you are or how jaded you’ve become by your to-do list, it’s still important to show up early, wear something sharp, and avoid Facebook like the plague. I discovered that when I acted like a professional, I suddenly felt like my work was a lot more valuable. “Looking the part” boosted my confidence, helped me begin to see myself as a highly capable contributor to the team—and ultimately led the rest of my team to see me in the same light. Lisa Habersack, Writer 

6. Remember that a job, even a great job or a fantastic career, doesn’t give your life meaning, at least not by itself. Life is about what you learn, who you are or can become, who you love and are loved by. Fran Dorf, Author and Psychotherapist

7. If the career you have chosen has some unexpected inconvenience, console yourself by reflecting that no career is without them. Jane Fonda

On Advancing Your Career

8. Every year or two, spend some time really thinking about your career. Go out and warm up your network, check out new opportunities, and do some salary comparisons. You make smarter career decisions when you have real data. Also, if you are afraid or uncomfortable, you are probably onto something awesome! Fear means you are growing your comfort zone. Christie Mims, Career Coach

9. Don't be afraid to speak up in a meeting or to schedule a sit down with a colleague or boss—whether to hash out details on a project or deal with a sensitive situation. When it comes to having your ideas heard, or to really connecting with co-workers, never underestimate the power of face time and the importance of in-person communication. Catherine Straut, Assistant Editor of Elle

10. You’re setting yourself up for failure if you’re not preparing for an eventual promotion right now. Even if the next step in your career seems far off, you should be taking advantage of training and professional development courses and looking for ways to pitch in and expand your current role. Otherwise, even when the opportunity comes up, you won’t be ready to take advantage of it. Avery Augustine, Writer

11. Take criticism or "feedback" for what it is: a gift given to you to make you better at what you do. Don't concern yourself with the person or the method of delivery. Instead, glean out the teachable nuggets and move on. Michelle Bruno, President of Bruno Group Signature Events

12. I know. You’ve heard it a thousand times: Dress for the job you want, not the one you’ve got. But I think this message goes far beyond the clothes you wear every day: It’s how you present yourself in meetings and at office events, how you interact with staff both above and below you, and how seriously you take your work. Adrian Granzella Larssen, Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Muse

13. In chaos, there is opportunity. Most major career accelerations happen when someone steps into a mess and makes a difference. Kristi Hedges, Leadership Coach

14. Work harder than everyone under you or above you. Nothing commands respect more than a good work ethic. This means being the first one at the event in the morning and the last one to leave in the evening. No one said this gig was easy. Keith Johnston, Event Consultant at Plannerwire

15. When you’re offered a big opportunity, consider it carefully—even if it scares the heck out of you. In the end, high risk often leads to high reward. But if you turn down every opportunity that comes your way, you won’t even have the chance to succeed. Avery Augustine, Writer

On Excelling in Your Career

16. I first heard Zig Ziglar say it when people challenged him on his “positive attitude” manifesto: “You can do anything with a positive attitude better than you can do it with a negative one." Lea McLeod, Career Coach

17. Work hard and be nice to people. It’s a very simple motto I try to live by daily. Marie Burns, Recruiting Leader at Compete

18. There’s never going to be a precisely right moment to speak, share an idea, or take a chance. Just take the moment—don’t let thoughts like "I don’t feel like I’m ready" get in the way. Look to see if you have the main things or the opportunity will pass you by. Don’t let perfect get in the way of really, really good. Kathleen Tierney, Executive Vice President and COO of Chubb Insurance

19. "Find a way to say yes to things. Say yes to invitations to a new country, say yes to meet new friends, say yes to learn something new. Yes is how you get your first job, and your next job, and your spouse, and even your kids." Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google

20. No matter what your dream job is, you’ll likely hear “no” many times before you achieve your goals. Just accept that as a fact. But by refusing to accept that “no,” you’ll separate yourself from the pack. Sometimes you just have to outlast the competition—and wear down your boss! Shannon Bream, Supreme Court Correspondent at FOX

21. Tenacity and persistence—nothing beats it. Even if your talent isn’t there yet, you can always develop it to what it will eventually be. But people who are persistent and tenacious and driven and have a really clear, defined goal of what they want, nothing compares to that. Not giving up is really huge. Catt Sadler, Anchor at E!

22. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. No one got to where they are today without help along the way. Don't be afraid to ask, and then remember to return the favor. Elliott Bell, Director of Marketing of The Muse

23. Even if you aren’t feeling totally sure of yourself and your abilities, it’s important you present yourself otherwise. That means shifting your body language to portray confidence. So, while you may be so nervous before your big interview or meeting that you want to curl into a ball, resist the temptation to cower or make yourself smaller, and walk in with your head held high. Michele Hoos, Writer

24. My advice for everyone in the industry is to find a mentor and to be a mentor. You'll learn a great deal from both of these experiences, and make sure to leverage these roles for networking. Ask your mentor for introductions, and introduce the person that you're mentoring to others—both will increase your visibility in the industry. Mariela McIlwraith, President at Meeting Change

25. I live by the 80/20 rule. 80% of the impact can be done with 20% of the work. It's the last 20% that takes up the most time. Know when to stop, and when things are close enough. Alex Cavoulacos, COO at The Muse

26. Having a strong network adds to your value as an employee. In other words, the more people I can reach out to for help, the more valuable I am. Hannah Morgan, Founder of Career Sherpa 

27. Do what you say you're going to do. Danielle LaPorte, Entrepreneur

28. One of the most important things I’ve found is the importance of playing to your strengths. I think it’s common for us to learn while in school that if you get an A+ in writing and a C- in math, that you should focus your time and attention to getting better at math. In the working world I find it to be the opposite; by putting your focus on those things that you are strongest at, over time you will become an expert at it. By outsourcing your weaknesses to others who excel in those areas, you’ll be able cover those weaknesses better than you could have otherwise. Trying to be great at everything could be spreading yourself thin and keeping you from reaching your full potential in your strongest areas. Ryan Kahn, Career Coach

On Starting Your Own Business

29. I think the biggest thing to keep in mind is that a lot of people have a lot of ideas that they’d like to turn into businesses—but if your ideas don’t turn into actual money, then you’re not able to turn it into a business. You have to be able to generate revenue first and foremost. A lot of people have conceptual ideas and conceptual dreams, and you just have to be able to distinguish between what is a hobby and what is a passion and what you can actually turn into a business. Emily Cavalier, Founder of Midnight Brunch 

30. No matter what you do, you’ll make it through. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. The thing they don’t tell you is that it nearly kills you. Tyler Arnold, Founder of SimplySocial Inc.

31. Early on in my career, I was determined to be independent and create my own success, and I thought this meant learning everything on my own. The reality is, you can’t always be an expert at everything, so surround yourself with brilliant, creative people and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Humility is key to success, especially in your early years. Ivanka Trump

32. I wish I knew that working smarter, not harder, is essential to surviving as an entrepreneur. You can get by working hard in the corporate world, but you won’t last long in small business ownership without working smart. Andrew Schrage, Partner and Editor-in-Chief of Money Crashers Personal Finance

33. Don’t let fear be the reason you don’t launch your new business. When have you ever felt fully ready to do anything this important in your life? All you can do is prepare as much as humanly possible, know that you’ve done all you can for your baby to shine, and send it out into the world. Megan Broussard, Founder of ProfessionGal

34. Remember all those stories you’ve heard of how the most successful entrepreneurs in the world made it to where they are now? Well, most of them started with different jobs or interests and amounts of money in the bank. The one thing they had in common is an unyielding commitment to doing whatever it was that needed to be done in order to make their dream a reality. Danielle Mund, Life Coach

35. If you’re serious about building a great, enduring company, you have to be willing to sacrifice some things. A vacation in the first year is likely going to be one of those things, so take one before you start! Ronnie Castro, Founder of Porch

36. If you are like me and follow many relevant business people, you often see tweets like "5 things to avoid when starting your business" or similar posts. You may even read them. But here’s the thing: None of that matters. Every journey is different. No two things work exactly the same. You will make mistakes. Embrace the fact that you made the mistake, learn from it, move on, and never repeat it. John Jackovin, Founder of Bawte

37. Be confident, don’t doubt yourself, and go for it. If you are sure there is an opportunity, you need to believe wholeheartedly in it—your team won’t be driven to succeed unless you are. Kellee Khalil, Founder of Loverly

On Doing What You Love

38. Don’t sweat it. Don’t beat yourself up about it. It’ll probably be scary or uncomfortable, but you always get to make a new choice if this one doesn’t work out. Steve Errey, Career Coach

39. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life…have the courage to follow your own heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” These words, spoken by Steve Jobs during his 2005 Stanford commencement address, guide me on a regular basis. Michael Terrell, Founder, Terrell Leadership Group

40. Having an evolving bucket list or a career path that defies logic is 100% OK. After spending years envying the neatly defined careers of my friends, I came to the better-late-than-never conclusion that I wasn’t wired that way... Once I stopped fighting who I was and relaxed into the idea that different was okay, all the possibilities before me were exciting, not stressful. I love what I’m doing now, but I also know that I’ll probably have multiple careers throughout my lifetime. Kacey Crawford, Career Coach

41. When you need the courage to be bold, simply ask yourself, “What’s the worst that could possibly happen?” When you have the answer, ask, “Can I live with that?” And if the answer is yes, then take a leap! Cindy Bates, Vice President of Small and Mid-Sized Businesses at Microsoft

42. If you really want to know where you destiny lies, look at where you apply your time. Time is the most valuable asset you don’t own. You may or may not realize it yet, but how you use or don’t use your time is going to be the best indication of where your future is going to take you... Don’t follow your passions, follow your effort. It will lead you to your passions and to success, however you define it. Mark Cuban, Entrepreneur
43. Ultimately, you won’t really know what you love to do unless you actually bite the bullet. Until you give it a go, it’s really just speculation. So, whether you take a small step like signing up for a class or you dive head-first into entrepreneurship, roll up your sleeves and do it. You’ll never know until you try. Ruth Zive, Writer

44. The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. Steve Jobs

45. Life's too short to be stuck in a job you hate. Kathryn Minshew, CEO of The Muse

11 things to know before Choosing ARCHITECTURE

1

Drink tea not coffee. Coffee is great for a sudden burst of energy propping you up during late nights on CAD but beware! The caffeine in coffee gets into your blood quickly giving you an initial rush that, if sustained, will cause your body to burn out. A strong mug of tea has a similar amount of caffeine but it’s released more gradually keeping you focused but calm for longer. Tea is also an antioxidant, relieves tension and is less of a faff to make.

2

Draw lots and draw by hand. Drawing isn’t just a way of communicating with others it’s a way of thinking. From Le Corbusier’s messy sketches to Zaha Hadid’s vast paintings, drawing is essential to the practice, culture and progress of architecture.

3

When making models use a sharp scalpel. Scalpel blades are not cheap when bought from craft shops and blunt quickly but don’t be tempted to cut your costs by using dull blades. If you slip and cut yourself a blunt blade will give you a messy and painful wound that takes ages to heal. However, if you cut yourself with a fresh blade the wound will be cleaner, will heal faster and if serious will be easier for a medic to dress. You can save money buying scalpel blades online in bulk.

4

Pin-up straight. Sounds like a no brainer but it is amazing how many first year pin-ups lead to hastily taping drawings to walls wonkily. Even a rough sketch on torn butter paper deserves better than that. Invest in a huge box of pins and line up your drawings with each other as well as the wall.

5

Your tutors are an invaluable source of wisdom and ideas – use them lots. Don’t just wait for your weekly tutorial to roll around; actively seek out the advice, opinions and critique of your school’s faculty. Knock on their doors, email them, chase them through hallways, lie in wait near their office. Do whatever it takes.

6

Your tutors’ knowledge only goes so far. Intelligence, experience and damning criticisms they may have, a monopoly on the truth they do not. Sometimes the best tutor is the one who tells you to design the blue house so you become even more determined to design the red one. Listen carefully and understand their point of view but take what your tutors say with a pinch of salt.

7

Power nap with caution. By the end of your time at architecture school your friends will have experimented with every sleeping cycle under the sun. Some will swear that 20 minutes sleep is more refreshing than 40. Others will switch to sleeping in four-hour bursts alone. You’ll see students making beds beneath their desks in studio or going 80 hours without sleep. There may well be times when you have to work late but the truth is that you’re never going to produce great work when knackered – far better to stay focused and productive during normal working hours than to let your course steal your sleep and productivity. Keep a regular daily timetable. Give yourself firm finishing times in the evening and stick to them.

8

Subscribe to a journal. Regularly reading an architecture magazine is an invaluable source of inspiration. A good journal should challenge you to think deeply about architecture and its relationship to the wider world but should also be a thoroughly good read and beautifully designed. From a tutor’s point of view the difference between students who are regularly reading articles or short essays in architectural journals and those who are not is dramatic. Luckily many architecture journals have great student deals on at the moment if you can find them. The Architectural Review is just £1 a week for students.

9

University grading systems are odd and architecture marking is brutal. Students who’ve been at the top of their class all their lives arrive at architecture school and find themselves struggling to get middle-of-the-road marks. Take heart. Your final grade is far less important than the skills and portfolio you’ll build on your way to it. The line up of internationally acclaimed architects is littered with designers who did badly at architecture school, dropped out or didn’t study architecture at all.

10

Eat delicious food. With so many deadlines it can be tempting to buy ready meals and takeaways rather than waste time cooking. This is a false economy. A good diet gives you more energy through the day, keeps you healthy and prepares you for a life of wearing slinky black turtlenecks. If you’re not the next Bompas and Parr already learn to cook some simple meals in large quantities that will keep for a few days – soups, stews, pastas and pastries.

11

Explore. Travel often with an open mind. Understand cultures and traditions different to your own. That doesn’t necessarily mean jet setting around the world or hitchhiking to Morocco. Wherever you are based there will be a myriad of unfamiliar communities and landscapes within easy reach. Get to know the country you are studying in better – even if you grew up there.

This Hypnotic Meditation Helps To Access Universal Wisdom You’ve Always Known

Article originally written by Jennifer Sodini and published at www.collective-evolution.com .
 and reviewed by STUDENTS ADVICE About a year ago, after a synchronistic meeting, I was introduced to “hypno-coach” (hypnotherapist/life coach) Grace Smith. I had always been fascinated by hypnosis and its potential, however, I was never really certain how it worked, or if it could work for me. Being interested in past lives, but not having a solid opinion on the matter, getting a past life regression (in particular) was something I had always dreamed of experiencing.
One day, Grace was visiting my town, and we opted to swap services; I read her tarot in exchange for a “Soulkey” hypnosis session. As Grace states:
Soulkey therapy was developed by a friend and mentor of mine, Martin Peterson. There are very few certified practitioners around the world and I am proud to count myself among them, along with the honor of having been appointed director of Soulkey, USA. Soulkey therapy is a way of accessing a heightened level of “inner knowing” and shared, seemingly universal, allegory.

What this means is that, often times, clients with diverse backgrounds and very little in common on the surface, share deeply similar experiences during their Soulkey sessions, without having any prior knowledge of what to expect. For examples, clients regularly describe the “room” in which the Soulkey session takes place (as imagined in the mind), and their descriptive terms can sometimes be identical. I purposefully do not describe what the “room” “looks like” prior to the session for this reason; it never ceases to amaze me how many of clients all seem to “go to” the same exact “room” as soon as the process begins.
During Soulkey, deep healing and transformation is made possible through the use of hypnosis. While a belief in past lives is not required for Soulkey to be effective, many clients experience what has been described as past life experiences, life between life experiences, even future life experiences.



Whether this is “accurate” in the sense that the client is actually re-living a prior incarnation is irrelevant as clients who believe the process is “real” and those who believe it is a fictional “story” experience, from the results we have documented thus far, equivalent levels of lasting healing after the session. It appears as though the subconscious mind cares not what the religious beliefs, or lack thereof, of the client are.
So far it seems that simply closing one’s eyes, relaxing deeply, and being guided through the process of “imagining” healing on the “soul level” has deeply profound effects, for everyone.
Anxious, but equally excited, I readied myself for the session with an open mind, allowing for any outcome. To my surprise, hypnosis seemed to be very similar to a type of meditation, with the hypnotist acting as the guide who unlocks deeper levels of information within your subconscious through suggestion. Hypnosis allowed me to “time travel” to my past, to get a better understanding of my present situation. While I was somewhat lucid, I mostly felt as though I had been guided into a dream, but in a gentle, familiar, and extremely non-abrasive way… again, very similar to meditation.
After my experience, what I have come to find out is that meditation, and hypnosis, while admittedly different, are both cut from the same cloth, in that they both serve as modalities to help you remember who you really are and let go of that which no longer serves you.


According to Grace:
While there are many forms of meditation, perhaps the most popular iteration is one in which the meditator closes their eyes, focuses on their breathing and becomes aware of their thoughts so as to detach from them.
Hypnosis has as many different definitions as there are practitioners, usually some combination of, “a deeply relaxed and highly focused state which bypasses the critical factor of the mind.” For simplicity’s sake, I describe hypnosis as “meditation with a goal.”
By relaxing the body through progressive relaxation, counting backwards, imagery of safe places, and countless other techniques, the hypnosis client becomes highly suggestible as she reaches a state we call “somnambulism.” This is a state of deep theta brain wave relaxation and, without fail, every one of my clients who was a meditator exclaims after their first session “Wow! Hypnosis feels just like a really deep state of meditation.” Hypnosis is not a black out state, it isn’t sleep, and amnesia is not required for the session to be effective.
 

In fact, hypnosis is no different in feeling than that of a deep state of meditation, however, it is easier for most to reach this state through hypnosis than through the practice of mindfulness. The guided nature of the session gives support to the clients’ intentions to relax and enter into a safe place where lasting transformation is possible.
Essentially, meditation and hypnosis are limbs from the same ancient tree with her roots deep into the collective subconscious, and while their techniques and perceived benefits may differ slightly, the outcome on the whole is largely the same; distancing oneself from the limitations of the ego and accessing our truly limitless nature.
To synthesize the experience of remembering through hypnosis and meditation, Grace and I co-created the guided hypnotic meditation below, which allows you to unlock the ancient wisdom of our past that is within all of us, ready to be accessed, as we are ready.

Welcome to Campus Life

Goodbye parents, hello freedom! It's time to make that big transition to college. But before you start celebrating, prepare yourself for the issues that might spring up when dealing with campus life.
Freshman year of college means moving to a strange environment where you don’t know many people—if any at all. You have to juggle roommates, new friends, and clubs, not to mention getting to class on time and making the passing grade. Try as hard as you might, problems are bound to occur, so you have to be prepared to deal with them as they arise. Campus life can be a blast, but there are a few common issues that most freshmen have to address.

Roommates

If there’s one thing students are the most anxious about, it’s meeting their new roommate. What will he or she be like? Will we get along? What if we are complete opposites?
A great way to break the ice before move-in day is to contact your roommate via e-mail or Facebook before you even set foot on campus. Eventually, you’ll be able to find out likes, dislikes, or even what he or she plans to bring for the room in the fall. Also, it will be helpful to have someone on campus that you’ve already talked with—even if it means just going to the first few freshman social events together.
Not everyone is going to get along with their roommate. We’ve all heard horror stories, like the guy who never showers or the girl who parties at 4:00 a.m. on a Tuesday. It may take longer for you to get to know someone, and that’s okay! You don’t have to be your roommate’s BFF; you just need to be cordial and respectful. If you find that you have completely different personalities, look at it as a learning opportunity. Maybe you’ll grow to like the Ke$ha blasting from her radio, and perhaps you’ll introduce her to Nirvana. Go into your freshman year open to new experiences.
If issues do start to pop up, try to address them quickly. Search for common ground to bond over. “One of my original roommates and I didn’t get along at first,” says Michael Nadeau, a 2005 graduate of Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey. “He was a total right-wing conservative; I was a bleeding-heart liberal. We had a lot of arguments at first, but then we got along when we just decided to talk football instead. Eight years later, I’m going to be one of the groomsmen at his wedding.”
The most important rule to remember when dealing with a roommate is to always have open communication. It’s a good idea to sit down and have a one-on-one talk at the beginning of the year and set down some ground rules. You should discuss things like music, sleeping schedules, and study habits. And remember—be open to compromise!
“One way to connect with the roommates? Go old school. We had Nerf guns and old Nintendo and Genesis games that we played ’til 4:00 a.m. every night. College is one big extended childhood, so I say take advantage of it,” Nadeau says.
Finally, if the issues start to pile up and you find yourself not able to work it out, find a person to help you. Resident assistants and advisors are there to mediate and guide you. Don’t turn to a room reassignment right away—part of the college experience is learning to tackle tough issues!

The freshman

Everyone’s heard of the alleged 15 pounds freshmen gain when they move onto campus, and many college students worry about falling out of shape.
While there is truth behind the legend that some students gain weight away from home, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to combat the extra pounds. Now, more than ever, dining halls are offering healthier foods. Instead of gorging on pizza, you can grab a salad. Most schools have a sandwich or home-style meal option as well (like roast chicken and vegetables). It’s all about making the right choices and never overdoing it.
Keep healthy snacks in your room for those late-night study sessions. If you have special dietary needs, check with dining services to see what’s over offered before you get to campus. Many schools, like Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, can provide Kosher food as well as vegetarian and vegan options.
And it’s not just healthy options making a comeback in cafeterias on campuses. Colleges and universities try to incorporate sustainable food into every day life. The dining hall at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, is named “The Greenery” and about 35% of the food there is organic and local. Unfinished food is donated to a local food bank, scraps are composted, and there are teaching and community gardens to benefit the student population.
Exercise is essential to avoid the freshman 15, as well. To get in motion, you can join a club or intramural sport, go to the gym (it’s free at most schools!), or just take the stairs instead of the elevator and walk to class instead of taking the bus. If you have to take public transportation, get off a stop early and walk the rest of the way. The point is to try to burn those calories you’re consuming.
If you’re aware of what you’re eating and try to get in some exercise, the freshman should remain a myth.

 

 

Scheduling time

In college, there’s certainly going to be a lot for you to do—between classes, clubs, and the social scene, your schedule will be full!
The best thing to keep in mind is that you are not going to make it to every club meeting, party, or night out. Sometimes you need to stay in and study or write that paper. “The hardest part of freshman year was balancing sleep with social life and school,” says Courtney O’Brien, a student who transferred to George Mason University in Washington, D.C., after her freshman year. “Some people were just [at my old school] to party.” There are going to be plenty of nights to hang out with friends, but it will be hard to bring a failing grade up to a passing one.

To make sure you have enough time to study, gather all the syllabi you get from teachers in your first classes. Create a calendar by compiling a comprehensive list of every paper, test, and presentation you have to complete for the semester. Once your studies are mapped out, it’s easy to find the times when you know you’ll have to buckle down, or the times when you have a little more freedom. You can also use this calendar to plan ahead. If you know a friend will have a birthday party on the weekend before a test, make sure you don’t leave all your studying to a cram session that weekend—do it gradually over the time leading up to the party.


When you figure out which clubs and sports teams you want to join, find out what their meeting/practice schedules are like. Many freshmen want to join every club that looks interesting—and that’s great—but remember that you will not have enough time to be completely committed to all of them. Pick and choose a few clubs you want to focus on and make them your priority. Once you’re comfortable with your schedule, you can try to add a few more things, one at a time.
If you get a little overwhelmed, go to your professors and ask for an extension (don’t do this too often, or they won’t grant you one!) or talk to a club advisor and let them know what’s going on. Everyone gets a little behind once in a while, so most advisors and professors are understanding. Just make sure you catch up as quickly as possible and stick to a schedule so it doesn’t happen often. And don’t forget to relax sometimes. “I had to learn to schedule some time for myself,” says Nadeau. “You can get so wrapped up in social activities, you have to get away from things for a bit. It can get overwhelming, so stop and smell the campus.”

Common dorm woes

There is a general lack of privacy when you’re living on campus. Freshman dorms mostly have communal bathrooms, so if you’re modest, bring a bathrobe to cover up while you’re walking down the hall. But don’t be surprised if others are simply covered in a towel. You might have to live with the opposite sex on the same floor, which is becoming more and more popular at schools like the University of Maryland in College Park, who even have gender-neutral housing in which any students can live together, regardless of sex. Conversely, you might have to deal with the fact that the opposite sex isn’t allowed on your floor after certain hours, like at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Just remember that each university and each person has a different idea about what is appropriate. If something truly makes you uncomfortable, mention it to an RA so they can rectify the situation. Otherwise, try to roll with the punches. It makes handling problems a lot less stressful.
Many students struggle with their newfound freedom (or occasional lack thereof) in dorm life. Mom and Dad are not there to make sure you stay out of trouble. You will have autonomy that most students don’t experience while they’re under their parents’ watchful gaze. You will most likely have the opportunity to party, sleep in, skip classes, and stay out late. Though many students take advantage of the lack of restrictions, consider the impact of your actions on your grades, health, and reputation. Just try to make good decisions.
College affords a lot of freedom, but there are rules, and to enforce these rules you’ll have a multitude of people watching out for you, including resident assistants. But RAs are not just there to get people in trouble and take away your independence. They host fun activities, help keep you safe, and are there as a counselor to help you out with roommate issues, class problems, or general worries.
Similarly, the transition from dorm life to time spent at home can be difficult for some students to handle. “The hardest part of freshman year for me was when I came home to my parent’s house,” says Alyssa Mellor, a 2008 graduate of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. “It was difficult to adjust back to their life, schedule, and rules after my newfound freedom in college.” If you find life at home difficult, talk to your parents and explain how college life has made you more dependable and responsible. You might be surprised at how receptive they are.
Living on campus is supposed to prepare you for the “real world,” and the four years spent at college will be the fastest of your life. You won’t have your mom to do your laundry or dad to fix the light bulb (tip: bring light bulbs to campus so you don’t have to wait for maintenance to turn your lights on). This is an exciting step towards independence. You’ll have a lot more responsibility for yourself, and if you handle it well, you’ll have a wonderful college experience.

Everything we know so far about the Apple Car

 

 

There's plenty of evidence that Apple is working on something car-related, even if Apple hasn't said anything publicly about it yet.

Since Apple is being typically tight-lipped about the project ( it declined to comment on "rumors and speculation"), it's hard to know exactly what the company is working on. The rumors range from an electric car to a operating system for vehicles to a self-driving car that will launch in 2019.

1. Apple has been hiring a ton of car battery and auto engineers
Over the past few years, Apple has hired engineers who built prototypes at Bentley, made vehicles quieter at Chrysler and Hyundai, and managed crash dummy tests.
The company's hiring spree has even spurred legal action.
A123, an electric car battery maker, sued Apple for poaching its staff earlier this year. The Massachusetts company claimed that Apple has hired away five high-tech PhD and engineering employees, causing "irreparable harm."
A123 also said it has had to "effectively shut down" certain projects.
"Apple is currently developing a large scale battery division to compete in the very same field as A123," the lawsuit says.
Apple has also been hiring from Tesla Motors (TSLA), and vice versa, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. In fact, Musk said that Tesla has hired about five times as many people from Apple as Apple has recruited from Tesla over the last 12 months. 

2. The company has also been hiring automotive executives
Doug Betts, a longtime auto industry executive, moved to Apple from Fiat Chrysler earlier this summer.
Betts had previously been Fiat's quality chief. Before that, Betts worked at Michelin, Toyota, and Nissan. Currently, he works in Apple's Operations unit according to his LinkedIn profile.
In 2014, Apple hired Johann Jungwirth, who led research and development for Mercedes-Benz in North America. He specializes in Internet-connected cars and autonomous driving. Now, Jungwirth is "director of Mac Systems Engineering."
And, according to publicly available employment records, Apple has also hired a number of recruiters from Tesla.

3. An Apple-leased van filled with sensors has been driving around a San Francisco suburb
Unmarked vans loaded with cameras and sensors have been spotted driving around Brooklyn and a suburb of San Francisco.
The car in California is leased to Apple, CNNMoney has confirmed with California state records. The sensors indicate the car is conducting more than just Google-style street mapping, according to engineers familiar with self-driving cars. 

4. Competitors are already welcoming the challenge
"I certainly hope Apple gets into the car business," Elon Musk said during an earnings call earlier this year. "That would be great."
But Musk has previously said he'd like to see as many electric car competitors as possible.
Investors have also speculated for some time that cash-rich Apple would be well positioned to buy Tesla and its high-flying stock. 

5. Car makers welcome the idea too
Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobile, (FCAU) has said he's open to partnering with Apple. "I think we should encourage that dialogue," Marchionne said this spring. "All of us should encourage it." 
On the other hand, Marchionne also added that Apple and other tech companies would pose a tremendous threat to the auto industry if it moves into the sector.
"If they show up and they are truly successful, with their cash piles and know-how, they could fundamentally hurt this industry," he said.

6. Investors believe it would be a good move for Apple and the car industry
Most of Apple's revenue comes from one product -- the iPhone. Even as the company expands into wearables with the Apple Watch, and enterprise business with bigger iPads and an IBM partnership, Apple still hasn't found another blockbuster product. A bold new idea that consumers can already relate to may help over the long term.
"A car would provide much-needed diversification away from the iPhone," analysts from Jeffries said in a report this month, "But the earnings per share contributions from the car may not become meaningful before the iPhone decelerates."
A potential Apple car would have a bigger impact on the automotive industry, which is "ripe for disruption," the analysts said.
Other investors have said that Apple's entry into the market could push "broader consumer acceptance of electric vehicles." 

Prosthetic hand 'tells' the brain what it is touching

Research on prosthetic hands has come a long way, but most of it has focused on improving the way the body controls the device.

Now, it may also be possible for prosthetic hands to send signals back to the body and "tell" it information about what the bionic hand is touching, according to a new study.

Recently, researchers at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the research arm of the U.S. military, implanted an array of small electrodes into the region of the brain that controls movement in a woman who is paralyzed. The electrodes communicated electrical activity from the brain's motor cortex, via wires, to a prosthetic arm that the woman was able to move through a wide range of motions.

Then the research team asked, "Can we run the experiment in reverse? Can we do for sensation what we did for the motor system?" said Justin Sanchez, program manager of the DARPA biological technologies office, in a presentation he gave on Thursday at the Wait, What? A Future Technology Forum, which DARPA hosted in St. Louis.

To answer this question, the researchers worked with a 28-year-old man who is paralyzed. They implanted an electrode array in both his motor cortex and sensory cortex, the brain region that recognizes tactile sensations such as texture and pressure. Wires from the motor cortex array controlled the hand, as they did for the female volunteer, and sensors in the hand also conveyed information, via another set of wires, back to the array in the sensory cortex.

The researchers showed that this feedback system allowed the hand to communicate directly with the brain. In a video included in Sanchez's presentation, a researcher blindfolded the man and then gently pressed on different fingertips in the prosthetic hand. The volunteer was able to identify which fingertip was being touched with "nearly 100 % accuracy" even without seeing it, according to a DARPA press release about the research.

People who have prosthetic hands today rely on being able to see what the hand is doing to control it, said Sliman Bensmaia, an associate professor of neuroscience at the University of Chicago. But people will never be able to use these hands with dexterity until they can feel what they are doing without looking at them, he said. Bensmaia did preliminary research for Sanchez's team on how to make the electrode array work in the sensory cortex.

"On the short term, you want to know whether you are touching an object, and how much pressure you are exerting on it, those basic things that you need to hold things," Bensmaia said. But as the technology progresses, touch sensors may also be able to convey temperature and texture, he added.

Although the current demonstration is the first of a prosthetic hand directly communicating with the brain, other researchers have demonstrated that they can send messages from sensors in the prosthetic hand to electrodes implanted in nerves in the arm that then communicate with the brain.

"(However), in situations where people have spinal cord injury, so they are quadriplegic ... you probably couldn't give them sensation back through the nerves," because they have lost the use of the nerves in their arm, said Dr. Paul S. Cederna, professor of plastic surgery and biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan.

Devices on the market now rely on either body power, in which a healthy part of the body controls the prosthetic through cables and harnesses, or myoelectric devices, in which electrical signals from muscles attached to the prosthetic control it.

Researchers are also working on developing highly sensitive prosthetic arms that can recreate nearly every motion of a real arm, and bionic hands that can be controlled through an iPhone.

The big benefit of Sanchez's approach is being able to use prostheses for people with spinal cord injuries, Cederna said. The 28-year-old man in the current demonstration has been paralyzed for more than a decade because of a spinal cord injury.

Although Cederna was not involved in Sanchez's research, he conducts DARPA-funded research on how to improve control of prosthetic devices through peripheral nerves, such as those in the arm.

The idea of implanting an electrode array into the brain to either control or receive signals from a prosthetic limb is big step forward, but it is not ready for prime time yet. "The biggest challenge, once you put that electrode into the brain, you develop scarring around the electrode, and that makes it increasingly difficult to pick up the signals it needs to pick up," Cederna said.

Researchers are working hard to develop electrode arrays that work for longer periods of time, Bensmaia said. Currently electrode arrays in the motor cortex only work for a few years, although arrays in the sensory cortex appear to be more stable, he added.

Choosing INDUSTRIAL PHYSICS

What Is Physics?

Briefly defined, physics is the science that tries to understand the laws of nature and the relationship between energy and matter. However, it might be more appropriate to define physics as a way of thinking rather than as a profession. The field of physics trains students to take a logical, problem-solving approach in whatever situations they might find themselves. Physics students explore concepts and methods of science that can be applied in many different professional areas and research topics.
Physics deals with everything from subatomic particles to black holes and the overall structure of the universe. Physicists use mathematical formulas to try to explain their theories and make predictions. It is a science that has attracted and confounded some of the most brilliant minds of all time: Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking, to name just a few.
But physics is also concerned with how things work on a more tangible level. The laws of physics are applied to fields such as engineering, communications, biology, and electronics. The development of technologies like lasers and semiconductors resulted from pioneering work in physics. Televisions, microwaves and digital cameras would not exist without breakthroughs in physics.
Physics is really the study of how the world works, and, it might be considered the most fundamental of all the sciences. The goal of physics is to develop theories that will summarize the laws of nature and lead to an understanding of why things work as they do. The basics of physics can be applied to most other sciences, and for that reason, a great many people use physics as a springboard into other fields of study or professions.

What Does a Physics Professional Do?

Nearly 90 percent of all "physicists" are working in medicine, education, industry, or other professions. Physicists are in demand for their analytical skills in many financial, fund management and research roles, in law, as weather forecasters, computer programmers and as physics and science teachers.
Job descriptions are difficult to quantify in this field. The physicist might work in a laboratory, designing materials for computer chips or smashing atomic particles. Physicists have orbited the Earth and explored the oceans. They also build instruments that diagnose disease; they develop better and more efficient fuels for cars and homes; they calculate the movement of Arctic glaciers, and they create smaller, faster electronic components for computers.
Some physicists in research and development, especially those employed at universities, help increase our overall scientific knowledge. More often, they conduct research for government agencies or for private sector companies to develop new devices for the marketplace. They also design equipment or find new uses for older technology.
Medical physicists have greatly enhanced the well being of patients through the application of physics. Such advances as computer tomography, laser treatments for cancer, and the X-ray have improved health care over the years and led to more effective diagnosis and treatment of medical ailments.
Those professionals who do actually become physicists most often work regular hours in a laboratory where they plan and conduct experiments, build models for study, and examine test results. But this work can extend beyond the laboratory. Often, physicists must report on their results in lectures or through academic papers. They also might be responsible for finding the grant money that funds their work. These efforts require extensive skills in oral and written communications.

 

Trends in Physics Careers

Job openings in universities and industry are increasing, thanks partly to a wave of retirements by senior physicists who entered the job market in the early 1960s. However, growth in academic jobs for physicists is expected to remain slower than average. Physics majors will continue to be in strong demand in industry, especially in the areas of information technology and semiconductor technology.
Physics graduates tend to split evenly between the workforce and graduate school. More than half of those students who return to graduate school decide to major in physics or astronomy. After those, the most popular graduate programs are in engineering, math, medicine, law, and education. Just over a quarter of all physics graduates who earn a bachelor's degree go to work in the private sector. Other career options include high school teaching, government, and the military.

For High School Students: Preparing for Your Career Education in Physics

Anyone planning to study physics in college should prepare at the high school level with a curriculum that is heavy in algebra classes, with some calculus and trigonometry where possible. Math skills are essential, but science classes are an important part of preparing, too.
Students who plan to use physics as a launch pad into another career should consider the types of classes that will be appropriate for their long-term objectives. For instance, English literature classes combined with writing and public speaking classes are helpful for nearly any career. Business management, economics, or accounting classes will be useful for scientists who want to compete in the business world.
Education counselors also recommend that students get more familiar with the applications of physics by reading common introductory works. Some recommended books are "The Elegant Universe" by Brian Greene, "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking, and "Flying Circus of Physics" by Jearl Walker.
Take advantage of any opportunity to get involved in extracurricular activities and expose yourself to as much science as possible. Science fairs are an excellent way to gain practical experience. Admissions counselors prefer to recruit students who demonstrate leadership abilities by volunteering to head up school clubs. Leadership qualities are even more important for students who want to go on to graduate school.
Find adults who have experience or an interest in physics, including your teachers. Having a mentor to talk to about physics or ask questions plays an important role in your professional development. Get to know your teachers and professors.

Is an Advanced Degree Needed to Work in Physics?

Nearly a third of physics students choose to double-major, with math being the most common focus. This is usually because only a few extra classes beyond those required for the physics degree are needed for the additional math degree. But math is not the only option. Some of the other most common double majors are science degree programs such as computer science, astronomy, and chemistry. Education degrees and teaching certifications are required for aspiring science or physics instructors.
Some schools have two options in their bachelor's degree programs. One prepares the student who wants to get a graduate degree and become a theoretical physicist. The other is for those who just want to develop essential skills to enter another career. A bachelor's degree is typically the only requirement for the latter option.
A master's degree or doctorate is required for teaching university-level physics, or for top-level research in private industry or in government labs. Most professionals who go into this type of research have doctorates. Graduate degrees require concentrated study in a particular area of the student's choosing. Online physics degrees have become more popular among working professionals who are ready to further their educational credentials. In an online physics degree, topics of study might include beam physics, health physics, radiation biology, and physics education.
Graduates with bachelor's degrees have reported that people skills are an essential part of their work activities. Much of their time is spent on activities that have nothing to do with science, such as teamwork, dealing with clients, managing projects, technical writing, making presentations, and training people. The physics major who has not mastered communication skills will be ill-prepared for the job market.

What Can You Do With a College Degree in Physics?

The answer most appropriate for this question is: anything she wants to do. However, while some physics majors go on to become professional physicists, the majority pursue careers in fields where they can put their knowledge to more practical applications. With their skills in problem-solving, mathematical reasoning, computer programming, and organizing and interpreting scientific data, physics grads can move into government and industrial jobs that require an ability to think logically and creatively. Physics majors are well-suited to jobs that require step-by-step problem solving using math skills and good observational and communication skills.
A wide range of industries seeks physics graduates: telecommunications, industrial physics, hospital physics, electronics, computing, quality control testing, banking, insurance, teaching, management, technical sales and the armed forces, for starters. Students who become physicists tend to specialize in one or more areas of physics, such as:

• Nuclear physics. Nuclear physics involves the study of the components, structure, and behavior of the nucleus of the atom. It has a number of practical applications in developing nuclear energy, archeological dating, smoke detectors and nuclear medicine. Nuclear diagnostic techniques have revolutionized medicine by providing ways to "see" inside the body without surgery.
• Geophysics. Geophysicists apply physical theories and measurements to discover the properties of the earth. Geophysics includes the branches of seismology, geothermometry (heating of the earth), hydrology (ground and surface water), and gravity and geodesy (the earth's gravitational field). Some of its applications are used in building highways and bridges, studying earthquakes, urban planning and archaeology.
• Atomic, molecular and optical physics. In this field, physicists study matter and light interactions at the level of the atom. The three are usually grouped together because of their interrelationships, the similarity in methods used, and their related energy scales. Atomic physics is more concerned with the study of the atom than with the forces studied in nuclear physics. Molecular physics focuses on multi-atomic structures and their internal and external interactions with matter and light. Optical physics manipulates light to gain insight into the fundamental properties of light.
• Astronomy. Astronomy is considered a subfield of physics. Astronomers observe and collect data used to explain relationships between stars and planets as well as other phenomena occurring in the universe. Astronomers, in conjunction with other types of physicists, might be called upon to solve problems connected with space flight navigation and satellite communications.
• Astrophysics. Astrophysics is the part of astronomy that deals with the physics of stars, star systems and interstellar material. Astrophysicists apply the laws of physics to understand how astronomical bodies are formed, how they interact, and how they die. Astrophysics might be used to figure out how to get to other planets, how to build things in new and safer ways, or to examine how the human body adapts to new situations.
• Space physics. Space physics is the study of the space environment from the uppermost reaches of the earth's atmosphere to deep space, especially the environment in which satellites must survive. It has important applications as society becomes increasingly dependent on satellites for communication, broadcast, weather monitoring, remote sensing, positional information and military uses. Space exploration has led to the creation of several products such as new types of ceramics, high-performance materials, and even microwave ovens.
• Physics Education. Physics grads with bachelor's degrees can become elementary or high school teachers. There is almost always a shortage of teachers in the sciences. Technical schools will also hire physics majors who have some professional experience. Public schools require a certification to teach, but not all private schools or technical schools do.
• Engineering Physics. Engineering is another outlet for the physics major. It is one of the most demanding professions, because it often deals with decisions that affect the safety of individuals. Building bridges, skyscrapers, airplanes, and electrical systems requires a solid foundation in physics. Some students will earn a degree in physics and then go on to graduate school for a master's degree in engineering. Others will double-major in physics and engineering. A few other industries that require a solid physics background are construction, chemical, food, aerospace, agriculture, energy, fuel, metallurgy, textiles and clothing, computers and transportation.
• Computer Science. Computer science offers careers for the physics major in graphics and software, artificial intelligence, data processing and computer games. Computer hardware is the result of applied physics.

A student with an interest in physics and communications might consider telecommunications, television, image analysis, video recording, photography, laser technology, journalism, scientific writing and publishing. Other non-technical careers in which physics majors have found success are law, business administration, sports, marketing and business management.
Besides astronomy, space and earth science careers for physics majors include space technology, atmospheric sciences, energy and resources and ocean sciences. Openings in environmental sciences and physics would include positions studying noise control, pollution control, conservation, radiation protection, and environmental monitoring.
Despite the important and intriguing specialties available to physicists, the vast majority of physics majors enter other professions. They may teach high school physics, perform research and development in private industry or in government labs, or lend their expertise to medical imaging, scientific book publishing, and scientific reporting. Physics careers can come from unexpected places. Insurance companies, for example, hire physicists to study the performances of the products they insure and make recommendations for reducing injuries and property loss.
A graduate with a master's degree in physics can do most of the above jobs but usually with a higher degree of responsibility and pay. They also have the opportunity to teach at community colleges. A PhD holder is more likely to become a university professor or researcher. Industries will also hire PhDs to oversee research projects for their companies and design new scientific instruments.

Planning for Your Physics Career

Physics is not a career for the dilettante. People considering a career in this demanding but rewarding profession should first ask themselves whether they are excited by physics, above and beyond other options, and whether they are good at it. This profession requires a strong commitment of time and effort. For those who want to succeed, the rewards can be plentiful, but the preparation depends on the direction in which one wants to go.
The student who plans to build a career as a physicist must make academic requirements his first priority. That means paying attention to grades, especially in math and science classes, and scoring high on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) in preparation for graduate school. In addition, future physicists must build relationships with faculty members who can provide letters of recommendation. Courses in the major are more important than courses in other disciplines, because applications to graduate schools will be based more on those grades. However, academic advisers recommend building communication skills with writing, literature and speech communication courses.
If you want a career in government or industry, communication and interpersonal skills rate higher than physics or math grades. Much of your time will be spent writing and making presentations. Computer skills and courses in areas such as statistics, electronics, and applied physics are important, too. When interviewing with potential employers, you must be able to show you are a team player.
Those students who want to teach in high school should be aware that they will need a teaching certificate to teach in public schools. Courses in education are important, as are communication and interpersonal skills. You will improve your chances of being hired if you are also qualified to teach classes such as biology, general science, or math.
Financial companies like the skills and critical thinking abilities of physics majors. Anyone considering a career in this industry should take classes in statistics, accounting and economics. Banks, insurance companies and investment firms are interested in math and science majors.
Students who want to apply to a medical or dental school should speak with a premedical adviser early in their college careers to determine the supplemental courses such as biology and chemistry that will be needed for acceptance to medical school. A premed student is required to take about the same amount of class work in physics as in biology, and about one-quarter of the knowledge needed for a medical school entrance exam is based on physics.

Overview Physicists in industry have contributed immeasurably to the technological superiority which the United States has enjoyed for many years. More recently, economic pressures have prompted American industry to place increasing emphasis on specific technical and communication skills in their selection of personnel. We believe that the unique quantitative analytic skills and creating thinking abilities which are acquired through a rigorous physics education prepare an individual well for a career in industry. In order to enhance these skills, we now offer a postgraduate degree program in Applied & Industrial Physics. The Applied & Industrial Physics option in the Physics Department at Virginia Tech leads to a degree of Master of Science in Physics and prepares a student to apply broad physics principles to technological problems of interest to industry. The program combines courses with applied and technological relevance with a research project that is carried out either in an industrial laboratory or on campus.		Optics research in Robeson Hall. Additional emphasis will be placed on enhancing the communication skills of the student and on preparing the student to work with a team. The requirements for the degree include a research project leading to a project report or written thesis and the successful completion of a program of study. Courses in physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, and business may be combined to satisfy the course requirements for the degree. The program can be completed in four semesters.
Program Each student accepted into the Applied and Industrial Physics program will be assigned an interim advisor to plan an initial program of study. During the first semester, the student will select a thesis advisor and committee. In consultation with his/her advisor and committee, the student will define and plan the full program of coursework and research tailored to his or her specific interests and goals. A minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework and research is required. At least twelve (12) of these hours must be courses in Physics, with the remainder in fields relevant to a career in industry. A minimum of six (6) hours and a maximum of ten (10) hours of research is required during the course of the program. This requirement may be satisfied by an industrial internship or by a research project on campus. In either case, the project is arranged in cooperation with a faculty advisor. When the student works at an industrial site, the company, in consultation with the student and student advisor, will designate a supervisor for the student. The student, thesis advisor, and industrial supervisor will meet at regular intervals to discuss the student's progress. A project report on the research project must be submitted at the completion of the program. The entire program is designed to be completed in two years; extension beyond this period requires the approval of the student's advisory committee. Special arrangements are possible for persons currently employed in industry who wish to enroll on a part-time basis.

Certification, Licensure, and Associations

No licensing is required for physicists, but anyone who plans to teach at a public elementary school or high school must receive a teaching certificate.
Professional Associations

• The American Institute of Physics
• The American Physical Society