How does one become a physicist?
The first requirement to be a physicist is having an inquisitive mind. Albert Einstein himself admitted, “I’m like a child. I always ask the simplest questions.” It seems as though the simplest questions always seem to be the most difficult to answer. These days, becoming a physicist requires quite a bit of schooling along with that inquisitive mind. In high school, a strong academic background including mathematics, English, and science is necessary in order to enter college with a strong knowledge base. Once in college as a physics major, courses such as classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, optics, thermodynamics, modern physics, and calculus are required for a bachelor’s degree. To becomes a research physicist, an advanced degree is usually required. This means attending graduate school, performing research , writing a thesis, and eventually obtaining a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy).
