5-4 Where should I go

Although my schedule dictated that I should have been immersed in solid-state physics, statistical physics, and laser principles, I unfortunately squandered the whole day browsering information regarding postgraduate admission recommendations. Consequently, I felt rather unproductive and somewhat guilty. The only scheduled work I managed to accomplish today was studing English, which is unexpected. However, the day was not entirely fruitless; I solidified to pursue Optical Engineering for my postgraduate stuides.

I have gradually dismissed the notion of swiching to either AI and Neurascience. My rationale for choosing Optical Engineering stems from two key factors: Firstly, it is one of the disciplines most closly aligned with my undergraduate backgroud in physics, and secondly,it is listed as a required subject in the Shenzhen teacher recruitment catalogue. Over the past month, I have been grappling with considerable confusion and anxiety, primarily because I lacked a clear assessment of my own academic standing and potential. This uncertainty meant I couldn’t effectively gauge which universities represented realistic targets versus those that were more aspirational or would require me to essentially leave things to chance.

Three key factors influence my postgraduate decision: academic discipline, university prestige, and geographical location. Considering discipline as the primary consideration, Shanghai institude of optics and fine mechanics or Changchun institide of optics and fine mechanics would be the optimal choice. If I prioritize universities ranking, I would need to consider institution like institude of physics, C9 league, Top2. However, this path might necessitate continuing with physics or potentially other majors often perceived as having more challenging immediate job prospects, such as condensed matter physics,biophysics, or quantum computing. Universities and institutes located in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region become relevant primarily if locationand proximity to Xiao are the deciding factors. Should I choose to remain in the PRD, logic would suggest selecting a major with stronger market demand, such as integrated circuits, Artificial Intelligence, or Optoelectronic Information Engineering.

Here is the dilemma: it resembles an ‘impossible triangle’ where optimizing for one factor inevitably compromises the others. Consequently, I must establish a clear priority among these three factors and then dedicate myself fully to preparing for that chosen path. Once I determine the most significant factors, it inherently means sacrificin alternative paths—-a reality I need to fully acknowledge.