My standard advice to aspiring physics and math researchers is basically the same as to aspiring performing or visual artists: don’t do it unless you cannot stand the thought of not doing it (is 4 negatives a few too many?) and are better at it than almost everyone you know. Actually, the situation is even worse for budding researchers. Getting to where you want to be (say, a faculty job with enough time for research) is at least as long, as hard and as stressful and almost as expensive as becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but there are far fewer jobs available and they pay less. Engineering/programming/business is generally a better alternative if you are technically minded, and Masters degree is probably as much as you will ever need. Or maybe education, if you are into that.
My standard advice to aspiring physics and math researchers is basically the same as to aspiring performing or visual artists: don’t do it unless you cannot stand the thought of not doing it (is 4 negatives a few too many?) and are better at it than almost everyone you know. Actually, the situation is even worse for budding researchers. Getting to where you want to be (say, a faculty job with enough time for research) is at least as long, as hard and as stressful and almost as expensive as becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but there are far fewer jobs available and they pay less. Engineering/programming/business is generally a better alternative if you are technically minded, and Masters degree is probably as much as you will ever need. Or maybe education, if you are into that.