Mastering out and reapplying to a PhD somewhere else

[RoadToTheEclipse]

I did my undergrad and masters in Latin America but on physics, now I entered the Universidad Catolica de Chile for astronomy. After a year here, I'm considering changing and finishing my degree as a masters (it would be my second one, but the first one is in physics). I'm afraid it will look bad when applying elsewhere and I don't want to upset anybody here. Please, any advice.

 

My main reasons are:

-I feel I'm just starting to understand astronomy and I feel anxious about an upcoming qualifying exam. I want more time in grad school to adjust to the change of physics to astronomy, although it would mean starting the new PhD a couple of years before I turn 30, which scares me.

-I didn't know what research I wanted to work on before applying. Now I have a much better idea and I feel I could find a good advisor (my advisor here is super cool but the subject is maybe not the exact thing I'm looking for, although very related).

-I didn't feel prepared when applying before, but now I feel I have a lot more experience and the opportunity to have recommendation letters from people on the field. I feel this time I could do much better applying.

-I know I shouldn't mention this to anyone on the university, and although I'm very grateful to them for accepting me (because probably no one else would've), I don't like latin america and feel very frustrated here.

 

What do you think I should do? Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Edited November 9, 2020 by RoadToTheEclipse

[Sigaba]

19 hours ago, RoadToTheEclipse said:

I did my undergrad and masters in Latin America but on physics, now I entered the Universidad Catolica de Chile for astronomy. After a year here, I'm considering changing and finishing my degree as a masters (it would be my second one, but the first one is in physics). I'm afraid it will look bad when applying elsewhere and I don't want to upset anybody here. Please, any advice.

 

My main reasons are:

-I feel I'm just starting to understand astronomy and I feel anxious about an upcoming qualifying exam. I want more time in grad school to adjust to the change of physics to astronomy, although it would mean starting the new PhD a couple of years before I turn 30, which scares me.

-I didn't know what research I wanted to work on before applying. Now I have a much better idea and I feel I could find a good advisor (my advisor here is super cool but the subject is maybe not the exact thing I'm looking for, although very related).

-I didn't feel prepared when applying before, but now I feel I have a lot more experience and the opportunity to have recommendation letters from people on the field. I feel this time I could do much better applying.

-I know I shouldn't mention this to anyone on the university, and although I'm very grateful to them for accepting me (because probably no one else would've), I don't like latin america and feel very frustrated here.

 

What do you think I should do? Thank you for taking the time to read this.

I recommend that you look very carefully before you leap. Will you have to start from square one? Will you be required to take qualifying exams that are more difficult? Can you delay taking quals at your current institution to study more? Is your desire to change schools more about pre quals anxiety? Will your professors at your new school be better teachers?