Profession choice: Scientist or Programmer

Thank you all so much for the advice! You all helped me a lot!

Hello. I apologize for the topic, which most likely is interesting only to me. Do not think that I am writing everything that climbs into my head. Just this question has been worrying me for several months now and I cannot find an answer to it. And since almost the entire audience HabraHabra is intelligent, versatile and educated, I decided to discuss this issue here.

What is the essence of the question?

I'm at a crossroads. I can not find the answer to, perhaps, one of the most important questions in my life: what should I do in adult life? Previously, this question did not bother me at all, but when I entered the university, after a year I would have to choose a department, and when I needed to set priorities very soon, the search for an answer to it became an urgent problem.
To be a scientist or a programmer? All life to seek the truth or delve into the applied information technology? If a scientist, then a physicist or a mathematician?
')

Scientist

What will the “young scientist” profession give me?

• Interesting job
• An interesting and versatile team
• Relatively low salary (*)
• FEAR(**)
• A sense of uniqueness and some kind of elitism. This is a feeling that there is a relatively small circle of people who, like you, are engaged in this activity with the exciting name "SCIENCE"

(*) There is one more very important point of scientific activity in Russia: “low salary”. This item is quite significant pressure on pride when you see a person who is much more stupid than you (you are sure of this, since you studied for 5 years with him at the university), but you are on a Lada car and he is on a Porshe Cayenne. This problem can be avoided: go to work in another country. But what about the Motherland? How can you do absolutely nothing for your country? How can you help develop another state, which could potentially be the enemy of your homeland? Moreover, we have a country with such a history that it captures the spirit! Is it possible to suppress in yourself these questions and live for yourself?

(**) What do I mean by fear in science? I do not know how the scientists have already taken place, but when I imagine myself in the place of a young scientist, I am afraid. I am afraid that in my whole life I will not reveal anything new for humanity, nothing useful. I'm afraid that I will not have any nominal theorem. I am afraid that what I will do to anyone in the future and in the present is not useful.

Programmer

I will clarify in advance. The implication is that a “programmer” is not a person who simply planes some program code. I mean, this is a person who is engaged not in the theoretical part of IT, but in something that is connected with its applied side. For example, it may be an IT project manager or program designer or just a coder.

And here is what the young programmer profession will give me:

• Good salary
• Perhaps also an interesting team (*)
• Standard career path (**)
• Understanding that there are a lot of people like you and, in fact, it is not very pleasant to realize (Anyone wants to be a little higher than others. Probably, this is why there is competition)

(*) For 4 years while I was actively interested in IT, I had to talk with many programmers. And during this time, I realized that my interests diverged. Few of them play football, read classics, listen to club music, etc. Therefore, he inserted the word "possible." By the way, why have I not inserted this word into the paragraph where it is said about a young scientist? Based on personal experience.

(**) For some time after university, I will plan the code, then, if I’m lucky, I’ll become a project manager, then I’ll come up with some project of my own, which even if it becomes successful, I’ll get tired of it in time and I will get again from him only money, not self-satisfaction, that I do what I love.

Together

Dream: at the same time to engage in scientific activities (wild interest), to be a manager of some IT (practical results and wages) of the project, a teacher of the university (interest).
It is quite possible to combine all this, but to achieve something outstanding in any area of ​​these three is almost unreal. To do this, you need to delve into your area almost completely, and not just a little of everything. I hope you understand what I mean.

Terribly afraid to make a mistake. I do not want to regret my whole life that I chose the wrong path.

Once again I apologize for the abundance of the words “I,” “My,” “My,” and so on. Give advice, please, how to decide? What aspects of these professions have I missed? Maybe this question worries not only me, then it will help not only me. Thank you in advance.