Should I pursue a senior project that exposes me to a new area of physics or one that is more in line with what I believe I'll want to do as a career?

Currently, I don't have a clear idea as to what I want to do after graduation. I'll definitely apply to PhD programs, but I don't know what field I want to specialize in. Right now I'm most interested in optics, laser physics, and math. For my senior project, I'm tasked with choosing a research advisor I'll work with for my final year of undergrad. The first professor is amazing. We have a great relationship, and I know I'll have an excellent experience working with him. His project deals with a field I'm interested in but don't have experience with. We would work with nanomaterials and fabrication - a lot of hands on lab skills. The other professor seems super cool. I don't know him at all, but his project deals with optics, lasers, and orbital mechanics. He's also working in collaborations with aerospace companies I'm interested in. I'm learning toward the first prof because chemistry with your advisor is so important since you'll be working with them for a whole year. I'll also be taking electives and labs in optics next year so it's not like I'll be missing out on the material. And at the end of the day, I think exploring options is the goal of the undergrad experience. Am I making the right choice? #math #college #capstone #senior-project #undergrad #phd #undergraduate #optics #last-physics #microelectronic-engineering #engineering #physics #research #research-advisor

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