EPTI like physics much more than engineering, but I feel like mechanical engineering/Aerospace Engineering would provide more practical job opportunities than physics. I wanted to hear from some of y'all since I figure gamers will probably have a lot of technical majors. What are the practical opportunities of a physics major? I am more interested in knowing this than engineering since I am already aware of what I can do with a mech e degree. Especially physics vs engineering. Any help would be awesome, thanks!
Practicality of Physics Major vs Engineering?
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
I like physics much more than engineering, but I feel like mechanical engineering/Aerospace Engineering would provide more practical job opportunities than physics. I wanted to hear from some of y'all since I figure gamers will probably have a lot of technical majors. What are the practical opportunities of a physics major? I am more interested in knowing this than engineering since I am already aware of what I can do with a mech e degree. Especially physics vs engineering. Any help would be awesome, thanks! | ||
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Antedelerium
United States224 Posts
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micronesia
United States24682 Posts
I often hear stories of physics majors being prime candidates for certain types of jobs... but I haven't really seen that myself first hand. | ||
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Myrmidon
United States9452 Posts
If you haven't yet started in college, how do you know that you like physics a lot more than engineering? | ||
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politik
409 Posts
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OrchidThief
Denmark2298 Posts
I also think there's a difference in the personality of who would find one interesting over the other. I have real problems wrapping my head around advanced quantum mechanics for instance, because it's so abstract compared to modelling a the motion of a cantilever for instance. Btw, getting an engineering degree in physics and nanotechnology. =) Edit: Basically what Antedelerium said. | ||
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Mortality
United States4790 Posts
On October 10 2011 05:48 politik wrote: From what I've seen, you should only major in physics if you plan on getting a PhD or at the very least a master's. By the way engineering is like 95% physics, just in a more specialized area. Engineering may utilize a lot of physics, but it is not at all like physics. Unfortunately, double majoring in physics and engineering is not necessarily such an easy thing to do because most schools have very different degree requirements and in many places you have to apply to the school of engineering separately from the school of arts and sciences. Silly, but whatever. You should check out the degree requirements and maybe talk to some faculty members at the university. You can definitely get a bachelors in physics and still get a graduate degree in engineering. The reverse is more difficult. Engineering utilizes physics, but it isn't physics. | ||
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JacobDaKung
Sweden132 Posts
It is a very diverse place where at least my friends started to work, This is probably due to the fact that we learned problem solving methods not how to solve a certain kind of problems. I hope this helped some, gl with college. A bit off topic could someone explain the difference between a major, master and bachelor? | ||
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
On October 10 2011 05:47 Myrmidon wrote: Worst thing that could happen, supposing that you do reasonably well, is that you need to spend a couple years in graduate school in engineering before finding a job. And that's being cynical. If you haven't yet started in college, how do you know that you like physics a lot more than engineering? I go to a college prep school and I've taken a full year engineering course as well as a physics course, and I got to do an internship with NASA last summer, the physics was the more entertaining part, although I like both. Also, I like the idea of a lot of theoretical physics and stuff like that, but that's just research and all. Btw, getting an engineering degree in physics and nanotechnology. =) Hmm... this is very interesting. Can you expand on whwat exactly you do? Because I like both of those  | ||
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Myrmidon
United States9452 Posts
On October 10 2011 05:56 JacobDaKung wrote: A bit off topic could someone explain the difference between a major, master and bachelor? Major is the area of study, e.g. mechanical engineering, nursing. Bachelor's and master's degrees are the way you describe. An undergraduate majoring in physics will get a bachelor's degree in physics. | ||
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SpiffD
Denmark1264 Posts
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OrchidThief
Denmark2298 Posts
On October 10 2011 05:56 JacobDaKung wrote: A bit off topic could someone explain the difference between a major, master and bachelor? Master and bachelor refers to the stage of your education on a subject, major (and minor) is usually used around the main subject and the secondary subject your degree is on. (For instance english and philosophy, or physics and chemistry). It's used for dual degrees. On October 10 2011 06:00 TexDrum wrote: Hmm... this is very interesting. Can you expand on whwat exactly you do? Because I like both of those Well, the department of engineering physics is split into four: Nanotech, Photonics, Atomic Physics and Biophysics. I'm at the Nanotech department, designing various things within nanotechnology, among other things, microsensors, MEMS, Lab-on-a-chip, as well as stuff like diodes and other silicon technology. At photonics they're doing stuff like Lasers, Optics and such, Atomic Physics is quantum mechanics, surface physics, catalysis, superconductor physics and such, and Biophysics I honestly have no clue about. Think Neurophysics mostly, but no idea really. | ||
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strongandbig
United States4858 Posts
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micronesia
United States24682 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:10 strongandbig wrote: So I'm currently a first-year grad student in physics, and one thing a lot of people don't realize is how common it is for physics majors to go into finance/banking/consulting. For whatever reason, the people in those industries who hire new people out of college believe that a physics major teaches you things like problem-solving and flexible thinking. For undergrad physics majors in the department I went to, there were as many people going into finance etc as there were going to grad school. Yes, this was one of the things I heard... that physics majors often are prime candidates to go into finance due to their mathematical background (among other things like strongandbig said). | ||
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JacobDaKung
Sweden132 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:02 OrchidThief wrote: Master and bachelor refers to the stage of your education on a subject, major (and minor) is usually used around the main subject and the secondary subject your degree is on. (For instance english and philosophy, or physics and chemistry). It's used for dual degrees. On October 10 2011 06:00 TexDrum wrote: Master and bachelor refers to the stage of your education on a subject, major (and minor) is usually used around the main subject and the secondary subject your degree is on. (For instance english and philosophy, or physics and chemistry). It's used for dual degrees. ty ! | ||
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SySLeif
United States123 Posts
If your going for more practicality, like just a bachelors, then go for engineering. It's more career oriented and not as broad ranged. Physics is more of a solid core curriculum for almost any graduate school, though not the most useful by itself. EDIT: Just saw the posts about mathematics and physics. Yes it is VERY useful if you are going into anything that will be highly mathematical. I just finished my second year in college, first year as premed then this year as physics, I had to take 4 calculus classes this year to catch up. Tons and tons of match.. but I like it. | ||
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oPPRoBe
United States199 Posts
I do know that I like the Physics aspect more than the Engineering though. Perhaps I should look into Engineering Physics as OrchidThief is doing. Really interested in this thread  | ||
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Warrior Madness
Canada3791 Posts
What do you want to do? Research? | ||
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:02 OrchidThief wrote: Master and bachelor refers to the stage of your education on a subject, major (and minor) is usually used around the main subject and the secondary subject your degree is on. (For instance english and philosophy, or physics and chemistry). It's used for dual degrees. Well, the department of engineering physics is split into four: Nanotech, Photonics, Atomic Physics and Biophysics. I'm at the Nanotech department, designing various things within nanotechnology, among other things, microsensors, MEMS, Lab-on-a-chip, as well as stuff like diodes and other silicon technology. At photonics they're doing stuff like Lasers, Optics and such, Atomic Physics is quantum mechanics, surface physics, catalysis, superconductor physics and such, and Biophysics I honestly have no clue about. Think Neurophysics mostly, but no idea really. That sounds really cool actually. Is the specific major that you are in called Physics and Nanotechnology? I'm curious. I don't think Rice offers much of a nanotechnology major, so would there be any other general options that I could look into if I wanted to do a masters or something more centralized in it? Also, if I chose a general major like mechanical, would I be able to take specialized classes that give me an opportunity to have more of an aerospace etc. centralized resume/degree? | ||
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:33 Warrior Madness wrote: Mechanical Engineering is probably the broadest degree you can get. You can end up working at an oil rig or CERN or as a manager in a specialized field if you really wanted to (engineering managers make some serious cash). With a physics degree one of the more practical routes you can take is medical physics. I have a friend who ended up as a medical imaging specialist, 80% of his work is in running and maintaining MRI machines but he still gets to do 20% research work. Some really NEAT imaging and screening research. What do you want to do? Research? I definitely like physics, but it would be nice to have a practical job. I don't want to just work in a lab or something for my job, I think that would be pretty boring, but the opportunity for research would be nice. As far as actual engineering or work, I would like to get somewhere into space/airspace work. Medical isn't really my thing though. If that wasn't clear enough, feel free to reask that question! | ||
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OrchidThief
Denmark2298 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:35 TexDrum wrote: That sounds really cool actually. Is the specific major that you are in called Physics and Nanotechnology? I'm curious. I don't think Rice offers much of a nanotechnology major, so would there be any other general options that I could look into if I wanted to do a masters or something more centralized in it? Also, if I chose a general major like mechanical, would I be able to take specialized classes that give me an opportunity to have more of an aerospace etc. centralized resume/degree? Eh, don't know anything about how stuff works across the Atlantic, can't advice on anything specific regarding how it would work in the states. At my university (Technical University of Denmark), both the bachelors and the masters degree is called "Physics and Nanotechnology". And it's a pure engineering school. But the split up of degrees into bachelors and masters is something relatively new in Denmark, it used to be one consolidated 5 year program, granting a "Candidatum Polytechnicum" degree in the end. | ||
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:40 OrchidThief wrote: Eh, don't know anything about how stuff works across the Atlantic, can't advice on anything specific regarding how it would work in the states. At my university (Technical University of Denmark), both the bachelors and the masters degree is called "Physics and Nanotechnology". And it's a pure engineering school. Oh, haha, I should have paid attention a bit more, but still, that all does sound really interesting. Does anybody know what the equivalent major would be/how I would go about it for photonics or any of the other majors he talked about? | ||
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cskalias.pbe
United States293 Posts
That said, engineering majors tend to be math heavy, and physics majors, despite the math and depending on the program, can also be engineering heavy (matlab/other programming). I wouldn't think too hard about it and pick what you like more. If you are thinking about a particular career outside that field, show your interest by taking up extracurriculars. | ||
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tryummm
774 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:01 SpiffD wrote: Around 25% of physics majors here are doing practical work in the private sector, so it is definitely possible to get work other than teaching as a physics major. Can you expand on that and inform us of what they are doing more specifically? | ||
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fortheGG
United Kingdom1002 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:11 micronesia wrote: Yes, this was one of the things I heard... that physics majors often are prime candidates to go into finance due to their mathematical background (among other things like strongandbig said). Same with engineers, especially if you're applying for something like structuring. As someone who has done an internship in the city, I can tell you that it really doesn't matter what you did at university when you apply for banking/consulting. Something mathematical would give you an advantage but your ability to learn and be a douche is far more advantageous. | ||
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zylog
Canada943 Posts
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Blenderhead
United States29 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:47 tryummm wrote: Can you expand on that and inform us of what they are doing more specifically? Many physics Ph.D.s do private sector research in semiconductors and nanotechnology. Graphene and carbon nanotubes are poised to revolutionize a huge amount of our current technology, so companies are jumping on it. Atomistic effects are also very important in modern microprocessors because of the scale (the architecture in most CPUs is about 45 nanometers, or 450 atom-widths, approximately). I was looking at job openings for Intel not long ago and there are numerous positions calling for a physicist (or engineer) with background in atomistic methods. Also, as a physicist you can work in the government sector, either on a project for the military or at a national laboratory doing independent research. This is a stressful existence, however, because your income depends on applying for grants, etc, but there is no teaching involved (except the occasional intern, I guess). | ||
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Silidons
United States2813 Posts
i will say that you only have one life to live so whatever you're most passionate about should be what you end up doing in life...whether or not another decision would have made you more cash in the long run doesn't really matter if you're actually enjoying your work. | ||
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Memnon
Canada37 Posts
That said, don't dismiss the physics degree just because the engineering may be somewhat more likely to get you a job. If you like physics, I would give it a try, but if you are really more interested in practical stuff, go engineering. I am doing a physics degree, and yes, most of the opportunities appear to be in grad school and/or research. But there are definitely jobs for physics out there. I forget what percentage of graduates from my physics program get jobs, but it is pretty high. Also, for example, there is a nuclear plant near where I live that is planning to have a new reactor built I think, and I am keeping an eye out there. So jobs are out there. I don't really know what to tell you. At my university, you don't have to declare your major until second year or something. If that is the same where you are, take some time to think about it. | ||
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:56 Blenderhead wrote: Many physics Ph.D.s do private sector research in semiconductors and nanotechnology. Graphene and carbon nanotubes are poised to revolutionize a huge amount of our current technology, so companies are jumping on it. Atomistic effects are also very important in modern microprocessors because of the scale (the architecture in most CPUs is about 45 nanometers, or 450 atom-widths, approximately). I was looking at job openings for Intel not long ago and there are numerous positions calling for a physicist (or engineer) with background in atomistic methods. Also, as a physicist you can work in the government sector, either on a project for the military or at a national laboratory doing independent research. This is a stressful existence, however, because your income depends on applying for grants, etc, but there is no teaching involved (except the occasional intern, I guess). That sounds really interesting. I don't think I want to do government work, private sector is much more my thing. I do plan to go to graduate school anyways, but is that something that I could do with just my undergrad degree? Working at intel or AMD or anything like that would actually be really cool, and I know nanotechnology will be really important in the future. As a physicist, I know that there are the whole research grants and things, but what other options are there? And how would I go about getting those kind of backgrounds? (For work in nanotechnology) And this is in the states, btw. | ||
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Sovern
United States312 Posts
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DetriusXii
Canada156 Posts
I have a Bachelors and Masters in physics. I got a computer science degree afterwards, because there weren't readily available job opportunities in physics. I now have a job in computer science and I am happily employed as a programmer analyst in the public sector. Even after the PhD, it's only postdoc positions for most research physicists. My friends that completed their PhDs in physics successfully are now facing difficulties obtaining any positions. Finding a postdoc position is getting hard to find as well. Don't do the physics degree. The probability of obtaining a job position in physics is too low to justify the amount of time you're putting in that degree. A Bachelors + Masters + PhD is 10 years of your life. Near the end of your PhD, you'll get envious of your friends that have cars and houses while you're still living with three or four roommates in a cramped house and making $20,000. | ||
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Zephy
Germany42 Posts
From what I've heard and seen, the pure M.sc. in physics usually qualifies you for jobs involving banking, insurances, IT stuff and management consultancy. It is similar to having a M.sc. in mathematics, which my brother has. He had no problem finding a job, even though he applied during the pinnacle of economic crisis. I do think you put a lot more work into surviving the physics route than an engineering one. Though that also provides you with different qualities that you'd be unable to obtain by becoming an engineer. Also, in the M.sc. we're offered extra courses that teach you the basics of different subjects, if you want to proceed to work into these areas. You'll still finish as a M.sc. in physics but already have knowledge of the subject you're interested to work in. A professor showed us a graphic of the unemployment rate of physicists over the years. The average was 2%, which is very low. (He said that those 2% probably consists of students who just finished their studies and haven't gone job hunting yet.) EDIT: Also check the post below me. Basically the same as what I've heard | ||
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Misled
Germany19 Posts
(don't judge I was very young and very naive and I read to many sci-fi comics... thinking about it... judge all you want )Anyway... just before applying to colleges I guess my German heart kicked in and I picked electrical engineering. I guess it was programmed into me at birth and I couldn't escape. (I come from the a part in south of Germany where ~70% of the jobs are directly or indirectly connected with the automotive industry). But in the end... it was the best decision I could have made. Because at Uni I realized that physics would have been to "theoretical" for me and I saw that a lot of friends studying physics stayed at Uni to stay in research or go in to the industry without actually doing what they studyed. I know alot of people with PhDs or degrees in physics that work in software companies or engineering, even one that went on to go to a consulting firm. But all of them have in common that they are not using the actual theoretical and practical knoweledge of physics. They were more hired for their ability to understand complex systems and their analysis skills etc. But hey... they do earn good money doing that. Physic students staying in research definately don't earn the same amount of money. I know work as an electrical engineer in research and development (in the automotive industry :p, can't escape it! ).For me it was the right thing. And too be honest, you do get payed very well as an engineer in Germany. At the moment I live in the UK thanks to my job working on amazing projects. I guess I made the right decision for me back then. But I can only tell you this using hindsight. Just be sure that once you make your decision you give it your all and try to really work hard on the subject you chose. Once you try to do that and you realize you aren't happy what your doing and that your really struggling to motivate yourself to keep going, always remember that no decisions are final and that you do have the ability to start new. Edit: I must add that in Germany back then, we didn't have a bachelor/master system and the subject you chose after school was a five year course at Uni granting you a "Diplom" in the end. So maybe Bachelor/Master gives you a good chance of looking into both? | ||
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Mykill
Canada3402 Posts
if you want your name on a building go with engineering | ||
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Pax
United States175 Posts
Besides, in the upper tiers of the professional world, what you do on the graduate and post-graduate levels is far more important than your undergraduate work. So don't worry too much about what you want to do just now, and enjoy your upcoming college years, because you can't get them back. Work your ass off on the weekdays, then play hard on the weekends. Also, even if you don't think you are a particularly social individual, go to lots of parties- the people you meet there might become very important later on, and even if they don't, there's nothing wrong with having more friends. | ||
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SnK-Arcbound
United States4423 Posts
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InvictusRage
United States230 Posts
EDIT: There's a ton of nanotechnology research happening at Rice, in general. | ||
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
I seem to be gathering that even if you major in physics, my graduate work can give me a lot of different job opportunities. It still seems like engineering is the most practical though, but I don't think anybody answered this yet. If they did and I missed it, sorry! But what kind of degree would be best for somebody looking into either 1) space work with NASA/private sector companies who are getting into space flight etc. or 2) nanotechnology? Both of these fields (although totally different) interest me. | ||
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0mar
United States567 Posts
Go for the engineering degree. Professional degrees are almost always in demand. | ||
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StoRm_res
Switzerland891 Posts
On October 10 2011 05:48 politik wrote: From what I've seen, you should only major in physics if you plan on getting a PhD or at the very least a master's. By the way engineering is like 95% physics, just in a more specialized area. Thats simply not true dude, while you get a good knowledge of mechanics stuff like quantum physics, solid state physics, general relativity, astrophysics isnt really covered. In my opinion engineering stops where physics starts to become interesting =) | ||
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machination
United States175 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:11 micronesia wrote: Yes, this was one of the things I heard... that physics majors often are prime candidates to go into finance due to their mathematical background (among other things like strongandbig said). Yeah a friend of mine graduated with a major in physics and a minor in math and ended up working actuarial science or something similar for a major corporation. He was so in demand that they spend a couple thousand dollars a month to commute him across the country (he often spends weekends back home in the midwest and works on the east coast). | ||
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barkles
United States285 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:10 strongandbig wrote: So I'm currently a first-year grad student in physics, and one thing a lot of people don't realize is how common it is for physics majors to go into finance/banking/consulting. For whatever reason, the people in those industries who hire new people out of college believe that a physics major teaches you things like problem-solving and flexible thinking. For undergrad physics majors in the department I went to, there were as many people going into finance etc as there were going to grad school. But this is much harder to do than it was 10 years ago, especially since much of the finance job market will generally prefer either (a) someone with a masters in financial mathematics or (b) someone from a field like Operations Research or Operations Management. The financial mathematics masters (or equivalent) is much more common than in previous decades I think. It's also important to note that engineering majors will be hired for those jobs as well. The difference is that engineering majors can get a job that pays comparably or better that is actually in their field, which physics majors can almost never do. Generally, with a bachelor's degree in physics you can get a job. But NONE of the physics B.S. degree holders I know got a job that involved physics. They either did something like finance/consulting/business drone work, or went to grad school. So if you're looking for a job that uses what you learned as an undergrad right out of school, do engineering, no question. Physics's comparative advantage is that it prepares you better for graduate school over a broad group of fields. A physics major can go to grad school in physics (obv), engineering, mathematics, and, more commonly these days, a business related field such as finance or economics. | ||
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Voltaire
United States1485 Posts
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barkles
United States285 Posts
On October 10 2011 07:44 TexDrum wrote: Hmm, there seems to be a lot of conflicting opinion actually. I love all of the responses though, thank you everybody! I seem to be gathering that even if you major in physics, my graduate work can give me a lot of different job opportunities. It still seems like engineering is the most practical though, but I don't think anybody answered this yet. If they did and I missed it, sorry! But what kind of degree would be best for somebody looking into either 1) space work with NASA/private sector companies who are getting into space flight etc. or 2) nanotechnology? Both of these fields (although totally different) interest me. Aerospace is a tough nut to crack, especially for space flight stuff. No matter which degree you pick you will likely have a tough time getting a job in this field. If you're passionate about it then by all means go for it, but be prepared for the tough job market. Maybe it will be better in four years though, I don't know. Nanotechnology is very broad, and you could certainly get involved with either a physics or an engineering degree (probably EE, maybe BME, some others as well). However, once again I think if you go for the physics bachelor's degree route you will need at least a master's and probably a PhD to get a job that you can really sink your teeth into. | ||
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Sovern
United States312 Posts
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twofish
15 Posts
I have not really factored in job opportunities too much. However, from what I've gathered it shouldn't be a problem to find a job with a physics degree even in the private sector (at least here), so I try not to worry and rather try to find something which interests me a lot... Tip: At my uni I can just additionally freely enrol in whatever I want, so I just try out subjects from other fields to broaden my search radar. So far I have taken additional courses in control, electronics and artificial intelligence and enjoyed it a lot. Just experiment! | ||
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Bibdy
United States3481 Posts
I got into a low-level software engineering job within a year after graduation and it's been a great fit. Physics taught me the problem solving and analytical skills I needed, and the company, more schooling (between books and the occasional evening class) and practice, has taught me all of the programming skills I need. I always should have gone into computer science, but it never really occurred to me while I was selecting degrees. | ||
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subzer0
67 Posts
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akalarry
United States1978 Posts
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Alabasern
United States4005 Posts
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Mr.F.
United States62 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:10 strongandbig wrote: So I'm currently a first-year grad student in physics, and one thing a lot of people don't realize is how common it is for physics majors to go into finance/banking/consulting. For whatever reason, the people in those industries who hire new people out of college believe that a physics major teaches you things like problem-solving and flexible thinking. For undergrad physics majors in the department I went to, there were as many people going into finance etc as there were going to grad school. i just finished my MS in physics at UCSD, and initially i went into the program to eventually try and get a job as a professor, but seeing the level of competition i have since scrapped that plan and am now working towards something more like a quant. The only thing i am wondering, now that i am already working on my PhD, is if i had gone to a school with a financial engineering program instead, would that have been easier to kickstart my career... a lot of my friends from undergrad were engineering majors with a minor in physics. if you don't want to go to grad school, or into teaching, I recommend doing something along these lines. then again, if you are really interested in physics, go get a physics degree. i had 2-3 friends do that, and now they teach english in japan, and they are loving it. no matter what your major is, if you are passionate about it, you will find a job you like. | ||
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Divergence
Canada363 Posts
lol economy | ||
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Chairman Ray
United States11903 Posts
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NathanSC
United States620 Posts
On October 10 2011 05:39 TexDrum wrote: I'm getting ready to enter college, and I'm looking to apply to Rice. We have to choose a specific first choice school, and my application will be reviewed as a specific applicant of that particular school. I like physics much more than engineering, but I feel like mechanical engineering/Aerospace Engineering would provide more practical job opportunities than physics. I wanted to hear from some of y'all since I figure gamers will probably have a lot of technical majors. What are the practical opportunities of a physics major? I am more interested in knowing this than engineering since I am already aware of what I can do with a mech e degree. Especially physics vs engineering. Any help would be awesome, thanks! I go to Rice! Been here since fall 2006, ha. I'm in Hanszen college, in the engineering school moreover. Come join we engineers! If you need any help in your application process, let me know. | ||
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TheToaster
United States280 Posts
So if I had to give you one piece of advice, it would be not to rule out the computer-oriented Majors like Scientific Computing, Computer Science, Computational Biology, or Computational Criminology. | ||
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Sufficiency
Canada23833 Posts
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Toadesstern
Germany16350 Posts
you're going to get a job with both pretty much for sure. As a physicist you will probably end up in something that's not exactly what you thought you would end up in university but that's fine. Both physicist and mathematician are highly wanted. Not so much for what they learned at university (at least for the majority of "normal" jobs) but for the knowledge that those guys know how to think analytically, you know solving problems on their own and that kind of stuff :p Engineering however is just awesome for its practical uses and will pretty much ensure you a job, too. I got the feeling that if you're going for a masters or more physics is the way to go and if you're only going for a bachelor engineering should be better. But that's just a feeling of mine. However, both will pretty much ensure you a job and both are kinda hard. At least thats what most people keep saying about scientific subjects so I figure some do have problems and I'd totally go for what you think fits you better because that way you'll at least know for sure that you're going to put some effort in it because you like what you're doing :p | ||
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cLutZ
United States19574 Posts
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OsoVega
926 Posts
On October 10 2011 09:54 Divergence wrote: Either way you're fucked. lol economy Bullshit. Either way, if you're smart and are willing to work hard you can be a productive worker and build a happy life for yourself. Just because your pathetic ass can't get anywhere and you want to blame it on the economy doesn't mean everyone is like you. | ||
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
On October 10 2011 11:27 NathanSC wrote: I go to Rice! Been here since fall 2006, ha. I'm in Hanszen college, in the engineering school moreover. Come join we engineers! If you need any help in your application process, let me know. Oh wow. Do you think you could PM me your email or something? I would LOVE to ask questions. I did an overnight visit with a freshmen at Martel, and I also saw Mcmurtry and Duncan, they're pretty nice (big), although im sure hanszen is the most awesome college. :p | ||
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
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Day[9]
United States7366 Posts
Do happy things dammit! | ||
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Alabasern
United States4005 Posts
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udgnim
United States8024 Posts
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n.DieJokes
United States3443 Posts
... Then my other advice is fuck both of those fields, go math! Engineering is boring and the only interesting part of physics is the math anyway (biased, I know) | ||
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lightrise
United States1355 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:11 micronesia wrote: Yes, this was one of the things I heard... that physics majors often are prime candidates to go into finance due to their mathematical background (among other things like strongandbig said). This is actually true but its more true for engineering majors. You don't really learn that much in each specialized major, you more learn about how to approach a problem well and problem solve and come up with a solution. Right now I'm chemical Engineering, and its almost a 50% chance that I will end up doing something that has nothing to do with chemistry when i graduated. It is just one of the best majors because its one of the toughest and people hiring know that these are the best problem solvers around and they have the math background to back it up. As someone already pointed out as well you take tons of physics for engineering, you continue to advance your physics learning by taking upper level classes as well. I am currently taking P chem, which is all physics, and this is required for chemical engineering. There is soo much crossover these days I don't really see that much variation between some majors. I hear what Day[9] is saying but really chemical engineering is a shitload of physics. I have been doing quantum alot and even nanotechnology which involves a lot of physics as well. | ||
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Mr.F.
United States62 Posts
On October 10 2011 12:08 Sufficiency wrote: If you do physics undergrad, you are good for: PhD in physics, or teaching physics in highschool don't forget about lawyer.. | ||
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lachy89
Australia264 Posts
I was in a similar dilemma late in High School, I was always good at maths and physics and was probably the area that I would gravitate to for university. I applied for a Civil Engineering degree and after one semester of that I enjoyed a lot of the physics classes which were part of the course. After the first semester I switched from a Civil Engineering degree to a Double degree Science/Civil Engineering majoring in physics and I have been enjoying it quite a lot. There have been times where the workload has been large, but I wouldn't say too excessive (this may vary from uni/college). I am not sure how the college system works in the states, but I found that once you are at university and so long as you are getting 'ok' grades, there isn't a huge issue with changing your subjects and course around if you have a change of heart. I say pick either, they will probably both share subjects first year anyway, once you get a feel for uni(college) then you can choose to branch off more then. Then my other advice is fuck both of those fields, go math! Engineering is boring and the only interesting part of physics is the math anyway (biased, I know) Physics is maths with a purpose | ||
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Nadagast
United States245 Posts
There's so much interesting stuff in physics and so much of what you learn gets you interested in other fields. I gained a huge appreciation and admiration for science that has lead me to become interested in all sorts of subjects like behavioral economics, astronomy, evolutionary psychology, rationality, and biology. I don't believe in a god but I think I've gained a sense of purpose and wonder that's far more real, meaningful, and awesome than religion. | ||
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FuJi
United States104 Posts
There are so many stories of physics grads regretting their decision to go into physics because of many reasons including time invested, money gained, life thrown away, etc. Most of their exposure to mainstream physics is the rockstar side of it with people like Feynman and Einstein and a good chunk want to aspire to be like that but that isn't physics at all. Physics is about the collaborative probing of nature and seeing how it ticks and whether it matches our mathematical models or not. Sure, the practical applications of physics is cool but if you ask most physics professors why they went into physics, they'll never tell you it was the practical applications that drew them in. Most of the time, it was because they just enjoyed thinking about physics and everything else was just secondary. So if it's hard to think of other things you'd rather be doing than thinking about physics, then you won't go wrong with choosing to study physics. | ||
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
On October 10 2011 13:49 Day[9] wrote: For god's sake do physics if you like that more. Any other decision is an absolute waste of time. The reason there's a major AT ALL means there's plenty of opportunities in it. Hell, always make decisions like this based upon what would make you happier on a day to day basis. Doing the subject you love? Or doing a subject that kinda sucks with a vague sense of more money arriving for a job you aren't familiar with yet weighed against a physics job you aren't familiar with yet. Do happy things dammit! Wow. Day[9] posted in a topic I made. What's more, the first topic I ever made on TL. I am honored. Trust me, I understand this my dad has always insisted this fact on me, over and over. He grew up literally in a trailer for the better part of his life, and is now the youngest senior executive at a company. But he loves his job. I'm well aware that happiness is important, but I am VERY happy to see that a lot of people seem to embrace this as well hehe.The thing I'm stuck on is that it -seems- like I can accomplish a lot of the same things with an engineering degree, but be a lot more broad. I guess it's hard deciding what I like the most. I love theoretical physics, but I don't like the idea of being in a research lab. And i do love nanotechnology, so the electrical engineering sounds really cool. I'm just taking in all of the opinions that everybody is giving me, and it is helping a ton. I do assure you that I won't embark on a miserable job though when I like all of these things, I am really interested to see what people consider more practical though, because it is a factor. That said, happiness honestly is probably my #1 factor in choosing a job. It's why I'm not majoring in English (No offense to any english majors)P.S. your dailies brought me from bronze - diamond (SOOOOO close to masters, playing them in MMR now!) | ||
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
Then again, that's why nanotechnology (and things like that) are interesting, because then, I get to understand (and innovate) how things work better/more efficiently. (at least in my head) ARGH CHOICES | ||
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Selkie
United States530 Posts
As a former physics major, along with knowing someone very highly placed in the field- physics major. Here's the reasoning: approximately 50% of the engineers in the US hold a physics degree, instead of an engineering degree. Already, that should demonstrate that a physics degree is just as "practical" as an engineering degree. Here's where they differ though: Someone with a physics degree understands the why behind what they're doing better than engineers, and can do some things that engineers can't. Think of it a bit like a A inside B- Physics majors can do everything engineers can, but engineers can't do everything physics can do* *Engineers right out of University have more experience at what they're doing initially, but Physics catches up fast. | ||
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synapse
China13814 Posts
Personally I like the applied science side of things a little more, but ultimately you should just do whatever you're really interested in. | ||
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Sanctimonius
United Kingdom861 Posts
Arts degree here, did History and had a blast (bear with me, I have a point). Originally went for psychology since I thought it would be more employable (hey, it has to have more prospects than history, right?). Hated it. Totally hated it. Changed to history and Uni was awesome for me. After I had plenty of opportunities which were available to anyone with a degree, and currently trying to decide what to do with the rest of my life. My two pennies is do whichever you enjoy more, which from the sound of it is physics. Don't go to college thinking about how employable your degree might be. If we all did that Arts would die a slow and painful death. Uni is a chance to take your passion for something further. If you enjoy it enough you might decide to specialise in it more and do a graduate degree, which is really what matters when it comes to being employed in your chosen field of study. Do engineering if you honestly feel it will be more fun for you, but after watching many, MANY people going to Uni doing a degree they hate for three or four years, I can honestly say changing my degree to something I enjoy was the best thing I could have done. If you don't enjoy your field of study, you won't enjoy Uni. I saw lots of people drop out because of this, and others get bad grades because they had no motivation. | ||
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unichan
United States4223 Posts
 what i've seen with my friends who go into physics is that they really love physics and want to learn that - it's ok if you don't like your major, i also have a lot of friends who switched their major around 2nd year. go to college and major in physics since i feel like you really want to, it's not like you're going to be stuck in physics for the rest of your life. majoring in physics is way more flexible than something like majoring in biology. | ||
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MrBludgeon
United States30 Posts
The purpose of which is ruining my beautiful math by applying it! Really though, I'm inclined to agree with the folks who are telling you to major in physics. If you love it, you'll probably love it even more when you start getting into the heavy duty theoretical stuff. Plus, if you decide that you don't want to do research you can get your masters in Engineering of some sort and become employable. People like to talk about how professional degrees will earn you more money, but sometimes degrees like math and physics are just far too fun to pass up. If you find engineering to be just as fun, or money ends up being the main deciding factor, then go for engineering. However, there is just something amazing about working in a more theoretical area where getting your hands dirty really only entails going crazy with the chalk =P. The only real downside here is that it may be the case, like math, that "real physics" is very much so divorced from the stuff you learn in high school/first few semesters of college. Well, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, just something to look out for. I, for one, was pleasantly surprised when I found out that math wasn't just the drudgery of Calc 3 or Diff EQ. In fact, I am absolutely in love with model theory, set theory, and analysis which are subjects you never really get to touch until you start taking senior level courses (no, doing epsilon-delta proofs does not constitute doing analysis...you aren't really doing analysis until you have to invoke some form of AC =P). Anyway, this is the incredibly biased view of a math nerd who is taking a couple grad courses in math and applying to grad schools. So, take it all with a grain of salt...except the following: Do math! | ||
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synapse
China13814 Posts
On October 10 2011 14:19 TexDrum wrote: God Fuji, you described pretty much exactly what I like about physics. I like understanding how things work. Then again, that's why nanotechnology (and things like that) are interesting, because then, I get to understand (and innovate) how things work better/more efficiently. (at least in my head) ARGH CHOICES I'm actually taking a nano course right now, and I must say the theoretical physics side of things is WAY more helpful than any engineering knowledge (for me, at least). I'm a materials science / engineering major. | ||
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Faerie
39 Posts
I have studied both engineering and physics (got a job before I could take out a dual degree through). I started studying particle physics and theoretical physics for about 4 years before switching to engineering. The reason I switched was that the life as a researcher didn't go hand in hand with the family life I wanted to live (moving around between different postdocs). In the end I got a job in programming/telecommunications: a field I had very limited knowledge in (from school). There are some major points I would recommend you to think about: 1) Do you see yourself as a researcher? In my case that meant alot of moving around which was a deal breaker for me. Talk with some researchers, not just about their work but also about the rest of their life. If you feel like a life as a researcher is not for you, I would recommend engineering. 2) What makes you tick? How important is it for you to work at the forefront of a field? Does derivative work feel meaningless to you? Again, in my case I discovered than any creative scientific field gave me the same satisfaction as particle physics. As long as there are interresting problems to solve I'm happy. The reasoning skills learned while studying physics can be applied to lots of stuff. Where I studied engineering relied more on knowledge and "static" thinking, which is a bad thing. This does differ between schools ofc but it was my biggest gripe with engineering: It focused more on knowledge and less on problem solving. Problems here is it took me nearly a year of studies to find out I didn't like how engineering was taught. Try the best you can to compare the teaching methods between departments. Things to look for: Exams that rely on more than applying formulas and repeating knowledge, labs that require you to figure out HOW to do stuff not just repeat stuff from a manual and so on. 3) Study programming and maths even if it's not your major. I can't stress this enough. Don't just take the compulsory cources. If you have decent math and programming skills the range of jobs you can perform well widens alot. Its really fun to be a niche scientist sure, but a backup is awesome to have aswell. It's just stupid to paint yourself into a corner. Maths and programming are common tools for all fields of physics and engineering anyway. I have seen more than one brilliant theoretical physiscist hindered by poor programming skills. 4) Can you sell yourself? Are you a social person? Do you interview well? Can you write a good resume? If the answer is yes then imho the difference between the two fields is minimal when it comes to applying for a job. I got my first jobs through connections and because "I seemed smart". Just the fact that you finished a physics/engineering degree with decent grades is worth alot even if you are out of your comfort zone (see point 3). My exployers have on multiple occasions told me that they don't really expect new employees to pay for themselves the first year since there is so much new stuff to learn. As such, the ability to learn if often worth more than actual knowledge to a smart employer. And many fields move so fast that in ten years time much of what you learned in school is obsolete. If on the other hand you know that you interview badly I would recommend engineering as the safer choice. In conclusion : If you are passionate about science and have some backup math/programming, don't worry you really can't go wrong either way. I would say engineering is "safer" but it is eclipsed by so many other factors thats it's hardly relevant. | ||
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Terranist
United States2496 Posts
you're flipping a coin with your life. | ||
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Memnon
Canada37 Posts
On October 10 2011 07:44 TexDrum wrote: Hmm, there seems to be a lot of conflicting opinion actually. I love all of the responses though, thank you everybody! I seem to be gathering that even if you major in physics, my graduate work can give me a lot of different job opportunities. It still seems like engineering is the most practical though, but I don't think anybody answered this yet. If they did and I missed it, sorry! But what kind of degree would be best for somebody looking into either 1) space work with NASA/private sector companies who are getting into space flight etc. or 2) nanotechnology? Both of these fields (although totally different) interest me. There seems to be a misconception here in this thread that physics won't get you a job. Physics can get you both of these, as well as a lot of other fields in case you change your mind. 1) Over the summer, one of my friends who is doing a physics degree (geophysics, but hey) got a job at Guelph (Canadian university) working for NASA. 2) One of my other friends who is doing a pure physics degree is thinking of doing his grad work in nanotechnology. Also, I need to say that the physics degree is much more broad than an engineering degree. What you should do is talk to your prof(s), tell them what you're interested in, and ask them for advice. Odds are they will know who is doing stuff you are interested in and where they are doing it. | ||
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LaNague
Germany9118 Posts
You can get into the engineering business with ease, you can start a high salary job at banks/company consultant thingies, insurance companies, stay in the uni, work in hospitals to oversee the CTs and other stuff... Basically physicists are the best at calculating anything, high profile companies recognize that and thats why you can get a good job easily. similar to that, people that studied math get a job easily here as well. Not so much because companies are in dire need of someone who knows every math theorem and can work with them, but because those people learned to think in a specific way that is very good at consistently and solving any problem you can come up with. | ||
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Arnstein
Norway3381 Posts
On October 10 2011 23:09 LaNague wrote: Hi, i dont know how the situation is in the US, but if you geta masters degree or better in physics in germany, you are set. You can get into the engineering business with ease, you can start a high salary job at banks/company consultant thingies, insurance companies, stay in the uni, work in hospitals to oversee the CTs and other stuff... Basically physicists are the best at calculating anything, high profile companies recognize that and thats why you can get a good job easily. Yup, same in Norway. I know a guy that got a master's degree in fysmat(short for physics and mathematics) at NTNU in Norway, and he is economic-something now, and makes over a million norwegian kroner a year(ca. 175 000 USD). | ||
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Toadesstern
Germany16350 Posts
So if you got the chance to see a lecture just hop in and listen. I don't know what it's like in the us but in germany there's noone controlling if you're actually a student at all, except for exams of course. I'd say go there and try something basic physicists have to do during the first year :p Edit: Oh i just figured. Maybe that's really just that way in germany because we don't have to pay for university. | ||
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Beeza
United States5 Posts
Personally, I have focused very much on theoretical (plasma/astro)-physics, and for the sake of my future job prospects, I often wish I had chosen electrical engineering. Many of my peers switched to engineering departments either due to failing the physics doctoral exam or just plain becoming tired of the physics graduate coursework. Learning E&M from Jackson or QM from Landau (two standard graduate textbooks) is exhausting, and it is quite easy to lose sight of practical applications. I do enjoy investigating how the world works on a very deep level, but a theoretical physics phd is a risky thing to do. *EDIT* If you are positive that you are willing and capable of attending graduate school, but unsure of the exact field you want, then I would recommend possibly an undergraduate degree in physics. With a physics bachelors degree (focusing on experimental physics), switching to graduate engineering coursework is much easier than making the transition from an engineering bachelors degree to graduate level physics. | ||
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zeek0us
United States67 Posts
First of all, engineering is just applied physics. Depending on the engineering field, you focus on a particular area of physics and delve into its applications and examples rather than exploring the science in detail. The foundation of all engineering is physics (or maybe chemistry, but that itself is just applied physics), but engineering ignores the physics that isn't pertinent to the particular issues at hand. Engineering study provides very practical knowledge, it's just not as broad and basic as pure physics study. That said, if you want a degree that sets you up for a job right away, get an engineering degree. Essentially, a B.S. in engineering is full qualification to be an engineer. The curriculum is designed to make you a fully qualified engineer when you graduate, so it's almost like a mix of study and vocational training. Once you have your engineering degree, there's no need to get any further education (although doing so typically increases your pay grade) and you can walk right into any number of entry-level jobs. To be a "physicist", you need a PhD. That B.S. (def not a B.A. if there's a choice) in physics is a solid education that can be applied to numerous things, but it doesn't make you a "physicist" in the way that a B.S. in engineering makes you an "engineer." A physics degree does mean that you have a solid mathematics foundation and have all the education necessary to do any number of jobs, but it doesn't really entail any specific, practical training. The only specific training a physics degree gives you is for continuing on to be a physicist. As far as opportunities, they are what you make of them. An engineering degree is a pretty well agreed-upon measure of your ability, and you'll likely be able to land an entry-level engineering job without much trouble. A physics degree is more of an "I'm smart, I'll be able to do handle what you throw at me" degree, but it's up to you to find opportunities where you can try to parlay that attitude into a job. IOW, people won't be looking for applicants with a B.S. in physics, but it's unlikely that the degree would disqualify you. You'd just be more of a wild card, although a physics degree is somewhat less rigid than an engineering degree because it doesn't involve much specific job training. If you go back to school for an advanced degree, you'd probably want engineering for an M.S. (master's still doesn't make you a physicist, but it ups your pay grade as an engineer) or physics PhD (so you are a bona fide physicist and can do all kinds of things). If you're planning to land a steady job with as little headache and time spent looking as possible, get a B.S. in engineering. If you want a broader scope of options when you graduate, go for a physics degree. If you aren't sure when you get to school, it would be easier to go from physics to engineering than vice-versa. Whatever you choose, get involved with professional societies, get to know professors, attend job fairs, try to get an internship . . . stop playing StarCraft long enough to get some studying in . . . and you'll be fine. | ||
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Veritask
260 Posts
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Felvo
United States124 Posts
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VirGin
Norway278 Posts
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JayDee_
548 Posts
Physics - If you like the idea of doing research, theorizing, occasionally teaching, etc then Physics might be a good field of study. NOTE: You will need to get a PhD to do anything of significance in the field. Engineering - You're options with Engineering are much greater. You can stay in Academia/research, work for a company, try to start your own company, etc. However, you won't be involved in the cool theoretical stuff the Physics PhD's are working on. | ||
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Shekhinah
United Kingdom16 Posts
I have a degree in Theoretical Physics and it's great for opportunities in further research (PhD), banking, financial (or other) analysts and maybe a few other things requiring an analytical mind. I also heard about physics graduates making a side step into the nuclear industry or doing oil field engineering work. Basically, as a physics graduate, engineering is still an option, but you'll need to find a job that provides a lot of training. As an engineering graduate, you'll have more options open to you (although there will, of course, still need to be training). P.S. For all my years of enthusiastically pursuing science, I still don't have a job I like and will probably not be doing anything that requires a physics degree. You just never know how things will work out. | ||
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Evangelist
1246 Posts
Physics, every time. If you're dead set on engineering, you can always switch into that field at a later date. | ||
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FuJi
United States104 Posts
On October 10 2011 14:19 TexDrum wrote: God Fuji, you described pretty much exactly what I like about physics. I like understanding how things work. Then again, that's why nanotechnology (and things like that) are interesting, because then, I get to understand (and innovate) how things work better/more efficiently. (at least in my head) ARGH CHOICES Just to give an insight as to how academic physics research tends to be. In most physics labs, many of the experiments that are run either are trying to qualify some theory in some neat way (which may or may not end up being applicable irl) or refute it by contradiction. However, most of the time is spent either making sure the experiment runs as planned (which is extremely hard sometimes) or analyzing the data with tools like matlab/mathematica/labview. There are some crossdisciplinary labs that mix it up with biophysics or materials science so there is some connection between physics and nanotech. I don't know too much about the experimental side but it seems like they spend most of their time in front of computers running simulations or finding solutions to interesting problems (keep in mind it sometimes takes months to figure out these solutions analytically or numerically). Physicists that actually try to construct new models or interpretations for the physical world is a very small portion of the community. They're a dying breed but It seems like with the way the physics community is now with the internet and all, problems like that would be tackled collectively in a much more organized fashion than before. Also, physics hw in upper division courses is very different from lower division and high school work. The only numbers you will remember seeing in your psets are 0,1,2. The majority of the problems involve finding general solutions to a system, proving some conservation laws in some interesting systems, or deriving macroscopic effects (star stability) from atomic principles (electron degeneracy pressure). So if you get a kick out of pushing symbols around on paper that only a few people will understand, the physics curriculum will certainly satisfy that. Reading back i noticed there are a few things that could be added but i figured that if none of this is particularly enticing, the rest wouldn't be worth mentioning. | ||
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Evangelist
1246 Posts
While it is true that PhDs aren't as ground breaking as they might have been a hundred years ago, each is its own iteration and is built on the mountain of the past. | ||
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eot
146 Posts
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Imbattable
Germany85 Posts
On October 10 2011 07:22 Misled wrote: Actually I had the same "problem" ~6 years ago. I was finishing school and needed to choose what to study. I was the biggest geek about physics and I spend all time in school thinking about going into the field of physics in the hope of going into nuclear physics, thinking nuclear fusion reactors would be the biggest thing of the future (don't judge I was very young and very naive and I read to many sci-fi comics... thinking about it... judge all you want )Anyway... just before applying to colleges I guess my German heart kicked in and I picked electrical engineering. I guess it was programmed into me at birth and I couldn't escape. (I come from the a part in south of Germany where ~70% of the jobs are directly or indirectly connected with the automotive industry). But in the end... it was the best decision I could have made. Because at Uni I realized that physics would have been to "theoretical" for me and I saw that a lot of friends studying physics stayed at Uni to stay in research or go in to the industry without actually doing what they studyed. I know alot of people with PhDs or degrees in physics that work in software companies or engineering, even one that went on to go to a consulting firm. But all of them have in common that they are not using the actual theoretical and practical knoweledge of physics. They were more hired for their ability to understand complex systems and their analysis skills etc. But hey... they do earn good money doing that. Physic students staying in research definately don't earn the same amount of money. I know work as an electrical engineer in research and development (in the automotive industry :p, can't escape it! ).For me it was the right thing. And too be honest, you do get payed very well as an engineer in Germany. At the moment I live in the UK thanks to my job working on amazing projects. I guess I made the right decision for me back then. But I can only tell you this using hindsight. Just be sure that once you make your decision you give it your all and try to really work hard on the subject you chose. Once you try to do that and you realize you aren't happy what your doing and that your really struggling to motivate yourself to keep going, always remember that no decisions are final and that you do have the ability to start new. Edit: I must add that in Germany back then, we didn't have a bachelor/master system and the subject you chose after school was a five year course at Uni granting you a "Diplom" in the end. So maybe Bachelor/Master gives you a good chance of looking into both? German engineering in da house, representing Deutschland! On topic: I chose electrical enginnering over a more theoretical subject like physics and have yet to regret it. I am currently working on my PhD (which is paid quite nicely over here in Germany in contrast to what I hear from other countries) in the field of integrated circuit design in the context of fundamental research for new frequency synthesizer architectures. So it is a blend of theoretical and practical work. What I can tell you is that you should pick something you are good at and not something you think you will enjoy. That is because if you are good at something, enjoyment will follow suit but if you thought you would enjoy something but are not good at it, it will REALLY bring you down. So if you are good at math and theoretical deliberations, you should go with physics, but if you are more hands-on, you should go for engineering. | ||
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Uhh Negative
United States1090 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:10 strongandbig wrote: So I'm currently a first-year grad student in physics, and one thing a lot of people don't realize is how common it is for physics majors to go into finance/banking/consulting. For whatever reason, the people in those industries who hire new people out of college believe that a physics major teaches you things like problem-solving and flexible thinking. For undergrad physics majors in the department I went to, there were as many people going into finance etc as there were going to grad school. I can actually understand this. I'm taking Physics currently (I'm a chem major) and so far it's essentially just knowing some very generalized rules and being able to interpret the problem in a way that the general rules will fit into and solving from there. Flexible thinking is all physics really is. It's using logic with given rules to solve a problem. Very applicable to pretty much any field. | ||
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rally_point
Canada458 Posts
Then again a career in the thing you like most would be great so maybe you should just go with physics since you like it so much... THEN AGAIN.... I really liked chemistry and I did very well in highschool. I ended up going into chemical engineering and realized I didn't like chem as much as I thought :p, so maybe beware of the difference of highschool and uni | ||
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neorobo
Canada5 Posts
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Deadeight
United Kingdom1629 Posts
Jobs in Engineering: Loads, and doing what you actually learnt. That's a key difference. There aren't jobs in physics where you use what you learned apart from to pass that on, or try and find out more which is pretty niche (as is being a physics journalist). In engineering there are tons of jobs doing what you actually learned. I had a lecturer tell me physics graduates were 3rd behind medicine and law graduates in terms of pay, but that's because they can very easily go on to be things like quantitative analysts and earn a shit ton in the city. I'm not going through the US system (I'm at a UK University), and I'm not sure how relevant this difference is. In the UK if you choose physics, you'll only be doing physics modules (with the odd modules taught by mathematicians teaching "maths for physics"). I get the impression that a degree in the U.S. is less specialised/more diverse? If anyone can tell me basically how the whole "majoring" thing works would be great. The difference between physics and engineering is massive. I have a few friends who switched courses at the end of the first year from physics onto civil engineering and mechanical engineering courses. In physics you'll be going through a lot of things like electromagnetism, and crucially before the end of the first year you'll be pretty much done with newtonian stuff. The things you'll cover in physics may end up being similar to a lot of what engineers learn. Things like classical mechanics, wave physics, basic electromagnetism, thermodynamics, etc. But in physics you'll move onto einsteins relativity and quantum mechanics, have the possibility to go into astronomy and cosmology and space-time stuff, or learn more maths, or photonics, or nanotechnology, or energy in an environmental context etc. I really enjoy the physics, but I knew a few people who found it too abstract and thought it didn't have enough of an application. | ||
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Soot
Germany36 Posts
The studies were hard and I was often on the verge of quitting. I love physics, but sometimes it can get too much. You won’t believe what people have thought up over the centuries, and sometimes you just stop to care, especially in fields that are less of interest to you. The better times started for me with my final thesis. This was a real project where I had time to sink my teeth in. Before that, you kind of hurry from one topic to the next, but with that much time, you get to a different level of understanding. In fact, you can become the person who knows your stuff best quite quickly. In hindsight, even if I will never work in physics again, I would not want to miss my study. This may sound cheesy, but I feel kind of empowered. You are used to so complicated stuff, that if you want to learn pretty much anything slightly math or logic related, it just feels easy most of the time. In my opinion, learning physics is a goal in itself and not just a tool so you can do X. I also think there is no end to it and you will hardly ever know where the journey will take you. If I understand you right, you just finished high school? This is way too early to focus on any field in physics. It’s like installing Starcraft first time and then trying to decide which late game strat you want to play in some matchup before even choosing your race. I would recommend starting as broad as you can, and when it’s really time to choose something, you will know what you want. Until then, always choose what excludes less. That will of course lead to you learning a lot of stuff you will never use directly and some people might not like that. But, as Nietzsche puts it, “Im Gebirge der Wahrheit kletterst du nie umsonst.” Your job opportunities (at least here in Germany) are excellent. As someone mentioned before, it’s about 2% unemployment for physicists with diploma (what you got here before they introduced the bachelor/master thing). Most jobs you can do have been mentioned I guess: R&D in industry or university (including more or less education), financial sector, consulting, sales for very special products. Of course there are also more unusual things, like astronaut or chancellor… Or more stuff searching than researching, like SETI, prospecting methods, medical imaging. Government was mentioned, e.g. PTB. There are probably a lot more “fringe” jobs that we can’t think of at the moment. On a side note, I think financial sector likes physicists because you can do risk minimization with statistical methods (e.g. Monte-Carlo) which are standard in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics (who would have thought!). Of course general analytic thinking never hurts. I won’t say anything about engineering, because I have no clue about it. | ||
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