Thinking about pursuing physics in college. Most likely get a phd...

interested* interested*

This was a nice read.

So 4 year physics program is just a filter for the more useful masters?

>Plus engineering if for people who are shit-tier at math.
The only people who aren't shit-tier at math are mathematicians. Physicists aren't any better than engineers.

Holy shit dude, not everything in life is a narrowing set of qualifications for you to rack up. A 4 year physics program is just a way to learn physics for four years.

>Physicists aren't any better than engineers
You couldn't be more wrong. Theoretical physicists are the best / only consumers of advanced mathematics. They use a shitload of algebra stuff (lie algebras, quantum groups) and differential geometry.

Engineers just need calculus calculus-based DEs AT MOST.

It's considered more "preparation", but yes, you could also look at it that way. Though, to be honest, if you're going for an advanced degree, you might as well get your PhD, mainly for money. You're going to have a very hard time finding a master's program with significant financial aid and will most likely wind up taking out substantial student loans to cover it. PhD programs almost always are tuition free.

Okay, so here's my personal advice. I work in the engineering education department at my school, however, I actually changed out of engineering to math at the end of my sophomore year. I have worked with over 700 freshmen engineers so far.

A big thing the professor I work with talks about engineering is how it sucks because it is incredibly hard to change majors to engineering. There are so many prerequisites for engineering classes, that you are almost required to add an extra semester or year to your degree if you change into engineering.

When I was changing from nuclear engineering to math, I was between doing math and physics. I wouldn't have needed to extend graduation for either of those degrees. There is a lot more flexibility in a physics degree, so it is easier to change into.

I have a friend (a phd student in physics now) that was in electrical engineering for 3 years. He changed to physics at the beginning of his senior year, and it still only took him an additional 2 years to graduate. I also know someone that did his undergrad in engineering, and he is currently in a phd program studying physics.

I would strongly encourage engineering if you are indecisive about engineering and physics. Obviously, starting an undergrad in physics will allow you more experience in physics (and more opportunities for research), but it just makes the switch to engineering a bit more difficult than the other way. If your heart is set on physics, you should obviously choose physics.

An undergrad program in math/physics covers basic knowledge, and you NEED to continue studying if you want to do anything useful.

Yeah maybe in the 60's this line of thinking is valid. People have to invest thousands upon thousands of dollars to "just study for four years"

Talking about qualifications and what you get out of an education is part of risk assessment.

See Also, a number of theoretical concepts like string theory contributed to fields like algebraic geometry and the like. Engineering pretty much just applies undergraduate differential equations to everything. Which works most of the time, mind you, but isn't anything near as impressive as what happens in theoretical physics.

I disagree with this partly. Definitely keep your options open, but that doesn't mean taking engineering. Most unis will have a year of core subjects common to most disciplines. Mainly calculus and calculus-based physics and chem.

Take all of these and some electives in further physics / engineering and see what you like.

This, lol.

By the time you finish undergrad you are going to be wondering why you didn't get into a major where you didn't need to go get a PhD to be useful (Chem PhD candidate here). There's a lot of depressed people that have lost the light in their eyes while I'm grad school. A lot who are graduating with difficulty finding jobs, and a lot of people who are still going into the over saturated fields and wondering what went wrong when they try to get a job...

I seriously suggest going into some kind of engineering. I am where I am because I found that I love doing and thinking about chemistry, but I won't lie if I thought I could get a stable, fulfilling job with an undergrad degree I would have done it. Engineering has jobs pretty much everywhere and if you are good there is good money in it too. Now I'm banking on the sub field in in to find me a job. I did an assload of research before going into this program to make sure I have good opportunities when I get out of school. You should be doing the same before you reach sophomore year in college so you have time to switch if need be. quit thinking about PhDs for now dude. It's just not necessary.

There's nothing wrong with wanting a career in pure science / math. If you're hardworking and smart you'll make it.

You shouldn't worry so much.

That's actually why I encourage engineering. Most engineering programs and physics programs have identical first years with the exception of engineering requiring some stupid busy work class that is a prereq for many other engineering courses. Physics traditionally just takes in extra gen ed in its place to get it over with (they both take physics 1 and 2 normally).

Indeed, in undergraduate a lot of my friends who were physics majors also took the introductory statics/dynamics engineering classes. If you've got a solid math background, you should be fine. But there is some validity to what said in that it can be tricky and time consuming to switch into the physics/engineering track because there are usually a lot of outside math requirements (usually multivariate calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations [ordinary and partial])

First stop thinking you have your life figured out. Stop planning ahead and just focus on the present. You may realize you hate physics very quickly, so forget about the Ph.d for now

Second, if you're in it for the money don't do a Ph.d, if you're in it for the money, you will probably not have the drive and enthusiasm to flourish in that environment.

TL;DR rethink your life, you don't have it figured out at 18

>PhD programs almost always are tuition free.
Isn't PhD considered a like a job? I mean you apply if there is an opening somewhere, and you have give out your resume, and have an interview, and you actually get paid? It doesn't seem like a school program in the traditional sense.

Yes and no. Basically what happens you apply and send transcripts and a resume and whatnot after taking several placement tests (just like you did in highschool) to several different schools and you either get in or you don't (or you get waitlisted, just like college). Upon admittance to a program you start to do several things. Firstly and most obviously, you'll start taking upper division physics courses. These will be advanced versions of the electrodynamics, quantum, and classical mechanics classes you take in undergraduate. You also have to take statistical mechanics, which blows dicks. Then you have qualifying exams, a dissertation, and a few other things to do. On the actual "job" side of it, you'll be awarded a stipend of around 20,000$ for a year. This is your pay to be a research assistant and help teach introductory physics classes and labs.

So it's totally a school program in the traditional sense, it just happens to also have a job aspect to it.

It's not a school program in a traditional sense, that you don't have exams, and such. From what I know some PhD programs don't even require you to take courses. You pick a subject(or you get given one) you want to research, and you also pick out courses that will improve your knowledge so you can research the subject better. The main part is research, and teaching on the side to support yourself, so you can continue researching. Correct me if any of what I said is wrong.

>From what I know some PhD programs don't even require you to take courses
I'm not sure you will find this anywhere. Coming in with a Master's can allow you to take quals immediately and never have to take classes with serious grades anymore, but there is always a coursework requirement as far as I know.

Sorry, I actually didn't explain it right.

See, what normally happens is in physics you're allowed to apply to PhD programs straight out of undergraduate, so the PhD program encompasses the master's program, which is the part where you take classes and such. If you were to apply to a PhD program after having received a master's program, then yes, that's what your PhD program would be, just doing research and taking classes here or there as you need them.

I know user, but I have somewhat material dreams that I'm chasing at the same time. Science isn't an easy field to pull that off in.

I see. That makes much more sense.

That's not a question.

b-b-but it has a question mark at the end?

Why is every other PhD in my department a pop culture nerd who only likes superheroes, sci-fi, and vidya? How do I survive this for the next 3 years?

country?

What exactly are you if not one of those things? How do you describe yourself?

One of the biggest disappointments in my life was when I realized that people with PhDs aren't necessarily super-geniuses. They usually fall for the same stupid pop-science shit they find online like normal people do, they do cringy things like visit Reddit and vote for Hillary Clinton, and they can be incompetent.

UK

Played sports and went out a bunch in undergrad. Movies and video games are fun and all, I'm just not on their comic-con levels of fandom.

>Played sports and went out a bunch in undergrad
Why exactly did you stop? I know you get pressed for time doing a PhD, but you can sure find some time go out once in a while. Or, go do some sports. I'm sure your uni has sports clubs and what not. I thought you PhD guys get all the bitches. You go out, you come across a girl, you say you're doing a PhD, and they instantly start creaming their knickers.

Still do that stuff bro, just wondering how to relate to these people I have little in common with outside "work", especially if I'm in the office with them all day.

This is what Veeky Forums does to the brain. Engineers can't do shit without the knowledge physicists, mathematicians, and Chemists pass down to engineers.

Okay.

But it is passed down now, so they can do things.......

Sorry to chime in, my pipe dream is to get a physics degree and a master/phd to werk with a space agency, call it nasa, jaxa, spacex, esa, conae, i don't give a fuck.

But I know that a Bachelor wont cut it, so what possibilities do I have regarding a master/phd related to space? I've considered master in aerospace engineering if possible, but I'd like to know about more options.

I'm not an expert on this, but if your plan is to go the physics route, I guess you could do a masters and specialize in fluid dynamics(rocket science).

Otherwise what's wrong with the traditional engineering route? Do a BA in ME, then specialize in AE for you masters.

It's alright, there's a lot of subdisciplines.
But don't fall for the string theory meme.
>youtube.com/watch?v=VjgmcZwaY1Y

I thoroughly enjoy that. Den I cried.

Depends what you want to do. You can work in NASA with a PhD in biology or chemistry. Also PhD programs are very different than undergrad. There programs call earth science or astrobiology. So what do you want to in space? Fluid dynamics covers rocket science. Satellites are celestial dynamics which is a sub field of ME/AE. Building the optics systems is an EE or PhD in Physics in optics.

Thank you for your input, now my main interest are rocket, but dunno in the future, however I'll check out the things you guys mentioned.

Thank you again.

to answer your question there will never again be a good paying job that anyone with a physics degree could ever dream of earning it's been eliminated sorry to disappoint you op i know you had ur hopes up

Thoughts of majoring in physics and mechanical engineering?

I like physics a lot more than I like engineering, but I think both are a pretty good combination. Leaves me room to pursue higher education if I want.

Imma call bullshit on that. Anyways

Major in physics. You can do anything an engineer can do because math to you'll be more comfortable with math.

>google conae
>mfw Argentina has a space program

kys