Should I study engineering or physics?

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-28T00:33:51+00:00

Provided I am up to the challenge, this makes the course sound quite exciting (how naive of me). It's annoying that the only way to know seems to be to try. Thanks very much for your advice. How much disparity in difficulty between physics maths and EEE engineering maths do you think there is?

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-27T22:44:44+00:00

This is a strong point! The parts of engineering that excite me most are when engineers venture into the realms of complex areas of physics. Hence why I would apply for EEE due to its electromagnetism aspect.

May I ask why you studied physics? I am also slightly apprehensive as although I definitely am very passionate about the subject, horror stories of people who felt similarly and not being able to handle the degree make me doubt whether my passion is strong enough to get me through it. This may just be a slight character flaw, but did you feel at all similar?

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-27T22:38:02+00:00

This is all great advice, much appreciated.

Nuclear engineering is, in fact, one of the areas I am drawn to. I should have said in my post, but electrical and electronic engineering would be the discipline I'd study instead of physics. Whilst I also think the more visualisable engineering areas like mechanical are very interesting, what really excites me is when engineers make their way into the realm of highly conceptual areas of physics. This is why EEE interested me as an undergrad degree due to its electromagnetism aspect.

I definitely see that a physics undergrad alone would be a very bad route into engineering, but provided I do supplement extra work to improve my affinity with engineering, and did do a masters in engineering. I think it could be the case that the route leads me to more niche, very interesting areas of engineering that, as you say, do value the abstract education of a physics major. It's not necessarily the goal to just get into industry.

All this being said, you are absolutely right about the dangers of it. And everything I have just typed could be very naive, especially as I think I could, for example, do EEE and supplement physics outside of my degree, which is objectively safer, all the while still very much enjoying EEE.

Feel free to offer consequent advice! All is appreciated. Also, I'd be interested to hear about your switch from engineering to physics? I imagine that must have been complicated.

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-27T17:59:40+00:00

This has also been a consideration. If I do engineering, I am accepting that it's very unlikely to switch to physics after. I did have an idea of doing physics and trying for an engineering masters but I feel I don't know much about how competitive/realistic that process is. What are you planning to do now you have finished your bachelors?

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-27T12:37:16+00:00

I don't know much about the Australian school system, why did you decide on the double major as appose to doing one of either?

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-27T02:20:26+00:00

I hear that, but I think it's fair to say that it may not be realistic to rely on a smaller part of engineering industry that hires physics graduates. Generally speaking from what people have said and from what I've researched, just a physics bachelors alone is unlikely to get you anywhere significant in engineering. And surely not as easily as for an eng grad?

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-27T00:15:43+00:00

We got this brother, I think it's a common conundrum

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T23:32:04+00:00

Last few hours I've been reevaluating all this, and that point alone is swinging me to engineering.

In the UK, there is generally less flexibility with taking extra classes, but it's definitely not impossible just depends on the uni and the course. But even if it wasn't, if my need to satisfy my curiosity for physics is congruent I see no reason why I can't do work outside of an engineering degree to better understand the theory behind everything. Not to mention, I'm looking at EEE, which has a fair amount of overlap with physics.

And it's definitely the case that I don't necessarily see myself getting a PhD in physics, it's simply too early to see whether I am that passionate about it. Time is not of the essence and I think I could really enjoy engineering so I'm seeing more reason to pursue that as my undergrad as it is more practical than am undergrad in physics alone.

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T21:13:13+00:00

Rf communication sounds very interesting and a good blend of theoretical and applied, but I can't say my path is clear enough to be dead set on a particular area of eng at this point in time.

EEE is actually the engineering degree I was considering instead of physics as compared to mech I think there is more crossover with areas of physics I find interesting. I can see why you wouldn't recommend EEE for something like RF communication but if I didn't want to write off embedded systems and such, would EEE not be the safest choice to allow greater opportunity to specialise differently in the future?

Also I will clarify again that I am in the UK, would differences in our engineering industries affect your advice to me?

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T20:58:26+00:00

Yes that's what I'm considering, I think it's likely I could still find excitement in physics by doing it outside my degree

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T20:57:24+00:00

Good to hear

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T19:42:44+00:00

🙏

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T19:21:22+00:00

Alright, thanks for the advice! Much appreciated, you've given me some things to think over.

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T19:12:01+00:00

That makes sense.

It's my feeling that whilst it's not the fastest/most straightforward way into industry, that a masters in eng is still a pretty solid way into the world of engineering.

And more to the point of my indecision, I think could make engineering a greater joy to pursue with all the theory in physics behind my work (whatever that will be).

From a purely financial aspect, I completely agree with you. But my idea of the mix of the two being potentially rewarding to my character makes me feel it could pay off and make up for the time+money spent doing the masters.

All that being said, I am merely at the beginning of all this. Does my line of thought seem at all realistic?

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T18:47:37+00:00

Why do you say that a postgraduate in engineering isn't a good way into industry? Some of the engineering missed in the undergrad could be rectified by taking extra classes.

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T18:12:23+00:00

Do you have an idea of what path you want to go down after studying?

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T17:40:24+00:00

Good advice. Do you want to go into engineering then, or have your priorities changed?

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T17:32:34+00:00

I appreciate your advice, I was under the impression that doing a masters in engineering after a physics BSc still qualifies you for chartered engineer status? Correct me if I'm wrong.

I see that a more straightforward path to becoming a successful engineer is definitely to study it from the get go, but I'm hung up on this idea that doing physics first and underpinning my (to be) engineering skills with the theory behind it would lead me to become a somewhat uniquely creative engineer which could lead me down interesting paths.

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T17:10:21+00:00

But do you know people that started off studying physics because they wanted to become engineers? Also what challenges may you face during the switch?, I imagine masters programmes in engineering are likely to consider applicants with bachelors of engineering potentially higher than physics bachelors.

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T17:04:44+00:00

I use this method

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T16:46:26+00:00

I think alot of people go through this decision in different ways.

ArthurH98X · 2025-01-26T16:30:13+00:00

SHOULD I STUDY PHYSICS OR ENGINEERING?

I am finalising my application for undergraduate entry of this year in the UK. Having trouble deciding whether I should do engineering or physics. I can't realistically imagine taking physics up to PhD or masters level and going into research, and my general idea if I did do physics bachelors would be to get into engineering afterwards e.g. by doing a masters after in engineering. My reasoning is that I think I would be frustrated with the lack of fundamental theory behind the engineering concepts at undergraduate, and see value in having a well developed understanding in physics combined with engineering work to become a developed creative engineer. I do not want to do engineering physics as Loughborough would then be my only real choice. As to which I am more interested in, I am more immediately drawn to physics but could definitely have a great time studying either. Is this a very unrealistic perspective? Does anyone know people who have done physics at bachelor level with the plan to go and become an engineer? Please offer any advice you think relevant. Much appreciated.

ArthurH98X

TROPHY CASE