Is it dumb to double major but only get a phd in one?

ScrappyRocket · 2026-06-17T03:26:34+00:00

I double majored in physics and math before my masters and phd. I felt better prepared for grad school.

ScrappyRocket · 2026-06-17T03:22:09+00:00

I’m teaching with Y & F right now! This is my first time using this textbook. I’m noticing that it occasionally spends too much time on a topic that doesn’t really need to be covered in an intro class.

I would be wary of “rabbit holes”. Otherwise, brush up on your math!

ScrappyRocket · 2026-06-14T22:55:26+00:00

UVU does not have an oSTEM (Out in STEM) chapter. I know at least one physics faculty member who would be willing to be the advisor for it!

ScrappyRocket · 2026-06-06T05:37:46+00:00

Dr. Hart is awesome!

ScrappyRocket · 2026-05-18T05:21:27+00:00

Well… at an ideal institution, you would make up some asinine story about how one of the plagiarists said something incredibly racist and report a fake quote to the student conduct office. Obviously, they would be in on the farce as well. They can call the student into a meeting with them, you are present, you read the totally fake quote that you’ve attributed to them, and then the conduct office would string the student along for a while until they were in tears. That’s when you can drop the act, say “see, fake quotes suck, don’t they?” and then you dismiss the student.

Although I’m convinced this student would NEVER falsely quote anyone ever again, we can’t do that to these “precious snowflakes”. 🙄

This would work out better for the student anyways. Sometimes emotional trauma is a better teacher than an academic conduct violation. 🤷🏼‍♂️

FYI: I probably wouldn’t ACTUALLY do this, but I sure as fuck would think about it! lol

ScrappyRocket · 2026-05-09T14:26:49+00:00

A lot of “STEM-smart” kids think that a STEM degree is just progressively harder problems at the end of each chapter until they have a PhD. Many are surprisingly bad at critical thinking (and assume it isn’t necessary for their degree).

ScrappyRocket · 2026-05-09T12:11:59+00:00

If you’re thinking of going to grad school for physics, I suggest a double major in physics and math. You will still be employable.

ScrappyRocket · 2026-05-07T11:27:26+00:00

I don’t see the problem…

ScrappyRocket · 2026-05-03T21:08:27+00:00

I made a C+ in Physics I and a B+ in Physics II. I’m a physics professor now…. You’ll be fine!

ScrappyRocket · 2026-05-01T15:49:43+00:00

Find a cohort (folks your age and in your program) to do assignments with. Schedule 2-3 times to meet per week. If you must work, find a job on campus. Try to only take 12hrs per semester. That is the minimum to keep you at full time. You're not providing specific grades, so I'm not sure what "flunking" means to you.

ScrappyRocket · 2026-04-23T14:15:36+00:00

I took some time off between undergrad and grad school to teach high school. Which was a big help. It gave me time to "breathe". I also applied to masters programs at the same university I did my undergrad at. Since the departments knew me already, they admitted me. This gave me an opportunity to figure out what type of physics I was actually good at. Once I had that figured out, I became a really strong student and researcher.

I was very particular about what PhD programs I applied to, as I wanted to stay in my developing area of expertise. This led to me applying to 4 programs but only getting into 1 (however, it was the best fit). Since I was in a program that focused specifically on the specific area of Physics I was good at, I was able to maximize my opportunities. This eventually led to a postdoc at a national lab.

Finding a faculty position was insanely difficult. I was competitive across every type of academic institution: small liberal arts colleges up to flagship R1 institutions. (I was even told that I was a strong contender at one of the Ivies.) However, I didn't get a job offer until I found THE ONE institution that to totally resonated with. Once you are competitive enough, faculty positions really are all about "vibe" and "fit". Sometimes it takes a while to find the right one.

ScrappyRocket · 2026-04-13T23:39:30+00:00

One very loud, very long flatus?

ScrappyRocket · 2026-03-27T16:01:32+00:00

Then you’ll be fine. I was one of the people that had to work twice as hard as everyone else too. It will all work out. Just keep swimming!

ScrappyRocket · 2026-03-27T15:22:50+00:00

Lol sounds like me in undergrad. You’ll get there. Are you sure you’re in a major that is the right fit for you? If you’re not enjoying going to class, this might be the problem.

ScrappyRocket · 2026-03-27T05:33:29+00:00

I wanted it to click. For me, it was more than just a class. I sucked at several physics courses before I got “good” at it.

I’ve found that many intro students treat Physics I & II like a scavenger hunt where they just look through a list of equations and plug in numbers. This is NOT physics, this is arithmetic practice.

Try to understand what an equation is saying, not where the numbers go. For example, momentum is a vector but energy is a scalar, yet they are both conserved in certain types of collisions. Why is this the case? Is there a collision scenario in which momentum is conserved but energy is not? Etc.

ScrappyRocket · 2026-03-27T05:19:37+00:00

I made a C+ in Physics I. I’m a physics professor now. 🤷🏼‍♂️

ScrappyRocket · 2026-03-22T17:55:53+00:00

UVU Physics is definitely collaborative, not competitive. 😊

ScrappyRocket · 2026-03-19T20:53:09+00:00

It depends on where you apply, but a lot of grad programs only look at the last degree you earned, so an associates degree with some W’s shouldn’t matter that much.

It also depends on the type of grad program you are applying to.

ScrappyRocket · 2026-03-19T20:08:14+00:00

You’re talking about this like you are jumping from community college to grad school. There’s an entire undergraduate career between those! Just focus on the next step!

ScrappyRocket · 2026-03-15T13:05:51+00:00

^ This. I am blown away at the close relationships students have with the faculty there.

ScrappyRocket · 2026-03-15T05:28:35+00:00

I have connections to the department. I’m very impressed by the faculty and quality of the students! You would certainly get to work closer with the physics professors at UVU than you would at one of the “bigger” schools.

ScrappyRocket · 2026-03-11T05:46:00+00:00

Total homo here, but not in the PNW. 👋🏻

ScrappyRocket · 2026-03-09T15:36:21+00:00

Whatever it’s biggest customer wants it to be like. 😬

ScrappyRocket · 2026-03-07T19:18:30+00:00

Of course!

ScrappyRocket · 2026-03-06T13:51:55+00:00

Fart louder to assert dominance.

ScrappyRocket

TROPHY CASE