Should I change my major?

[RESmonkey]

I'm supposed to go for Computer Engineering undergrad at UIUC this fall. BUt now I feel like I'd rather learn about the fundamentals of the universe, elementary particles, etc. instead of a routine set of instructional stuff in CE.

I know I want to learn that stuff. But what can I do with a degree in Physics? I know Silverpig is doing research; what exactly is research like anyways?

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

I'm in the same boat, except Liberal Arts. I was originally thinking a degree in journalism, but now I'm thinking English or a language. I wouldn't worry about it too much; we'll probably change majors at least a couple times by junior year anyway.

 

[Bucks]

Anything but engineering

 

[RESmonkey]

^ Why? What is so bad about engineering?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Here's a wild thought. You could work and experience some real life first before going to college.

 

[RESmonkey]

^ I've worked 2 jobs, manage my own money, etc. I'm pretty independent except for the fact that I can't cook or do laundary. But that's noobwork.

 

[legoman666]

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
^ I've worked 2 jobs, manage my own money, etc. I'm pretty independent except for the fact that I can't cook or do laundary. But that's noobwork.

Cooking is important. I'm learning how now that I moved into an apartment.

 

[Kirby]

I'd keep with the CE and take some physics stuff, to sorta see what you like once you really get into it. It's hard to make a decision without doing any of it.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
^ I've worked 2 jobs, manage my own money, etc. I'm pretty independent except for the fact that I can't cook or do laundary. But that's noobwork.

It stops being "noobwork" the moment you have to do it for yourself. Paying the bills is important but, the biggest thing about working is the different perspectives and interests that you run across through coworkers and customers.

It's a whole lot more productive to at least eliminate the kinds of things you don't want to do by working in the industries you think you might want to. In other words, go to work for a company that does the type of work you think you might be interested in. Do grunt work. That will teach you if that is the type of industry you want to be part of in the long run.

 

[Mo0o]

You could always double major. Talk to your counselor about things. If you're a physics major, there's probably lots of industries that could use your skills assuming you had some engineering background as well. Remember that just beacuse you're locked into a major doesn't mean those are the only classes you are allowed to take.

Check out this guy's thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...ey=y&keyword1=raytheon. He seems to be doing pretty well for himself.

I know somem people seem to be really anticollege but if yo'ure doing grunt work in a really complicated field, you're not going ot get an accurate view of what you can expect w/ a college degree. This aint Good Will Hunting. Being a janitor at the math dept wont give you a good idea of what it takes to be a mathmetician.

 

[rezinn]

Physics sounds perfect for a smelly fatass.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
You could always double major. Talk to your counselor about things. If you're a physics major, there's probably lots of industries that could use your skills assuming you had some engineering background as well. Remember that just beacuse you're locked into a major doesn't mean those are the only classes you are allowed to take.

Check out this guy's thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...ey=y&keyword1=raytheon. He seems to be doing pretty well for himself.

I know somem people seem to be really anticollege but if yo'ure doing grunt work in a really complicated field, you're not going ot get an accurate view of what you can expect w/ a college degree. This aint Good Will Hunting. Being a janitor at the math dept wont give you a good idea of what it takes to be a mathmetician.

You don't think being a janitor at a math department won't give you an idea of what a day in the life of a mathematician is like? I am not anti-college. I do think attending college without a goal, other than obtaining a piece of paper, is a waste of time and money.

The goals and kind of work you choose for yourself have very little to do with the specialized knowledge you need to do the job. That specialized knowledge is a requirement but, not the work itself. The career environment can definitely be learned and experienced by the "janitor" perhaps even more easily than the shiny new college grad.

 

[RESmonkey]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
You could always double major. Talk to your counselor about things. If you're a physics major, there's probably lots of industries that could use your skills assuming you had some engineering background as well. Remember that just beacuse you're locked into a major doesn't mean those are the only classes you are allowed to take.

Check out this guy's thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...ey=y&keyword1=raytheon. He seems to be doing pretty well for himself.

I know somem people seem to be really anticollege but if yo'ure doing grunt work in a really complicated field, you're not going ot get an accurate view of what you can expect w/ a college degree. This aint Good Will Hunting. Being a janitor at the math dept wont give you a good idea of what it takes to be a mathmetician.

I want to do stuff with elementary particles and/or theoretical stuff one day. That probably calls for Masters at the very least.

I can always tinker with PCs and games as a hobby

 

[invidia]

I have a bachelor in physics. Working on my masters in computer engineering right now.

I wanted to do research in physics, primarily quantum computing. I always wanted to go to Waterloo in Canada for its top research in QC. But that didn't happen for me as I couldn't imagine going to school for another +6 years and defending a 500 page thesis for my Ph.D. You won't find much that is physics related with a bachelor or even a masters. You'll end up working something RELATED to physics, such as engineering or another field that utilizes lots of math. The finance field loves people with a non-PhD in physics for some reason. I tried going into actuary but I didn't want to sit on my ass all day doing finance/business related problems.

I did some assistant research back in undergraduate. My professors told me it can be difficult in the industrial field. The majority of the employers expect results whereas in the University, it isn't as quite as stressed for "results or you're fired."

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: RESmonkey

Originally posted by: Mo0o
You could always double major. Talk to your counselor about things. If you're a physics major, there's probably lots of industries that could use your skills assuming you had some engineering background as well. Remember that just beacuse you're locked into a major doesn't mean those are the only classes you are allowed to take.

Check out this guy's thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...ey=y&keyword1=raytheon. He seems to be doing pretty well for himself.

I know somem people seem to be really anticollege but if yo'ure doing grunt work in a really complicated field, you're not going ot get an accurate view of what you can expect w/ a college degree. This aint Good Will Hunting. Being a janitor at the math dept wont give you a good idea of what it takes to be a mathmetician.

I want to do stuff with elementary particles and/or theoretical stuff one day. That probably calls for Masters at the very least.

I can always tinker with PCs and games as a hobby

Hmm probably an academic career is for you then. Either way, do what you love and experience as much as you can in college. Do internships, undergrad research projects etc etc. Who knows, maybe you'll fall in love with the idea of being a doctor or working for wall street. Being successful in a math heavy major is actually excellent for all kinds of grad school and jobs since it shows a certain level of raw intelligence taht some people simply do not have and it also shows you're really hard working. GL

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Here's a list of particle accelerator labs in North America. Whether, this is the type of work you wish to do is what you have to determine. There are certainly other labs and research facilities that deal with the types of things you seem interested in.

Aside from earning a paycheck, working at such a facility doing grunt work will give you insight into the work environment and personality types that succeed in that field. Until you are sure what field you wish to learn about and pick a career in, I recommend doing a little sweat research before you waste time and money.

88" Cycl. 88-Inch Cyclotron, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL), Berkeley, CA
ALS Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL), Berkeley, CA (ALS Status)
ANL Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago, IL (Advanced Photon Source APS [status], Intense Pulsed Neutron Source IPNS, Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System ATLAS)
BNL Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY (AGS, ATF, NSLS, RHIC)
CAMD Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices
CESR Cornell Electron-positron Storage Ring, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (CESR Status)
CHESS Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
CLS Canadian Light Source, U of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
CNL Crocker Nuclear Laboratory, University of California Davis, CA
FNAL Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory , Batavia, IL (Tevatron)
IAC Idaho accelerator center, Pocatello, Idaho
IUCF Indiana University Cyclotron Facility, Bloomington, Indiana
JLab aka TJNAF, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (formerly known as CEBAF), Newport News, VA
LAC Louisiana Accelerator Center, U of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana
LANL Los Alamos National Laboratory
MIBL Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory, University of Michigan
NSCL National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University
ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, Tennessee
PBPL Particle Beam Physics Lab (Neptune-Laboratory, PEGASUS - Photoelectron Generated Amplified Spontaneous Radition Source)
SLAC Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, (SLC - SLAC Linear electron positron Collider, SSRL - Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory)
SNS Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
SRC Synchrotron Radiation Center, U of Wisconsin - Madison
SURF III Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, Maryland
TRIUMF Canada's National Laboratory for Particle and Nuclear Physics, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

 

[RESmonkey]

I'm closest to Fermi. MagnusTheBrewer, you actually gave me a good idea. Dunno about means of travel, but I might inquire about some sort of job there over the summer.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

There ya go! Keeping your eyes and ears open on the job is worth Freshman year in any university.

 

[ColdFusion718]

They won't let you change your major until after one quarter or semester, I believe. Give the appropriate department a call and find out what your options are.

 

[ColdFusion718]

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
^ Why? What is so bad about engineering?

Yeah don't do engineering. Why not? You will be learning the most difficult of things, do the most work then when you are out in the real world, your boss will be some dumbass guy who got himself a business degree (yes he partied all throughout college). You will also be a drone for most of your working days.

 

[RESmonkey]

Originally posted by: ColdFusion718
They won't let you change your major until after one quarter or semester, I believe. Give the appropriate department a call and find out what your options are.

Yeah; I'm going to call them up Monday after school. I assume they're closed tomorrow.

 

[RESmonkey]

Originally posted by: ColdFusion718

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
^ Why? What is so bad about engineering?

Yeah don't do engineering. Why not? You will be learning the most difficult of things, do the most work then when you are out in the real world, your boss will be some dumbass guy who got himself a business degree (yes he partied all throughout college). You will also be a drone for most of your working days.

But I'll always have my ego and know that I'm smarter...that's if I do engineering tho?

 

[JJChicken]

Man forget CS or engineering, do majors where theres heaps of chicks, e.g. psychology. You'll thank me aftewards.

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
I'm supposed to go for Computer Engineering undergrad at UIUC this fall. BUt now I feel like I'd rather learn about the fundamentals of the universe, elementary particles, etc. instead of a routine set of instructional stuff in CE.

I know I want to learn that stuff. But what can I do with a degree in Physics? I know Silverpig is doing research; what exactly is research like anyways?

If you switch now I won't have to go through the torment of teaching you.

 

[RESmonkey]

^ lol, I know I'd post here for CE stuff I don't get.