<p>Are there any of you browsing these boards? How do you like it? Are the people in this field enthusiastic? The professors, do they like teaching? Does it show? I got accepted to UCLA, Berkeley, Irvine, San Diego, Santa Barbara, etc... I want an idea of what being a physics student is like up there at Cal.</p>
<p>Bump and ditto, I'd like to hear what Cal physics majors have to say.</p>
<p>I'd especially like to hear your thoughts on Physics Vs. Astrophysics major. And if anyone is doubling in engineering, what's that like/does it help/overlap with physics? I'm still deciding on what major combination to pursue.</p>
<p>I'm not a current student, but I know that physics is a big help to engineering, especially mechanical and EECS. </p>
<p>My dad had a BS in physics and then went ahead to get a PhD in EE. He says physics helps a lot with the understanding, but that it's no cake-walk either. If you guys have taken AP physics in high school, especially physics C, you'll know it's a challenging class. That however, is just an introduction to physics. Once you get to the more advance stuff like quantum mechanics, it becomes either do or die.</p>
<p>I would recommend, as Golden Boy said, to doublemajor in some kind of engineering, or plan to proceed to grad school after you get your BS degree, because getting a job with a BS in physics is really hard, unless you intend to become a professor or do research or the sort, but those jobs usually offer horrible pay for what you had to go through in school.</p>
<p>As for choosing between the UCs...it's probably too late to make any difference in decisions, but I would say choose CAL. Physics isn't going to get any easier at the other UCs - even if your competition does - but if you want to succeed in that field, you really need to become the best of the best. Just pick Cal, do your best in the next four years, and the rest are details.</p>
<p>a very good childhood friend of my fathers is a prof. of astronomy, alex filippenko. I like the guy, and I looked him up on ratemyprofessor.com, and he is ranked very well.</p>
<p>my point is, you might want to look into the professors and the departments, not just what your interests are</p>
<p>But is it worth majoring in something if I'm not as interested in it because the professors are better? I've heard of Prof. Filippenko- I'll look into him and the dept. I'm pretty torn.</p>
<p>BTW, scapermoya, I just gotta say that Farscape rocks :P Too bad it's over.</p>
<p>Golden Boy, youre the first person since I made this screen name (i use it on everything), back when it was actually on, to get it. therefore i bestow upon you 1 trillion points, not redeemable anywhere.</p>
<p>I personally believe that professors make the subject. Im huge into science and math, and I can definitely say that the class I enjoyed the most in high school was ap us history with mr. brang. he made it fascinating even though history isnt (wasnt is more accurate, he changed my whole attitude) my strong suite.</p>