<p>I am exceptionally gifted at both mathematics and physics. I've considered getting a major in math or physics because I also really enjoy both of those subjects. I just am not sure if there are really too many job opportunities for those majors.. I feel like if I majored in either math or physics I would just end up as a professor at some university (which is not something I find particularly appealing). On the other hand, engineering might be good for me, I'm just not exactly sure what I'd do as an engineer. I've researched it but I'm still not entirely sure. I'd like to work on projects where I could work out all the technicalities and do the major problem solving using math and physics, not so much doing business applications. In physics, I definitely like the newtonian mechanics, forces/momentum, even thermodynamics to some extent. I'm probably being really vague, but I can't even pinpoint exactly what I want myself. I'm a 2nd semester freshman at the University of Florida and I pretty much need to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life before fall 09. Any insights/comments would be greatly appreciated :)</p>
<p>Why not take a few university courses first and see if it's something you'll still interested in? I don't mean to imply that you're exaggerating or anything but I've met a lot of kids who liked that they were recognized as excellent in physics, realized that college physics is a great equalizer as you get higher up, and then changed majors because they realized they didn't like it after all.</p>
<p>Why the rush, out of curiosity? If you at least pin down a general area (like science or tech or Slovenian Literature) then most of the courses up through the end of sophomore year are the same: physics, chem, math, and other assorted bits and bobs that you'll have to take for all the majors in an area.</p>
<p>Well I have so many credits from high school that I'm actually a sophomore by hours. In regards to the physics, I took AP physics in high school and now I'm in Physics 1 with calculus and I still like it... This semester now is the last semester I have before I have to decide a major or else I'll just be taking classes I don't need.</p>
<p>"I feel like if I majored in either math or physics I would just end up as a professor at some university (which is not something I find particularly appealing)."</p>
<p>Believe me, I am aiming to be a professor of math [I'm also a second year undergraduate], and I don't think it's anything short of the ideal career...IF I can get tenure some day. I understand all of the various sort of catches to the glory of being one, and still seem to want it. It seems that if you want to do academic research all your life, this is really the best route to go, though it's very tough to make it. </p>
<p>I suggest that if you like physics, try some engineering classes that're more physics intensive. There'll be EE courses involving heavy E&M, mechanical engineering courses involving heavy physics in general, etc...if you like chemistry, Chem-E. You won't get to as much theoretical math if you do a physics or engineering major, but then again, it's about what you want to do.</p>
<p>I think you need to do more reading on the subjects you're talking about, though.</p>
<p>If you like math & physics, why not double major? You could pick and engineering and double major in math, or you could do CS and Physics (that's what I'm doing). The majors are complementary, but they contrast enough to make things interesting.</p>
<p>Pick a career first than a major, when it comes to engineering.</p>
<p>Looks like UF has a good genetics program; genetic engineering, bioengineering, biochemical engineering, bioinformatics</p>
<p>As for engineering; the school is top notch. Decide what you want to work on and then find a suitable major. I know of, and have met, Lonnie Ingram, a prof there who has patent 5,000,000 for a bacteria that can break down upto 5 carbon sugars. Which, in chemical engineering speak means easier sugar to ethanol conversions. Maybe, you should pair what you want to do with someone there who is on the top of their field. There are plenty at that university.</p>
<p>Just a warning: MAE (Mechanical & Aerospace) at UF is a horrible department; go for the math/physics double major or electrical engineering. MAE will screw you as often as possible.</p>
<p>^wow what?!!?
Why is it so bad? I was actually thinking about switching from my current declared (civil) to mechanical... =/</p>
<p>If you're interested in physics, but more applied, you could always look into the more condensed matter side of Materials Science & Engineering. If you want to learn about semiconductors and electrical/magnetic properties of matter then you'll have to take some pretty heavy physics courses, but it'll still be a bit more applied than what you might usually find in physics or math.</p>
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I am exceptionally gifted at both mathematics and physics
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<p>woah woah, not just gifted.</p>
<p>Remember if you major in math you should be used to doing a lot of proofs. As you do more and more math and phy classes you'll realize which one you should focus on. Do some of the lower division math courses ( calc 1 - 3 , linear algebra , elementary ODEs) which have applications to both physics and engineering and see how you like it.</p>
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In physics, I definitely like the newtonian mechanics, forces/momentum, even thermodynamics to some extent
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Those do not really got anything to do with real physics though, they are just prequels to the next level courses since they are the standards which lie behind everything in higher physics.</p>
<p>I would say though that you sound a lot more like an applied type than theoretical one, as an applied physicist you can easily get a job at the more high tech companies doing roughly the same things as the more theoretical engineers.</p>
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In physics, I definitely like the newtonian mechanics, forces/momentum, even thermodynamics to some extent.
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Then you would most likely be happy majoring in mechanical engineering.</p>
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Then you would most likely be happy majoring in mechanical engineering.
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<p>Don't forget AERO =)</p>
<p>lol, just how exceptionally gifted are you in math? Not to undermine how good you are in physics, but it is almost impossible for you to know whether you are good at physics in high school, even if you ace all the tests. Why? Because physics at the higher level is nothing like the physics at the lower level. </p>
<p>Do you have supreme logic skills, logic skills that are equal or better than your math skills? And to do something worthwile in math or physics these days, you have to have an outstanding amount of creativity because you are working on problems that people have been working on for 100's of years. </p>
<p>If you want to use the word exceptional on CC, then you must be at least in the top 500 in the country in math, ranked by the AMC. I am telling you this because i was in the top 500 in math and decided to go to MIT, thinking i am going to do theoretical physics or math. Once i got into MIT, i thought i would shine. Turns out these kids are so exceptionally creative as well as brilliant, i am just pure average. Even though i have the edge on some of them in math, they are not much lower than i am. But there creative skills are unbelivable.</p>
<p>To do physics or math now and be recognized for something and make some kind of difference, you have to pretty much be a magician, not just genius. </p>
<p>A regular genius is someone who makes breakthrouhs and other people read the work and say "Why did i not think of that" or "I could derive that now, or prove that"</p>
<p>A magician is someone who makes breakthroughs and when other very smart people analyze the work and say " I still cant derive or understand it" </p>
<p>And today to be something in math or physics, you have to be a magician.</p>
<p>Since entering MIT, I have switched my major, becuase i know there are people who just hollowly outclass me. Now i am in EE</p>
<p>oooooooooooooooooooooh, MATH BATTLE! Eventhough rixtehstix came off pretty strong there, he is right. Making the jump to uni is a big one for math and science. In high school I was an all-star in math, when I arrived at college I was in a room with a whole room of all-stars. The people who go into math/science/engineering were the ones who cleaned house in math and sciences in high school. Being exceptionally gifted in math means you are 16 years old and have just graduated college with your math degree or nationally ranked at the least.</p>
<p>Go engineering if you like to design new products and be more creative. It's tough because in high school not many people are exposed to engineering, but it is one of the most satisfying careers and well compensated.</p>
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Being exceptionally gifted in math means you are 16 years old and have just graduated college with your math degree or nationally ranked at the least.
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Nah, that just means you are regularly gifted and have very ambitious parents, no matter how smart you are if none tries to push you ahead you wont go faster forward than the regular schools snail pace and you really can do a lot more in the first 9 years than just the simple four basic operations that they teach us now even if you are not all that. </p>
<p>I can say that I am exceptionally gifted in terms of physics, none I have met even comes close, but at math it is a lot more even so I don't really know exactly where I lie there but I would say that I am gifted at it at least since I have gotten somewhere in some competitions etc.</p>
<p>But you are correct in that just because you are one of the best at math do not mean that you are anything special in physics, and you don't do much physics in high school so you can't know whether you are any good at it by then, while the math gets a lot closer to college math.</p>
<p>Most who thinks they are good at physics at HS are usually quite bad at it but instead are semi good at math instead which allows them to pass the tests since the tests basically do not test you on physics but tests your ability to do fundamental algebra instead.</p>