Hello everyone! Let me explain where I’m at right now and maybe you can give me some advice.
I started out at a community college with no idea what I wanted to major in. Skip forward 3 years I have been taking math and science courses and I decide to start Electrical Engineering at a university. Now skip forward to today and I’ve been through 1 year of EE and well… it’s kind of boring and I’m not sure if it’s what I want to do with my life. I can do the coursework well and I’ve gotten good grades I just have trouble caring about what I’m learning about sometimes.
Now what I’ve always enjoyed learning about is Physics. I was scared off from majoring in it because I was told I’d only be able to become a teacher/ I’d never find a job etc. I feel as though I care a lot more about the subject matter so I’m toying with the idea of changing majors.
I’ve talked to advisers from both sides and I’ve got 1.5-2.0 years left to complete EE, but for sure 2.0 years left if I want to get my bachelors in Physics if everything goes perfect on a full time schedule of course. Though EE allows for about 4 classes of technical electives which I could make Physics courses.
I’m 22. I’ve already put in 4 years of school. I don’t want the past year of EE work to go to waste but at the same time I don’t want to be stuck in something I don’t enjoy. I have set scholarships in EE but nothing guaranteed to my knowledge if I switch over. What would you do given my situation? Is Physics a worthwhile degree to get on board with? I’ve got a month and a half until Fall semester starts and whatever I decide to go with at that point I’ll stick to. I’d rather not become a career student.
Thanks for reading,
College student who doesn’t know what to do with his life
It is a fallacy that you can only be a teacher with a physics degree, however, without a Masters or Ph.D. you will likely be competing for engineering-type jobs. One reasonable option would be to take as many physics electives as you can fit into your schedule (particularly if you can complete the EE requirements in 1.5 years). That will give you an option of pursuing a graduate program in physics with only a few remedial courses to take or simply go for an engineering job.
An undergrad degree in Physics by itself is not all that useful. Tenure-track faculty positions in Physics are very competitive too.
Take a look at the statistics from the [American Institute of Physics](Latest employment data for physicists, astronomers and related scientists | American Institute of Physics). It is definitely not bleak for physics majors with a BS although it is true that over 50% tend to go on to graduate school.
I’m gonna jump in here as a fellow student…junior, 21 years old, also indecisive about what I want to do for my career. I’m majoring in international politics but find that I’m unhappy and want to change back to Physics (which I began college with) or some science major.
This is what gets me nervous: I see some people say a BS in Physics gets you nowhere and you’ll be unemployed, and other people say no, that’s not true. I wish there was a definitive answer on this. NASA says right on their website that they “require a Bachelors” in the following fields, and then a long list that includes Physics.
I’ve also been told by my advisors that if you go onto graduate school, most of the time it is paid for…so you’re not paying for it yourself.
I know there is a video of Elon Musk saying that when looking at people to hire to work at his companies, he doesn’t care what major they have, or if they even have a major at all. He said he wants to see passion, dedication, and an interest in learning and advancing things. So when I hear things like that, my thought is that majoring in Physics, or any other science for that matter, is fine…it’s more about your passion and outlook on life. But I don’t know if the way Musk looks at applicants is the same way other employers do…
Physics majors get jobs with a BS degree, period. However, they are not necessarily “doing physics” in that job. Being a professional physicist will probably require a PhD but again, that should be undertaken only if you are really interested in research and are willing to spend 5-6 years not earning a lot of money. PhD programs are fully funded and you get a stipend but it is not as much as you would earn in an engineering or software job, the kind of jobs you could get with a BS in physics.
Elon Musk is certainly enlightened but so are many other companies who understand the value of a physics background. All it takes on the part of the student is to focus the resume on your relevant skills for the job and be confident in your interview. Many times, these companies do not expect new employees to have all the necessary skills when they walk in the door but are prepared to train them. If you are able to convince the employer that you are going to be able to do the job, then you have a good chance.