Up until this past year, I was set on becoming an electrical engineer. The (primarily) economic stability of the career as well as the possible jobs seemed extremely interesting. However, as I started studying Physics in the past year, I have begun to fall in love with Physics. Now, when I think about engineering and the physical designing process, it seems extremely mundane compared to something so beautiful (in my opinion) as Physics. And as a senior that is going to apply to school soon, my parents warn me against Physics and the financial risks it involves. While I’m not too concerned with finances considering I do not want kids nor a wife (I would need to only support myself), I find myself looking to the future and being troubled by the fact that I ended up in a field where I am completely unemployed but satisfied with my education.
Sorry this sounds like a horrible Disney movie.
TLDR;
Always wanted to be Electrical Engineer, now falling in love with Physics. Parents warn me against it and promote my engineering choice. Physics is starting to make EE seem extremely mundane. Follow dream into Physics or sell-out to a more reliable career option?
Start in engineering and see how it goes. You’ll get all the classes you need to switch to physics if you find engineering not to your liking. It’s easier to switch into physics than into engineering.
The only real negative to this approach is that you eliminate a lot of good schools, especially small liberal arts schools like Kenyon, Grinell and Amherst to name but a few, because they don’t have the option of doing engineering.
From what I’ve heard, most physics majors do find employment, though usually not in physics. If you’re 100% sure that you won’t have to support a family, then you won’t have much trouble getting enough money to get by.
Though EE Undergrad -> Physics Grad is a pretty easy transition, as far as crossing majors go.
If it’s Mechanics, you will probably like MechE . (I went that route). If it’s Elec & Magnetism, it then maybe be EE. If it’s atomic / particle physics (a valid choice for some folks… but to me - blech!) … then you may like a Physics major. As eyemgh says, you could start in any engineering major and switch to physics later.
As others have said, physics is not that risky a choice. And yes, your first year of courses in engineering and physics are more or less the same so you can make that change in the first year without too much pain.
I had the same physics vs engineering dilemma going into college. I think it happens to alot of people. Though aside from the employment concerns, I also wondered if I could handle the mathematics involved in the physics degree and better yet, if I wanted a PhD.
I’ll share my anecdotal story in case it helps you. As others have mentioned, I started out with engineering but switched to physics in my second year after taking E&M and finishing the calc sequence. When I realized how much more I liked Calculus and physics than my engineering friends, I knew it was time to switch… I felt with engineering classes I was only getting a superficial understanding whereas physics is much more rigorous and robust. The switch was easy and didn’t take any extra time in my degree. I’ve never looked back.
Fast forward and now I’m starting a PhD at (humble brag) a fancy pants ivy and cannot wait to continue.
I think the most important thing you should figure out is whether you like research and want to get a PhD. If you can see a PhD in your future then I’d say go for physics. If not, then maybe stick with engineering.
