Physics or Math? Choosing a Major for College

[Totalderiv]

Hey I'm sort of in a predicament at the moment, since I'm not sure what to major in. Physics has always been my passion as well as math. But, my current Physics class (high school) is making me wonder if I can put up with doing everything the professors way. I'm having a hard time with my teacher since he requires everything to be done his way, and currently getting B's on my Physics tests because I don't always show my work. On the other hand, I'm doing quite well in Calculus with all A's. Now, when I enter college, do the professors make you do it a certain way for problems or?


Background: I'm currently studying Astrophysics 1 at the graduate level with some help from a professor at a university (PvN...if you know him). I love astrophysics, but I tend to do everything my way. Which is why I'm not doing so well in high school Physics.


Any advice?

 

[DukeofDuke]

Double major for now.

High School is NOTHING like a half decent university course.

 

[kuahji]

I agree, high school is nothing like college. College is a whole new level. In regards to doing things the professor's way, well you'll probably have to deal with that no matter if you are majoring in physics or mathematics. Probably more so in mathematics. My first college physics course my teacher made us write down & derive EVERYTHING in a orderly way, her way. I hated it, then down the line I seen how powerful it was, as not being Einstein, that order is pretty important.

Math is just worse in my opinion, no college professor I know of deals with the scribble & disorder people get away with in high school. Most of the ones I had say have a rough copy, then a final clean copy. Plus when you get a 3 page differential problem... well...

Major in both if possible.

 

[Totalderiv]

Thanks for the replies.

 

[cronxeh]

Major in math, you'll get better job opportunities and pay when you graduate, which should help you save up enough to go to grad school, or just not have to eat cup ramen noodles for rest of your 20's

 

[DukeofDuke]

Major in math, you'll get better job opportunities and pay when you graduate, which should help you save up enough to go to grad school, or just not have to eat cup ramen noodles for rest of your 20's

Can you back that up? I've seen a lot of different "studies" putting physics or math ahead or behind each other in terms of average starting salary.

 

[cronxeh]

Can you back that up? I've seen a lot of different "studies" putting physics or math ahead or behind each other in terms of average starting salary.

Average starting salaries: (as per bls.gov)
Actuary: $53,754
Financial analyst: $54,930
Statistician: $46,547
etc


As a BS in Physics, you can't qualify to be an engineer for state license (PE), and you don't really take a lot of statistics courses to qualify to take actuarial exams.

Also, if you teach yourself SAS, MatLab, Maple, Mathematica, LabView, etc, you will be able to get various jobs for math modeling for industries like petrochemicals, pharmaceutical, IT, etc.

 

[zpconn]

I've never had a college math or physics course where we had to do something a particular way. All that has ever mattered is that we provided correct justification.

Actually, I'm taking a graduate course in complex analysis right now, and test grades are based only on the correctness of the final answer. Letter grades are assigned based on how many problems you got totally 100% right. (You get no partial credit at all for wrong answers, no matter what.) I don't like this policy, but I suppose it is an example of an extreme opposite of your predicament where you have to show work in a very particular manner.

 

[Anonymous217]

I made a very similar thread to this, and the responses seem different from that of the ones in this thread. I heard that a major in Physics is better to start off with because it's easier to transition from Physics -> Math than it is from Math -> Physics. Also, I'm a bit confused about being able to switch majors during Freshmen year. I know several private colleges that are lenient like MIT, but several UCs claim that you cannot change your major? It seems like you get stuck with what you get apparently. I was under the impression that many students would switch majors during Freshman year.

 

[elect_eng]

but I tend to do everything my way. Which is why I'm not doing so well in high school Physics.


Any advice?

Keep doing it your way as long as you are getting the right answers. High school physics is trivial. Real world physics has to be done your way, because there will be no one to tell you the right way to solve a new problem.

As far as math vs. physics. You know the answer, you just need to make the honest and correct choice.

 

[Codester09]

http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/degrees.asp

Math is above physics, eh?

 

[cronxeh]

http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/degrees.asp

Math is above physics, eh?

Physics $51,100

Actuary $53,754

Case closed.

 

[Codester09]

That's comparing a specific job title to a degree. It's not a competition, but that list is the top 2009 degrees by salary. Math isn't on it. To be honest, both degrees are equally admirable. They both will get you an excellent job, so pick the one that you simply enjoy the most. Go with your gut.

 

[Totalderiv]

What is the salary for a PhD in math? I'm going to go for a PhD which ever way I go.

 

[Klockan3]

Physics $51,100

Actuary $53,754

Case closed.

Did you even read the site?
Physics $51,100
Mathematics $47,000

Most mathematicians do not become actuaries and it requires a specialized set of study. You could just as well compare it to engineers which is very close to physics which earns more.

 

[DukeofDuke]

What is the salary for a PhD in math? I'm going to go for a PhD which ever way I go.

haha, that's the spirit.
To the best of my knowledge science and math PhD's can expect something around 30K a year, plus room and board paid. At least, this is certainly true for physics.

 

[Leptos]

I don't understand why people going into physics, or mathematics would be concerned with income(as long as it's enough to live comfortably). I understand if doctors, and lawyers are concerned with income, but that's a different story.

 

[DukeofDuke]

I don't understand why people going into physics, or mathematics would be concerned with income(as long as it's enough to live comfortably). I understand if doctors, and lawyers are concerned with income, but that's a different story.

Naturally, since physics and mathematics UNDERGRADS are a unilaterally bright and inspired group of artistes who want nothing to do with good food, fast cars, nice clothes, and a big house.

 

[Leptos]

Naturally, since physics and mathematics UNDERGRADS are a unilaterally bright and inspired group of artistes who want nothing to do with good food, fast cars, nice clothes, and a big house.

I would assume most people consider "good food, fast cars, nice clothes, and a 'big' house" as part of living comfortably.

 

[clope023]

I don't understand why people going into physics, or mathematics would be concerned with income(as long as it's enough to live comfortably). I understand if doctors, and lawyers are concerned with income, but that's a different story.

yeah cause they don't need to eat or a place to live or anything like that...

 

[Totalderiv]

I'm not concerned with income, I was following the off topic discussions that ensued after my original question.

 

[davesface]

Naturally, since physics and mathematics UNDERGRADS are a unilaterally bright and inspired group of artistes who want nothing to do with good food, fast cars, nice clothes, and a big house.

I was going to live in a dorm again this semester, but then I realized it would be much cheaper to live in a garbage can and write equations on other people's windows like Russell Crowe.

 

[DukeofDuke]

I would assume most people consider "good food, fast cars, nice clothes, and a 'big' house" as part of living comfortably.

...dude...those things take money...

So basically your original statement was "why would physics majors be concerned with making money, other than that sum of money that they are concerned with."

 

[Jerbearrrrrr]

At my uni, there's an optional 4th year is mathematics called Part III, and you get a new qualification for it, and you're potentially more employable. But I don't think money crosses their mind when applying for it.

Physics and mathematics degrees probably end up creating a similar sort of person in terms of transferrable skills and employability. I'd actually rate physicists as being more employable since they'd be more rounded. Both disciplines can create strong-willed workers who aren't afraid to generate, and then throw away page after page of integrals that are correct but unhelpful.

I mean...as a mathmo, everything is nice an neat, but energy is just defined as some integral (for example) which turns out, by coincidental rabbits out of hats to be some conserved quantity with amazing useful properties. non-theoretical physicists (at least in some courses) are probably taught the other way round (the "right" way when approaching something new) which is to poke it with a mental stick, apply some jiggery-pokery, and figure out what quantities should be paid attention to, at least at first.

If a physicist (resp mathmo) really wanted to do a job that suited a mathmo (resp physicist) better, I bet she could do fine at it, even if starting with a minor handicap.
If you do maths, and your heart isn't in it, you'll kill yourself. That also makes you significantly less employable.

I should be revising but I wanted to have a rant on this subject for a while anyway. x.x

 

[twofish-quant]

To the best of my knowledge science and math PhD's can expect something around 30K a year, plus room and board paid. At least, this is certainly true for physics.

That's false. If you have a math or physics Ph.D., without too much trouble you can get a job in investment banking with a starting salary of $120K salary + $60K bonus, and with all of the new regulations there are going to be tons of jobs available.

 

[bignum]

double major?

 

[Shackleford]

Average starting salaries: (as per bls.gov)
Actuary: $53,754
Financial analyst: $54,930
Statistician: $46,547
etc


As a BS in Physics, you can't qualify to be an engineer for state license (PE), and you don't really take a lot of statistics courses to qualify to take actuarial exams.

Also, if you teach yourself SAS, MatLab, Maple, Mathematica, LabView, etc, you will be able to get various jobs for math modeling for industries like petrochemicals, pharmaceutical, IT, etc.

Damn. You're right. If you have a science undergrad, not engineering, you must have an engineering graduate degree to qualify for the PE in Texas.

What am I going to do with my Physics BS?

 

[Jake4]

I had a similar issue.

Not sure whether to go into Physics or MAth, and I decided (like many people are saying) to just do both : D

at my college, the difference is 6-7 ( i can't remember exactly) classes. Almost all the math classes are given during the summer, so I'm effectively going to be doing 3 semesters a year, and I'll finish at about the same time.

I start in the fall (transfer student) and I'm very excited : D


and me personally, I am not interested in mathematics to ever do anything in the financial field with it. All the power to people who do, but I just couldn't ever see myself doing it.