Can I Major in Math, Physics, Chemistry & Eng. in 4-6 yrs at a Good University?

[bomba923]

too much, or Ok ?

Would it be too difficult, in 4-6 yrs. at a good university,
to major in
*Pure math
*Physics
*Chemistry
And also
*Physical Engineering
*Chemical Engineering
*(Robotics)
-----------------------------
It seems those fields have quite a lot in common (math, physics, & chemistry! ),
but would it too difficult to achieve at least a BS or MS in each of those fields?

I am a HS senior, I take CalcIII and have taken 1st semester Organic Chemistry, and am currently self-studying for the three AP Physics exams and one exam for English Literature.

By the time I graduate, I would have taken a total of 11 AP exams (AP--->Statistics, English Lang/Comp, English Lit, Calc BC, Chemistry, Biology, MicroEcon, MacroEcon, and the three AP Physics exams)

I am interested mostly in pure math, theoretical physics, and organic chemistry. But would adding major in engineering be too much for 4-6 at a good university? At least to achieve a BS or MS in the selected theoretical and in the engineering sciences in that time?

I do not mind taking additional courses during summers and will self-study if need be.

 

[Pengwuino]

4-5 Bachelors in 4-6 years. No. My university wouldn't even let you do more then 2 majors and I've never heard of a degree in "physical engineering" or "chemical engineering" so you'll have to check into what universities have degrees in those fields.

You do realize how much work is involved to get a BS right?

 

[whozum]

No, that would be stupid. Stack your degrees vertically, not horizontally.

 

[Pengwuino]

Yah, 1 phd looks far better then all that crap combined. An employer would basically see you as very mediocre in a lot of things whereas someone with a phd is seen as extremely knowledgeable in a certain field.

 

[bomba923]

BS?? Noo! I plan to at least MS in each of those fields...which is why I asked about the 4-6 year BS!
(which I would have to acquire before the MS of course)

But the honor of a PhD, I would only for pure math, physics, and chemistry.
If not all three, then pure math + physics.
If not those two, then only pure math.

**The true "must complete" objective of my university education is (as always has been) a PhD in pure mathematics. That is my primary degree goal.

 

[Pengwuino]

Well I must admit I am not that big of an optomist but I'm sure no one around here is optomistic enough to even think about saying you can get a Masters in more then 2 of those fields. 1 phd at the most as well. Do you realize how much work goes into a Masters degree in the sciences?

 

[mewmew]

If you must, do your undergrad in math and physics and get a PhD in one of them. Your plan is completely crazy to be honest with you and I would go as far as to say physicaly impossible, especially in 4-6 years. Each of the subjects you listed has more information in them than anyone could learn in a lifetime and are life time endevors. Atleast an MS in 6 fields College isn't high school, but you will find that out soon enough.

 

[tmc]

after about 20 years of schooling, yeah you would have a MSc in those.

 

[asdf60]

All those APs aren't going to do you any good, you probably won't get credit for most of those. AP classes are really nothing like college classes. Taking Calc III won't help either; unless you go to pushover undergrad school, you'll end up taking theoretical calc I-III.

As far as majoring in all those subjects, forget it. Not only is it not possible, it's stupid.

 

[budala]

Pengwuino, yes there is Chemical Engineering and Engineering Physics Programs, at least in Canada.

 

[CrusaderSean]

I don't see why you want to major in so many different fields. Some of my high school classmates took about same amount if not more college level classes than you but it doesn't help them in college. They certainly cover general requirements but do not bear any weight for a specific major.

Once you start taking intermediate level college courses you'll find out it's not possible to take more than 6 classes per semester. Focus on one degree and if you can get double or triple major then go for it. You'll probably change your mind about certain fields after taking a few classes or doing internship/research.

 

[Corneo]

If you try something like that, you will likely fail miserably in all those fields. College is nothing compared to high school. Especially your junior and senior year, that's when you tackle the heart of each major.

 

[z-component]

I don't see why you want to major in so many different fields.

Because he wants to be knowledgeable in many subject areas in science and math. I think that's very admirable, just not practical. Like everyone has said previously, all that work and time and money will not pay off as much as you'd hope, and while 3 Ph.D's is a fun idea to play with, one is enough for most people's tolerability.

 

[Bladibla]

I would recommend not to do it, but just for comparison purposes, the only person (who is famous) that ever had 4 BS is Nikola Tesla.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla#Education

Even as a Child prodigy (At least the sources say it) He didn't get 4 Masters in all areas he researched. Wanting to be diverse doesn't mean you have to take millions of degrees. Thats just plain stupid, and not even noble.

A example of this is Linus Pauling, who (Nobel Laurete) got his degress in chemical engineering, but contributed to many fields such as quantum chemistry, molecular Biology, Mathetmatical physics (he was a lecturer in that) and near the end of his life, he was working on high temperature superconductivity. Pretty diverse i would say.

 

[Astronuc]

Getting a BS in 4-6 areas would be extremely difficult and arduous even in 6 years. One might manage 2 subject areas say phyiscs and one of the engineering disciplines.

Realistically, one would have to sit down and determine the exact requirements. Normally there is considerable overlap during the first and second years, but third and fourth years require specialization in ones science or technical discipline, and related electives are usually in the minority.

By "Physical Engineering", I would assume one means Mechanical Engineering, which itself contains many diverse areas such as Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Materials (and there could be a separate Materials Science department), Corrosion, Machine Design, Systems and Control (not necessarily Industrial Engineering) - e.g. http://www.mengr.tamu.edu/

I think if one tried to master 4-6 subjects, especially with rigorous detail, one would burn out.

Each MS degree would require 1 to 2 years beyond a Baccalaureate.

 

[quantumdude]

Would it be too difficult, in 4-6 yrs. at a good university,
to major in
*Pure math
*Physics
*Chemistry
And also
*Physical Engineering
*Chemical Engineering
*(Robotics)
-----------------------------

Yes, it would. And if you tried it you would tire of it very quickly. One of the things you will gain from a college education is that you will learn how to learn independently. Once you become educated in one field it will become easier for you to read up on others without taking formal courses.

It seems those fields have quite a lot in common (math, physics, & chemistry! ),
but would it too difficult to achieve at least a BS or MS in each of those fields?

It would be too difficult because those fields don't have much in common after the core courses are over and done with. Upperclassmen majoring in mathematics, physics, engineering and chemistry lead very different lives.

 

[gazzo]

I was like before I first started uni, wanted to do Maths, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, Biomedical, Computerscience, Philosophy and some more...

When you actually finish your first semester things change. Now I'm just doing Science/Arts conjoint (major: Maths/ComputerScience/Logic/Philosophy with emphasis on maths, doing pre-medical next year hopefully), a friend has been working on three degrees with about 12 majors - it's been about 5 years and he's only just finished his first degree. He's not going to do the rest, instead do graduate in Logic.

Even if you do end up doing all that in college, it is very unlikely that you'll end up doing it past undergrad. In your case, why not do Engineering (Chemical/Physical) and Science(Math/Physics or just Math)? That's a huge workload but maybe a bit more manageable...

good luck

 

[G01]

5 Majors...I don't mean to be rude but, believe me, No matter how many AP courses you can do in a year. You don't know University level courses. They require ALOT of work and, especially in the sciences, you have to love it and be serious about it. Wait to you get into college, you'll understand. It soudns like you are just interested in may thing contained in a variety of fields. In thi case you best bet would be a pure science, I'd say. For example electrical engineers at my school take courses like circuit deisign and robotics etc. This is all part of electromagnetism. If you were instead a physics major, you would have courses on E-M, but also on many other topics, even into your junior and senior year, like classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, statics, particle physics etc. Good Luck, and be realistic!

 

[bomba923]

I never said AP classes can compare with college courses.
By all means, public education fails horribly when it comes to advanced materal.

-------------------------------------
The reason I asked my question was to inquire if adding an engineering component to the pure math, and theoretical physics & sciences I wish to major in.

If I do major, then at least I'll triple major: Pure Math, Th. Physics, and Org. Chem.
-----------------------

NOT any specific engineering in my mind---->but the engineering that uses the knowledge from my pure & theoretical education (which are primary goals)

Basically, would an "engineering" component in my education be too much to handle? (I have specific goals for pure math and Th. sciences--->the question was regarding a possible additional engineering component, that's all)

 

[Poop-Loops]

I couldn't even imagine triple majoring. You'll get out of school after about 6 or 7 years of undergrad, and guess what? You have no life. You don't know anybody, all your friends are gone, and all you've done for the past 7 years is sit with your nose in one book or another. Think you'll have time to do anything else while you're triple majoring? HAH!

Also, I hope your parents are rich or something, because you can forget about a job.

PL

 

[Maxwell]

I never said AP classes can compare with college courses.
By all means, public education fails horribly when it comes to advanced materal.
-------------------------------------
The reason I asked my question was to inquire if adding an engineering component to the pure math, and theoretical physics & sciences I wish to major in.
If I do major, then at least I'll triple major: Pure Math, Th. Physics, and Org. Chem.
-----------------------
NOT any specific engineering in my mind---->but the engineering that uses the knowledge from my pure & theoretical education (which are primary goals)
Basically, would an "engineering" component in my education be too much to handle? (I have specific goals for pure math and Th. sciences--->the question was regarding a possible additional engineering component, that's all)

Yes, adding an engineering major to the mix would be WAY too much to handle. Not only is the major difficult, but the laboratory obligations will be just too much for anyone to handle. I had two 3 hour labs and one 2 hour lab last semester. Imagine adding that to three other majors.
Not reasonable at all. To be honest, neither is triple majoring. However, I suspect you'll recognize this once you actually begin university.
I suggest you drop the organic chem. major and focus on physics and math.

 

[Pengwuino]

And as someone already pointed out, there will be no criss-crossing after your basic introductory set of courses (2 or 3). From there things really diverge into their respective fields.

 

[Lisa!]

Wow, why do you want to do that?:bugeyes: I think if you concentrate on only 1 of them, it would be a lot better. I mean you may be able to do that, but for sure you can't be as perfect/successful as someone who's just studying 1 of them. In this way you would be Jack of all traits, master of none.
And I agree with Poop-Loop that you'd have no life. What's your purpose in life? Only academic education? Anyway I think as a young person, you need to have some fun and hobbies other than studies. Otherwise you get depressed and old very soon.(I don't want to disappoint you, but I think that could be a mistake even if you're a genius.)

 

[ZapperZ]

I never said AP classes can compare with college courses.
By all means, public education fails horribly when it comes to advanced materal.
-------------------------------------
The reason I asked my question was to inquire if adding an engineering component to the pure math, and theoretical physics & sciences I wish to major in.
If I do major, then at least I'll triple major: Pure Math, Th. Physics, and Org. Chem.
-----------------------

Since you talk about AP classes, then I'll assume you are in the US and will be enrolling in US colleges (why don't people fill in their locations in their profile? It makes it SO much easier to address their situation!)

If this is correct, then there is no such thing as majoring in "theoretical physics" at the undergraduate level. You may take more classes probably in your senior year rather than advanced optional laboratory classes, but for the large majority of schools, there's no such thing as an undergraduate major exclusively in theoretical physics.

And someone, adding an "engineering component" to a "theoretical physics" program sounds like an oxymoron. I think you seriously need to look at the program at the school you are going to enroll in and really sit down with your academic adviser before deciding this. I'm seeing way too many jumbled ideas with nothing coherent towards anything. This is not a good way to start a college program.

Zz.

 

[mewmew]

I know at my school the engineers takes 21 credit hours(a lot) their first year and less than half of those are the same as a physics major. After the first year almost none of the credits are the same. Physics and math though are good choices.

 

[ludi_srbin]

I would recommend not to do it, but just for comparison purposes, the only person (who is famous) that ever had 4 BS is Nikola Tesla.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla#Education
Even as a Child prodigy (At least the sources say it) He didn't get 4 Masters in all areas he researched. Wanting to be diverse doesn't mean you have to take millions of degrees. Thats just plain stupid, and not even noble.
A example of this is Linus Pauling, who (Nobel Laurete) got his degress in chemical engineering, but contributed to many fields such as quantum chemistry, molecular Biology, Mathetmatical physics (he was a lecturer in that) and near the end of his life, he was working on high temperature superconductivity. Pretty diverse i would say.

He did that but it took not only the fact that he was genius, but also 15 hours of studying a day. I know a guy who is going into medical school and electrical engineering at the same time, but he studies all day, every day, last 5 years. Double majoring is more than enough, and I think that if you want to develop some other skills you can take some extra classes in other fields but it would be pointless to have so many majors, unless you want to spend your all life going to college.

 

[Bladibla]

He did that but it took not only the fact that he was genius, but also 15 hours of studying a day. I know a guy who is going into medical school and electrical engineering at the same time, but he studies all day, every day, last 5 years. Double majoring is more than enough, and I think that if you want to develop some other skills you can take some extra classes in other fields but it would be pointless to have so many majors, unless you want to spend your all life going to college.

I think you misinterpreted my post. What you said is the EXACT point of my post.

 

[ludi_srbin]

I think you misinterpreted my post. What you said is the EXACT point of my post.

I understood you but I was actually quoting your comment about Tesla but adressing bomba. My bad, and yeah we have the same point.

 

[quantumdude]

Basically, would an "engineering" component in my education be too much to handle?

Bomba, your proposed curriculum of math, theoretical physics, and organic chemistry is too much without the engineering component. I'm confident that any academic advisor would tell you that.

What do you think it means to "major" in a subject? It means to concentrate it and make it your specialty. I could understand a double or even a triple major if the three disciplines complemented each other, but in this case not all of yours do. A double major in math and physics would be a good combination if you intend to go into theory. But adding a chemistry major combined with even an engineering minor on top of that is going to sandbag you.

Usually when people talk about adding a "component" of another discipline into their curriculum, they are talking about taking a couple of courses or at most taking a minor in the field. Adding another major is not merely adding a component.

And like I said in my last post here: You don't need to be formally trained in everything. In addition to specific knowledge, your college experience will teach you how to think and how to learn independently. If you major in math and physics, and later want to learn, say, systems engineering, you will be able to pick up a book and read it on your own. I myself do it all the time when a subject interests me.