Who is good at physics?

Engineering degree or physics major?

• Please put up with my ramblings. My life depends upon it. I've applied and just been accepted by the best engineering university in my country. But I had also applied and been accepted to study physics in the top-ranked (also the oldest) university in this region. It would be an honour to be a part of either, and I couldn't feel happier or more blessed, but now I can鈥檛 possibly decide which to pick. I love physics. In fact I鈥檓 passionate about it. More so about theoretical physics than applied. I鈥檇 been dreaming of working in the field of physics since I was in 7th grade. I know this sounds stupid, but topics like quantum physics and astrophysics leave me all starry-eyed and breathless. I would love to learn more about them and not just have a fleeting idea. And I鈥檓 willing to study up to 8-9 years to gain an expertise in this field. I鈥檝e always found good teachers inspiring and research fairly excites me, so I would like to pursue one or both of these careers if given the opportunity. Now, I鈥檝e been told that only a fraction of those who study physics actually end up calling themselves physicists. The rest have to take up teaching jobs in high schools or the like. My grades have been very good (please don鈥檛 think me immodest) so far but I am no little Einstein or Feynman. I might be rated as smart, but certainly not exceptionally brilliant. What I do have is resolve, though. I don鈥檛 easily give up on things I鈥檓 keen on solving. I can sit still for hours trying to solve math problems before applying for help to anyone else. Question is, will resolve be good enough to bring me up to the level where I can do what I dream of? The only reason I even agreed to try for engineering school was because my parents thought I should. I wasn鈥檛 even sure I was good enough for it because the competition for admission in this institute is ridiculously high. But I managed somehow. I鈥檓 not all that enthusiastic about engineering, though it does have to do a lot with physics. But I also realise that it would build me a comfortable, if not lucrative, career. Don鈥檛 get me wrong here, I鈥檓 not after loads and loads of money or the luxuries of life. But the fact is, my parents think I鈥檓 going to half-starve if I follow a general line of study and they aren鈥檛 completely wrong either. I live in a developing country where the reality is direr than in other places of the world. Even if I am good enough to land a job as a lecturer in the university where I wish to study physics, I鈥檒l have a hard time making ends meet. It鈥檒l be a two-bed/one-bath apartment coupled with public transportation for me for many years to come. And that鈥檚 if I鈥檓 GOOD. Whereas, graduating with a degree in water resources engineering wouldn鈥檛 shoot me up to riches, but at least I would have a little left after paying the bills. So, in the end, I still am left without a clue as to what I should choose. I would feel my self-esteem plummet if I were to meet a friend ten years later who hadn鈥檛 been much of a student back then but was now earning a fat salary whereas I was struggling just to pay my dues at the end of the month. On the other hand, I don鈥檛 want grow old with the guilt of not having followed my lifelong dreams being given the chance. What do I do? Please, at least send me your feedback on this. I would be really thankful.

• Answer:

  Personal I would go the Engineering route. why? because there are a lot more engineering jobs and you can apply the principals of physics in engineering. You will more likely have to pursue a PHD if your aiming to be a "Physicist Scientist" but at the sometime its up to you what you "really" want to do.