dilemma

[abskebabs]

Hi everybody. I think my participation in this forum has dropped dramatically since joining university, as I have only posted once since, but I have an important decision to make soon, so I would be grateful for any help in answering the specific questions I am about to ask.

 

I am currently studying Chemical Engineering at University right now, but I am seriously considering switching to Theoretical Physics. Frankly I am unsure about what I should do and am having a dilemma over this.There are various reasons why I feel I should switch to Physics, and other reasons why I feel sticking with chemeng may be the wiser option. I am not asking you to make a decision for me, but I would be grateful if you could answer to the best of your abillity/insight the following questions:

 

Which of the subjects would provide better career prospects and make you more employable?

Which of the subjects would train you better at becoming a good problem solver?

Which degree would you say is more challenging?

Can physicists compete with engineers, for jobs in the engineering sector?

[swansont]

Physicists have trouble competing with engineers for engineering jobs, because the emphasis of their education is different.

 

 

Do what you enjoy. Smart people are employable.

[Klaynos]

Do what you enjoy. Smart people are employable.

 

 

I agree with this completely.

[Martin]

...

I am currently studying Chemical Engineering at University right now, but I am seriously considering switching to Theoretical Physics. Frankly I am unsure about what I should do and am having a dilemma over this.There are various reasons why I feel I should switch to Physics, and other reasons why I feel sticking with chemeng may be the wiser option. I am not asking you to make a decision for me, but I would be grateful if you could answer to the best of your abillity/insight the following questions:

 

Which of the subjects would provide better career prospects and make you more employable?

Which of the subjects would train you better at becoming a good problem solver?

Which degree would you say is more challenging?

Can physicists compete with engineers, for jobs in the engineering sector?

 

from everything I hear, in the US there is a serious employment problem for people in theoretical physics------they tend to get out and get jobs in computer software or in finance (banking and investing)

 

also it is possible that you might find a career in Chem Eng MORE INTERESTING and doing more for the planet, or for society.

 

that is because of things like possible developments in

DESALINIZATION

BIOFUELS

HYDROGEN ECONOMY

carbondioxide recovery and sequestration

control of pollution

MORE EFFICIENT agriculture and food production

also there is the production of liquid fuels from different

feedstock like tar-sand, coal, oilshale, solid waste, wood.

also there is FUEL CELL technology

 

in other words the population and resource pressure of the next 50 years mean that many opportunities for Chem Engineers will appear which will be very interesting and challenging and will directly confront serious global problems.

 

==================

however you are in the UK and a local employment expert or a university career counsellor could advise you-------you should probably not rely on amateur advice like mine.

 

In the US AFAIK the situation with theoretical physics grads is that there are no jobs for fresh PhD, so they become postdocs, this may go on for 5-10 years before a faculty position opens up.

many physics PhD end up not doing work they are interested in or that they were trained for. They go to Wall Street, because their mathematical modeling training may make them useful in the derivatives securities market, or in hedge funds.

 

WHAT IS WRONG WITH CHEM ENG? why would you consider getting out?

do you have very lousy professors? if they are old farts it can be hell.

 

try looking around and finding a chem eng program somewhere else where the professors are good and the students are excited. chem eng is great.

 

this is my opinion----better get professional advice from someone in the UK who has direct knowledge.

 

chem engineering PUTS ALL KINDS OF PHYSICS TO WORK IN PRACTICAL JOBS (like chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, lasers, NMR, materials science, catalysts, all kinds of very sophisticated stuff!)

[Klaynos]

A good point your uni probably has an

 

"employability matters" thing I know mine keeps forceing leafelets at me which I promptly ignore... Go talk to them...

[insane_alien]

i would say stick with Chem Eng. but then again, i'm biased.

 

do what you enjoy, and remember, not everything is as fun as it seems before you get into it.

[abskebabs]

Thanks for your posts everybody, I appreciate it. I will take into account what you said about the employment prospects of theoretical physicists Martin, even if it's in the US. I guess I just feel I'm not being challenged in chemeng at the moment, but I suppose its just been 3 weeks. The maths we've been doing so far seems to be pretty bog standard A level stuff.

 

I think theoretical physics would be more challenging in this respect, and I would learn about things that I have been interested in for a little while now. I suppose Chemical Engineering may be more relevant and applicable to society today. I guess my degree will get more challenging and interesting with time. Some of the basic first year modules are boring the hell out of me at the moment though, for example:

Properties and application of materials

Chemistry for Engineers

Design and Proffessional skills(not as bad, but still pretty boring at the moment)

 

The ones I am enjoying are:

Fluid flow, thermodynamics and Heat transfer

Modelling concepts and tools(the mathsy one)

 

I do not have a problem with the lecturers, and the department of chemeng at the University of Birmingham(which is where I am at) is currently ranked 2nd in the guardian newspaper out of all chem eng departments in the country, and 3rd in the times rankings., I guess just more than a year after applying for this course I'm left wondering if my interests have changed and no longer lie here. I used to enjoy chemistry, but now I find it bores me a lot, for example.

 

I've been thinking over the last few days, it seems I'm picking between an interesting career as a chemical engineer(some parts of the course I have no interest in tho), or a course which I at least think I would find a lot more interesting(theoretical physics). I take your pint too tho insane, it may seem fun at the outset, but I suppose once I switch, I cant switch back, and my thoughts may differ in a year or 2.

 

I suppose I could study aspects of physics or maths that I dont need for chem eng in my spare time, if I wanted as a hobby. Also, I am absolutely sure that we are not taught any Quantum chemistry or anything about lasers on the course I am doing.

[Skye]

Can you do a double Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Science degree? Combined degrees are popular here. You can get them done in 5 years I think.

[abskebabs]

Hi again everybody, I'm glad to say I've finally come to a decision and I'm now studying theoretical physics. I feel it was the right decision, and I have to now catch up on the first few weeks work:-p ! I thank everybody for contributing to this thread, I have been thinking this over a lot in my head, even months before I started my course in chemical engineering.

 

I feel happy now though, I think I am better suited to this course:-) .

[Klaynos]

Can you do a double Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Science degree? Combined degrees are popular here. You can get them done in 5 years I think.

 

 

In the UK they tend to only take 3 years, same as single, and most uni's only offer a quite restrictive choice, but you can often do 2 or 3 electives during your time at uni....

 

Oh and congrats on your choice, I hope you enjoy it, remember any physics questions I can actually do alot of undergrad stuff so might be able to answer some questions for once if you ask on the forums heeh....

[Genecks]

Do what you enjoy because you enjoy doing it. Never do it solely because of money. You probably won't be happy if you do the majority of your work for money.

 

I was told a long time ago by some chemists that if I'm in this game for money, I ought to have been a business major. I've been against the idea of materialism since childhood, so I don't work for money. I work because enjoy what I'm doing. I work because it gives me experience and makes me more skilled. That's the great thing about working for a trade, such as locksmithing, carpentry, etc..

 

You need to make a decision as you go higher: Are you doing this for money or because you enjoy it?

 

Those will be the deciding factors. However, you'll want to make sure that you can actually keep living with the job you have chosen. Choosing a career that doesn't pay would not be a wise idea. You'll simply have to understand that you won't be making large sums of cash, and that you probably won't work and live in Hawaii or Japan.

 

Here are the serious factors:

1. Can I get a job with this?

2. Do I like this?

3. Can I get health benefits?

 

If it's one and two, that's great. If it's one, two, and three, grab it for what it's worth. Many people go into the military because of all three, but I'm not advocating the military. Yet some people simply work for small amounts of cash, and they love the ability to have health benefits. Health benefits seem to be a necessity these days.

 

I personally thought about doing the Bachelor's of Science myself.