[ale] Sort of OT: College Majors

Mon Nov 15 22:56:34 EST 2004

Hi Parker!

One of my favorite topics! Education and physics came up in the same
topic.  **disclaimer** I have a M.S. in physics. I work with computers
daily. Eventually, when my kids are done with the school I pay for, I'll
go back and play with a PhD some more. Grad school doesn't pay very well
:)

If you were to major in physics, you will be expected to be competant in
computers by default. I could argue very strongly that computers were
invented by mathmeticians and physicists for their own amusement. Then
the army wanted ballistic tables calculated faster an it all went to...,
never mind on that. :)

You are absolutly correct; calculus based physics makes sense, algebra
based physics is nearly a waste of time. Calculus was invented for
physics.

Any other science/engineering class at GT will most likely require
calculus physics. Electronics is a highly focused subset of physics.
Ditto on materials science (add a huge dose of chemistry).

Unless you want to do things like design databases or program bank
applications, go for the science that A) interestes you the most AND B)
is the hardest thing you can stand. 

Once you get done, if you've done the hardest science you can stand,
everything else is easy. :)

One thing I keep seeing is numerous articles discussing the rise of
cross-discipline fields. Materials science is a cross between physics,
chemistry and structural engineering. Many "pure" disciplines have
sub-branches (physical chemistry, chemical physics, biophysics,
organo-electronics).

I did surface science in grad school. It's a cross between solid state
physics, chemistry and electronics. 

One big secret to surviving the first 2 years is to get involved in the
department you are majoring in. Try and find a professor who will let
you work in their lab (for free is the best way in the door. Even if
it's only cleaning test tubes or feeding the lab rats), that hands on
experiance helps make up the (supposed) schlock classes you also have to
take. 

That "sponge for knowlege" statement says loads. Go have fun with it!
Some researchers will be annoyed by you questions (they can't remember
how they learned) while others will be delighted to show you everything
in the lab and how to use it and what you can do to get to play with
stuff like it as well. Find one of those and be an inquisative pest :) 

Closing note: any field with the word "Science" in it's name, is not a
science field. Computer science works with (mostly) predictable results
because humans wrote the rules and keep the score. You can guess what my
attitude is for social science or <shudder> political science.

On Mon, 2004-11-15 at 21:34, Parker McGee wrote:
> This past weekend I went to Ga Tech's Connect with Tech program. 
> Going into it, I was all "Yeah, I'm going to major in Comp Sci, no one
> can convince me to do anything else!!"  Now, they've convinced me.
> 
> I've always been a sponge for knowledge.  I've never turned down the
> ability to learn something new.  During that program, I went to a
> Physics 2 class, and realized that there are actually teachers out
> there that can make Physics fun.  My AP Physics B teacher last year
> was horrible, and Calculus based Physics makes so much more sense to
> me than Algebra based.  I really, really enjoyed that class.
> 
> Meanwhile, I was meeting a lot of the other Comp Sci hopefuls, and
> realized that a lot of them were the typical "l33t" computer user. 
> "Whoa!  A degree!  With computers?!  And I can build video games!?!?!?
>  I'm in!!  Wait... science?  Crap!"  And also, a lot of the Comp Sci
> majors were even like that!  I don't think I could stand working with
> people like that day in and day out for the rest of my life.
> 
> A good story: One of the high schoolers at the program talked all day
> about how he was going to do computer science and nothing else; how he
> loved computers and such.  Then, I was sitting behind him in the Study
> Abroad seminar when the speaker said "Oxford College's dorms were
> built in the 1300s but they even have Cat5 wiring now!"  He turned to
> the person sitting next to him and asked "What's Cat5?"
> 
> Also, it seems like I'm going to be bored out of my mind for the AT
> LEAST the first two years in the Comp Sci curriculum.  It's something
> that I've enjoyed so much for the past two years that I've practically
> taught myself 2+ years of college material.  I don't mean to brag,
> that's just how it goes.  I think I can teach myself the rest of the
> things I would be able to learn in that degree in another two years. 
> The Internet is an amazing thing.  Going back to being a sponge for
> information, I don't think I can take, much less want to take,
> spending two years of college, when I could be learning tons, just
> relearning things.
> 
> A good part of me wants to go get my PhD and become a college
> professor.  Now, if it's people like my Cat5 friend up there that I'm
> going to have to teach, I don't want any part of it.  I'm sure every
> major has their "l33t krew" but it seems like Comp Sci has more than
> its fair share.  I really enjoy the really out-there theory and almost
> philosophy based AI theory.  A good part of the reason I want to be a
> professor is that I will always have an excuse to learn something new.
>  Like if I want to learn about a new Physics theory, I could just go
> ask my friend the Physics professor.  I feel like in a 40 hour-a-week
> job, I'm limited, and learning new things would have to be put on the
> back burner as opposed to more of a "How can this information help my
> company earn more money?" Because of this and my enjoyment of the
> Physics class I took, I'm starting to get pulled me away from a Comp
> Sci degree.  I honestly don't know what to do.
> 
> Part of me says pure Physics sounds interesting, but then I question,
> "Well, what if I decide that PhD isn't for me?  What do I do with just
> a Physics degree?"  The main majors I'm starting to lean towards are
> Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering.  I'm still, of
> course, thinking that maybe things aren't so bad as I think in
> Computer Science and I should give it a shot.  I honestly feel that I
> could major in anything and still be interested in it.  What I'm
> currently leaning towards is Electrical Engineering with an emphasis
> in Comp Sci, but then I go back to my original problem which is now
> amplified, I don't have enough electives to get past the boring stuff
> into the things that will actually be interesting to me.
> 
> I really don't know what I should do.  Does anyone have any
> recommendations, particularly personal insights?  Anything is
> hugely(!!!) welcome!  Thanks!!
> 
> Parker McGee
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> Ale at ale.org
> http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> 
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GPG ID: 829C6CA7 James P. Kinney III (M.S. Physics)
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