-ADVICE NEEDED- Double Major - EE & CS or EE & Physics

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the decision of a junior Electrical Engineering (EE) student considering a double major in either Computer Science (CS) or Physics. Participants explore the implications of each choice on future career opportunities, particularly in relation to salary and job market trends.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • The original poster expresses uncertainty about which second major to choose, emphasizing a desire for a high-paying career and a willingness to solve problems in various fields.
  • Some participants suggest that pursuing a law degree after an engineering degree could lead to a lucrative career as a patent lawyer or in corporate leadership, although this is framed as an alternative rather than a direct response to the original question.
  • One participant notes the difficulty in predicting future pay scales but suggests that a degree in Computer Science may lead to higher-paying job opportunities compared to Physics, while acknowledging that CS is not solely about programming.
  • Another participant advises following personal passion rather than focusing solely on financial incentives, suggesting that this approach is more fulfilling in the long run.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on which double major is preferable. There are competing views regarding the importance of financial considerations versus personal fulfillment in choosing a major.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the uncertainty of future job markets and salary trends, which may influence the decision-making process. The discussion reflects a range of motivations and perspectives on career planning.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students contemplating double majors in engineering and related fields, particularly those weighing financial prospects against personal interests.

xanadol
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Greetings to all,

I am a new member and I am hoping to grab the attention of people who might have passed through the same route that I am on or people in similar situation.

I'm an EE junior and I am thinking about adding another major; I am in doubt, however. I am not very picky about my career either. I will enjoy anything as long as there is a problem to be solved. I took programming courses MATLAB, Java, C and aced all of 'em. Also finished dynamics and statics and also the first year physics for engineers and scientists. I have no problem with neither programming nor physics.

I am planning my career in the area that pays the most. Money is the entity that motivates me.

I am not certain but I hope to find jobs in energy or telecom industries. Also I want to go further for master's degree in an engineering field. Might be a MS EE, specializing in energy or MS in Nuclear engineering or MS in control systems or MS in Telecom engr.

But for the present, as I stated before, I'm a junior EE and in doubt of my second major. Having said my motivation, and further education goals, what do you think is the smartest decision for me to make, double majoring in EE and CS or EE and Physics?

I might have given insufficient information; as the discussion progresses, I will provide more info, I guess. But thanks for the insights from now.
 
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57 looks and 0 reply, man that helps!
 
xanadol said:
Greetings to all,

I am a new member and I am hoping to grab the attention of people who might have passed through the same route that I am on or people in similar situation.

I'm an EE junior and I am thinking about adding another major; I am in doubt, however. I am not very picky about my career either. I will enjoy anything as long as there is a problem to be solved. I took programming courses MATLAB, Java, C and aced all of 'em. Also finished dynamics and statics and also the first year physics for engineers and scientists. I have no problem with neither programming nor physics.

I am planning my career in the area that pays the most. Money is the entity that motivates me.

I am not certain but I hope to find jobs in energy or telecom industries. Also I want to go further for master's degree in an engineering field. Might be a MS EE, specializing in energy or MS in Nuclear engineering or MS in control systems or MS in Telecom engr.

But for the present, as I stated before, I'm a junior EE and in doubt of my second major. Having said my motivation, and further education goals, what do you think is the smartest decision for me to make, double majoring in EE and CS or EE and Physics?

I might have given insufficient information; as the discussion progresses, I will provide more info, I guess. But thanks for the insights from now.

If money is your main motivator you could do a engineering degree then a law degree and become a patent lawyer or do engineering and work your way up to CEO. there's a hell of competition for CEO. Maybe you could switch to law and become partner of a huge firm.

Personally my advice is do what your heart tells you and not something based on money. I know its a cliche but I think (and hopefully others will agree) that its a time tested and true saying.
 
It's hard to predict what pay scales will be like in the future, when you actually enter the job market, but assuming things don't change drastically between now and then, you'd probably be more likely to find a high-paying job as a computer programmer than as a physicist. CS isn't exactly programming, of course, but it will probably prepare you for a programming job slightly better than physics.
 

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