Help Santiago Decide: Engineering or Physics?

[Rackhir]

Hello everyone
Here's the thing, I'm not sure about my career anymore. I'm in third year of my mechanical engineering degree (5 years in argentina), but I'm having serious doubts if I'm more attracted to physics, mainly investigation.
My original plan was doing 3 years in my current university, and finishing my undergraduate in Balseiro Institute (the first years are a requisite for acceptance). My choices there are Mechanical engineering, Nuclear engineering, or physics. Now I'm not even sure of what to apply.. I was always a mech kind of guy, so it was quite simply i guess. But in the alst 3 years i completely fall in love with physics. So what are my possibilities? going for physics? or maybe nuclear engineering? ME with a post graduate in physics has any sense? what are the work and invistigation possibilities for that? (I might not want to stay here, so don't worry about me living in argentina).
Any input is welcome.
Santiago

 

[Dembadon]

Hi, Rackhir. If you're considering the US as a future place of residence and study, then the following thread will be relevant to your interests:

I have so-and-so degree, can I get into Physics?

 

[Rackhir]

Well, more than "if I'm qualified for a physics degree" is "doubting about it over engineering"

 

[ThinkToday]

Hello everyone
Here's the thing, I'm not sure about my career anymore. I'm in third year of my mechanical engineering degree (5 years in argentina), but I'm having serious doubts if I'm more attracted to physics, mainly investigation.
My original plan was doing 3 years in my current university, and finishing my undergraduate in Balseiro Institute (the first years are a requisite for acceptance). My choices there are Mechanical engineering, Nuclear engineering, or physics. Now I'm not even sure of what to apply.. I was always a mech kind of guy, so it was quite simply i guess. But in the alst 3 years i completely fall in love with physics. So what are my possibilities? going for physics? or maybe nuclear engineering? ME with a post graduate in physics has any sense? what are the work and invistigation possibilities for that? (I might not want to stay here, so don't worry about me living in argentina).
Any input is welcome.
Santiago

IMO, MEs will always have good job prospects. If you're "a mech kind of guy", then I'd pass on the change. That "love with physics" may jump up and bite you in the butt as classes really advance and the difficulty peaks. I would stick with what you have a knack for doing.

 

[Rackhir]

IMO, MEs will always have good job prospects. If you're "a mech kind of guy", then I'd pass on the change. That "love with physics" may jump up and bite you in the butt as classes really advance and the difficulty peaks. I would stick with what you have a knack for doing.

Well, difficulty is not what I'm worried about, i always thinked that the point is giving the very best and not being afraid of challenges

 

[Rackhir]

Bieng honest, the main thing i was considering today is, what are the options of a ME with a physics degree? and a NE with a physics degree?

 

[mcl]

If I am in your shoes, I would consider what would I do when I graduate with a physics degree versus a ME degree. Have you ever wonder what are the career prospects to be like for a physics major vs a ME major? How about salary?

If you are interested in academia instead, then what would you want to achieve? A masters? A phD?

Another thing is, WHAT do you like in physics that mechanical engineering does not offer?

These are all very personal questions and both are wonderful and challenging degrees. However please consider that in terms of job prospects though, ME might have a slight upperhand generally, but if you are successful you will succeed in both.

 

[Rackhir]

Those are things i question myself. To be straight, I'm mainly interested in investigation. So in ME that would be design, for exapmple, vs. the whole spectra of possibilities that a physics major offer. And my goal is to achieve at least a masters (although a phD is what i want), being in physics or engineering.
Salary speaking, I'm a littel blind about the physics degree one. I suppose is less than a ME one, but that's just my common sense (one of the reasons i posted this question, i guess)
So, as you see, my concern is that i want to investigate, latest developmentes or technologies, maybe a tad more on the theoretical side.