Math or Physics? Advice for 19-Year-Old Pursuing Career

[h00zah]

I know there are a few other threads here regarding my question, but not specifically the one I have in mind. I am 19 and am currently taking the year off school and am on my own. I have a lot of free time on my hand, and would like to pursue a career that is financially rewarding, to an extent, and will ensure me a job. I know lots of people who have gone down the engineer route and computer science route. Basically, I like maths, and physics, and am willing to dedicate a large portion of my time to achieving a degree. My conundrum is that I have all the supplies, but I don't know how to use it because there is such a wide variety of information to study for different degrees. It's like I have all the puzzel peices but I don't know how to put them together.

Basically, if I want to pursue a career in math, what topics should I study and in what order? Same for physics..

thank-you

 

[h00zah]

I'm sorry, I know it's kind of a broad question, and I am expecting broad answers.

To prepare myself for next year, what should I focus on (brush up on) to become an Engineer, Computer Science, in both physics and mathematics.

I think that narrowed my question :]

 

[story645]

IBasically, if I want to pursue a career in math, what topics should I study and in what order? Same for physics..

Your curriculum will more or less set this for the first two years, and it's going to be all the pre-reqs for the upper level courses. As you go further, pre-reqs and your interests will determine the rest of the courses, as will course availability and professors. Order doesn't really matter once pre-reqs are cleared, and schools generally set up their pre-reqs and curricula in a mostly logical fashion. You're going to have the math and physics you need for engineering and comp sci as part of your core requirements, or you won't have physics 'cause you don't actually need it for many fields of comp sci.

If you insist on reviewing stuff, know your basic algebra, geometry, and trig, and any other math up to whatever math course you get placed into. Math & Physics are subjects that tend to be pretty easy to do together, so consider a double major if you're passionate in both.

 

[h00zah]

thank you, story.