Studying Need some help deciding between Physics, EE and CE

[Commando Man]

Hey guys,
I'm new to to Physics Forum so I hope I'm in the right section for posting this kind of question and I'm sorry in a head for my only OK English.
So first I'll give you a little background and then I'll ask the questions you're here to actually answer.

I've been accepted for Computer Engineering studies in a very good university in my country but I'm not really sure it's the right thing for me. This university offers two different specialized degrees of Electrical Engineering: the one being Computer Engineering and the other being in Microelectronics and Opto-elctrocnics (I will refer to this one as just EE). The first is considered superb and the second I'm actually not so sure about (more explanations ahead).

Other then that the university also offers a physics degree which is considered the best one in my country. My passion is mainly to physics (understanding rationally or mathematically how things work, why they do and wondering about things I see or think about) and also to computers (I like the thinking part of it and solving riddles) while I also like playing around with technology to better understand it and building things.

My aspiration is to help work and understand new or interesting phenomena or tech rather then how to make money out of it. But there's also reality and I know that I will have to eventually sometime in the distant future take care of a family and I wouldn't want them to live poor or that I'd have to find myself saying to them "we don't have money for that" all the time.

So I went and talked to a professor of the EE specialization and described all this to him, and he said that this one would best suit me, but he's a bit biased... I've also heard talk from students that the degree is somewhat unorganized/ lacking and just OK. The plus part about it is that I can continue to a Msc in applied physics for just one more year of studying with this particular degree (so it would take the same amount of time for a Msc in applied physics coming from either physics or EE bsc).

With CE I can continue to a Msc in CS for just one more year or to applied physics for the standard two years. Time and money is not my issue currently - I'm relatively young and from what you've hopefully understood I do intend on continuing to research.
(In CE I can take some classes of the other specialization but less vice-versa).

Here come the questions:
1) Which degree do you think would best suit me: Physics, CE or EE?
2) Why do I keep hearing about the different mindset of physicist vs Engineers? What does it actually mean (is it budget concerns, practicality, etc..)?
3) What questions should I be asking myself to understand what I want to study?

Thanks in ahead!

 

[berkeman]

Welcome to the PF.

At your university, do you have the ability to declare your major at the end of your first two years? That gives you the best exposure to the physics/EE/CS majors, and gives you time to find what you enjoy the most. In my undergrad (in the US), this feature was very important for me, since I changed my major after my first year from ME/EE double major to EE/CS (even though I found that Physics was my real passion).

 

[Commando Man]

Welcome to the PF.

At your university, do you have the ability to declare your major at the end of your first two years? That gives you the best exposure to the physics/EE/CS majors, and gives you time to find what you enjoy the most. In my undergrad (in the US), this feature was very important for me, since I changed my major after my first year from ME/EE double major to EE/CS (even though I found that Physics was my real passion).

Hi, thanks. Unfortunately we don't have that option in my country. Although I guess I could change after a year or so if I'd really want to provided I have good grades but that would mean I would have to also take some classes I missed...

 

[Dr.D]

Just a small point of communications. The abbreviation CE is usually understood in the USA as referring to Civil Engineering. You might want to consider some other short form.