Physics or Computer Science? Which Degree Should I Choose? [Urgent]

[helivora]

Then i guess you have your career answer here. bu then don't be so rigid, your choices may change over the period. anyway, if you are confused between physics and cs the i think you should go over the subjects they teach and a familiarize yourself with both. and chose what you like best.

 

[Reshma]

loom91,
If you are planning to switch to Physics after a degree in CS, you will have to do a lot of "catching up" to meet the post-graduate level (MSc/PhD) course requirements. Although you can appear for JAM/JEST for MSc - Physics after your B.Tech, you MUST have a reasonably good expertise on basic Physics. Good luck on your decision!

Edit: Chemical Engineering guys seem to fare better in Physics compared to other engineers, anyway that's my personal opinion though!

 

[x3qt0r]

Having studied for those exams (though failing miserably)
I don't think he would have to do any "major" catching up in physics.

Regarding what institute to go in,well "IIT" is a renowned brand all over the world its no harm in going for the MSc.

They anyway teach you programming etc and you get enough time to get around to know the basic CS concepts.
You can even do informal projects under various professors if you are also interested in computer science staying under the physics degree (do confirm this).

IIT is a brand name, you have got it... don't let it go :D

but on the caution if you don't really like physics its good to go with the NITs for CS.
as some one said before JAm and JEST exams are always there if you change your mind later.

Plus maintaining good grades in all the sems of MSc is not an easy job -- as said by one of my friend from IIT kanpur

 

[Reshma]

Having studied for those exams (though failing miserably)
I don't think he would have to do any "major" catching up in physics.

If you are talking about JEE, AIEEE and other such exams, they require high school level Physics for entry into college. But if you planning to do post-grad Physics you are required to know college level Physics. Are you saying high school and college physics are the same?

Regarding what institute to go in,well "IIT" is a renowned brand all over the world its no harm in going for the MSc.

You are mistaken, it is a renowned brand in India, not quite all over the world. Anyway, the "brand" will only help your admission into a good research institute. But it is abilities and skills which are more important for doing research.

 

[akashdgr8]

I am not sure if the counseling has already taken place but I would like to suggest (without elaboration at this stage) , you must not care for money but about your interest.

If you allow me to be impolite for the moment, I would like to say something against Reshma's views. She said it well that IIT is not a brand known in the entire world. I am a final year student at IIT Kanpur and I am in Germany for the summers for a project. I agree that it is not very famous here but the moment I tell an American that I am from India. The next word that he says is IIT. So I would say that IIT is more famous in US than in India.

On the other hand I would like to point out that if you do not like the subject you opt to study, it is going to be tough. As it is said sometimes "you think getting in is tough, try getting out". If you want details, you can google to know that there have been 7 suicides in IIT Kanpur alone in the last 3 years, 5 of which have been confirmed to be due to the academic reasons.

If you think computer science is about programming, you are grossly mistaken and the best programmers of IIT Kanpur are not in CSE dept.

The message is "Don't make money the criterion, do what you like."

 

[x3qt0r]

If you are talking about JEE, AIEEE and other such exams, they require high school level Physics for entry into college. But if you planning to do post-grad Physics you are required to know college level Physics. Are you saying high school and college physics are the same?

Miss reshma,
you got me wrong.
I quoted the term "major"..
If he <read the person who started the thread> was able to clear IIT-JEE entrance I assume that he has a good grasp of basic physics, solving I.E.Irodov is recommended book for IIT-JAM as well as IIT-JEE. :D
Hence the "major" part is already covered by him/her.
The remaining part includes developing mathematical techniques, quantum mechanics and some modern physics.

You are mistaken, it is a renowned brand in India, not quite all over the world.

WHAT IN THE NAME OF LORD ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!


To the thread starter,
The choice is yours,
If you like physics just go for it...

 

[Reshma]

I reckon the posters here aren't taking my opinion in the right spirit.

I do agree the IITs are excellent institutions that admit a group of students strong in high school sciences and give them good opportunities. However, it largely depends on the individual students how they utilize these opportunities. An undergraduate degree from IIT necessarily means that the student did well in high school sciences, BUT not much more. Just studying at IIT certainly does not indicate a high proficiency in doing research unless doing well in high school sciences indicates such a proficiency. I just wanted to emphasize on the blind and pseudo apotheosis of the brand IIT.

Moreover, aren't we the budding engineers and scientists? Engineers fix things, they don't go on and on, like a bunch of deranged loons, about issues not pertinent to the main issue at hand, which is? Well...Setting loom91 on the right course of course! Getting bogged down in verbal battles and then dragging IITs into the picture just muddies up the water.

 

[x3qt0r]

well, I really cannot make out what you are talking about.
All I am saying is, "loom91" being prepared for IIT JEE and passing it through can be safely assumed that has his basic physics good.
So he doesn't have to make "HUGE" catching up while preparing for the JAM entrance, just few things here and there.
Ofcourse he has to study for the JAM entrance, but he has a MAJOR plus point as he has already got his concepts and basics crystal clear while preparing for JEE (hopefully).

 

[loom91]

The allotment results are out, I've been allotted Mathematics and Scientific Computing in IIT Kanpur. I can specialise in CS, which means I'll have a very mathematically rigorous foundation in theoretical CS. That suits me very well. Thanks to everyone for their input.

 

[Gokul43201]

Congrats molu! From what I know of you from here, I'm sure you'll have no trouble self-studying physics, if you feel like it.

PS: There's a lot of fundamental work in Cond Mat as well. Probably more than in High Energy Physics, for a typical grad student.