Studying Should I choose Engineering over Physics?

[micromass]

improving how our daily life really works. I want to be able to bring better technology to our future life and improve how old technology works to make it more useful than it is now! Not only do I want to improve how our mechanical nor electrical devices work, but instead improve how our architecture, genetics and energy studies work. I know that this sounds like a mission that was set to work only if time didn't exist, but may I remind you that nothing is really impossible!

Sounds like engineering to me.

 

[PantheraC]

Sounds like engineering to me.

What type of engineering is it? :)

 

[micromass]

What type of engineering is it? :)

It sounds like all types of engineering, which is impossible to do. You'll need to make a choice.

 

[symbolipoint]

About post #50:
Most of what you describe to want is Engineering. Much of what you said in the post is not well organized thoughts. Pick something, some program, and study it. Do the required courses within and outside of those of the Engineering department for an Engineering degree, and you will need to pick how you want to focus (elective courses) after that.

 

[PantheraC]

It sounds like all types of engineering, which is impossible to do. You'll need to make a choice.

About post #50:
Most of what you describe to want is Engineering. Much of what you said in the post is not well organized thoughts. Pick something, some program, and study it. Do the required courses within and outside of those of the Engineering department for an Engineering degree, and you will need to pick how you want to focus (elective courses) after that.

That's where it becomes hard for a moment..
I can't think of a faster way to do this without having to go through all the Engineering degrees all by once..

 

[micromass]

That's where it becomes hard for a moment..
I can't think of a faster way to do this without having to go through all the Engineering degrees all by once..

Your goal is impossible. You can't master all those disciplines. This is not the 16th century where a person could still be knowledgeable in all things. You'll need to pick and choose. Go ahead and don't believe us, you'll find out sooner rather than later.

 

[PantheraC]

Your goal is impossible. You can't master all those disciplines. This is not the 16th century where a person could still be knowledgeable in all things. You'll need to pick and choose. Go ahead and don't believe us, you'll find out sooner rather than later.

I never said that I wouldn't believe you, I saw that and knew that I had to spend a lot of time to finish what I am planning on finishing!
So now I have only one thing that I am still confused about, what Engineering degree should I study? I am more into Electrical & Mechanical Engineering fields than the others.

 

[donpacino]

So now I have only one thing that I am still confused about, what Engineering degree should I study? I am more into Electrical & Mechanical Engineering fields than the others.

sounds to me like you should study electrical or mechanical.

Like i said before most programs start general for the first year. you can switch during that period if you want.

 

[Astronuc]

So now I have only one thing that I am still confused about, what Engineering degree should I study? I am more into Electrical & Mechanical Engineering fields than the others.

One could do both, or one with a minor in the other. If possible, do as much physics as one is able.

Most engineering disciplines involved normal scales from mm to m to km is various systems. The m to km scale would apply to transportation and energy distribution systems.

With microelectronics, we moved down to the micron level, and now with nano-technology, we're concerned about nanometer scale. There have been areas where we've been concerned about the picometer scale (and even fm) in terms of relating atoms and sub-atomic structure to metals, alloys, molecules and compounds.

These days, we tackle a broad range of scales from subatomic to km.

Engineering is more or less applied physics, and one has to determine the balance of theory and application in which one wishes to practice.

 

[symbolipoint]

PantheraC,
Pick Engineering. Do the required Mathematics courses early or along the way. A program in Engineering (or any "major" field) will have some required "CORE" courses which every student must study. Pick electives as you see or find interest. This means, along with required Math and Physics courses, you enroll in and study specified core Engineering courses. You do not do every course all at once. You take certain courses in a sequence, term by term. You should find in the university or college catalog for the section on your Engineering program, a listing of what is suggested for each sequence of semesters. This would naturally be a listing of what you could enroll in during each semester. The listing will cover four or five years.

 

[PantheraC]

One could do both, or one with a minor in the other. If possible, do as much physics as one is able.

Most engineering disciplines involved normal scales from mm to m to km is various systems. The m to km scale would apply to transportation and energy distribution systems.

With microelectronics, we moved down to the micron level, and now with nano-technology, we're concerned about nanometer scale. There have been areas where we've been concerned about the picometer scale (and even fm) in terms of relating atoms and sub-atomic structure to metals, alloys, molecules and compounds.

These days, we tackle a broad range of scales from subatomic to km.

Engineering is more or less applied physics, and one has to determine the balance of theory and application in which one wishes to practice.

In the first place I was trying to figure out how to study as much Physics as I could and then I get recommended to study Engineering, because Physics wasn't the correct answer. One thing that I don't know is that could you study Applied Physics for all type of Engineering by once?

I've been reading about nanotechnology and other scales technology and found it to be amazing how our technology is improving and what we can expect to see in the future!

 

[PantheraC]

PantheraC,
Pick Engineering. Do the required Mathematics courses early or along the way. A program in Engineering (or any "major" field) will have some required "CORE" courses which every student must study. Pick electives as you see or find interest. This means, along with required Math and Physics courses, you enroll in and study specified core Engineering courses. You do not do every course all at once. You take certain courses in a sequence, term by term. You should find in the university or college catalog for the section on your Engineering program, a listing of what is suggested for each sequence of semesters. This would naturally be a listing of what you could enroll in during each semester. The listing will cover four or five years.

That would be the obvious thing to do if I choose Engineering as my study, because it would be harder to manage time if continue on finishing every Engineering field (4 if I choose Engineering to be the subject I will study).

 

[Student100]

You're still stuck on this idea that you can do everything.

That would be the obvious thing to do if I choose Engineering as my study, because it would be harder to manage time if continue on finishing every Engineering field (4 if I choose Engineering to be the subject I will study).

I think you're confused, you don't ever finish a "engineering field." Can you take 12~ or so years out of your life to get every type of engineering degree possible? Sure, if you can find a university that will let you do that and are independent wealthy. Does this mean you've now mastered 4~ fields of engineering? Not even close. By the time you finish the last, the first degree will be worthless because of advances in the field and atrophy from not using your degree in industry. The degree itself only certifies a basic understanding of the underlying concepts and ability to enter the work force as an entry level engineer.

 

[Student100]

In the first place I was trying to figure out how to study as much Physics as I could and then I get recommended to study Engineering, because Physics wasn't the correct answer. One thing that I don't know is that could you study Applied Physics for all type of Engineering by once?

I've been reading about nanotechnology and other scales technology and found it to be amazing how our technology is improving and what we can expect to see in the future!

Physics is more or less divorced from applications related to the basic research that goes on in academia. So no, what you listed you wanted to do is not physics. Further, applied physics is not a certain physics subject, or series of courses married to a certain engineering discipline. So saying, "study applied physics for all types of engineering" doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

In the US applied physics is a fancy name given to engineering students (most every program I looked at are offered by the engineering department) in a program that gives students more theory (physics) and a broader set of engineering subjects to choose from. This results in a knowledge base that is supposedly broader - yet at the same time shallower - than either a physics student or an engineering student given a specific specialization. The degree program is the closest to the jack of all trades you want to be, but you will not master (or even study!) every field by any means.

 

[PantheraC]

You're still stuck on this idea that you can do everything.
I think you're confused, you don't ever finish a "engineering field." Can you take 12~ or so years out of your life to get every type of engineering degree possible? Sure, if you can find a university that will let you do that and are independent wealthy. Does this mean you've now mastered 4~ fields of engineering? Not even close. By the time you finish the last, the first degree will be worthless because of advances in the field and atrophy from not using your degree in industry. The degree itself only certifies a basic understanding of the underlying concepts and ability to enter the work force as an entry level engineer.

Physics is more or less divorced from applications related to the basic research that goes on in academia. So no, what you listed you wanted to do is not physics. Further, applied physics is not a certain physics subject, or series of courses married to a certain engineering discipline. So saying, "study applied physics for all types of engineering" doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

In the US applied physics is a fancy name given to engineering students (most every program I looked at are offered by the engineering department) in a program that gives students more theory (physics) and a broader set of engineering subjects to choose from. This results in a knowledge base that is supposedly broader - yet at the same time shallower - than either a physics student or an engineering student given a specific specialization. The degree program is the closest to the jack of all trades you want to be, but you will not master (or even study!) every field by any means.

Yeah that's true, I have this idea stuck in my mind because that's what I am dreaming of doing in my life! Well, at least you saved my life and told me that, thanks! Now I am planning on studying only to majors in Engineering and these are Mechanical & Electrical Engineering! Thanks once again everyone for everything you've done for me and I will never forget how you helped me out figuring what I should do when I was stuck with the mindset of finishing every Engineering field as fast as possible and get out with PhD in everything (craziest dang someone could come up with!).