Schools Should I Study Physics or Engineering at a Top University?

[guillefix]

Hello, I've just started my last year of high school in an international shcool in Spain and need to start thinking about applications, universities, courses, etc. and as for many people, the hardest part is making decissions.

First, I have the typical physics-engineering problem Let me explain my case: I just love the endeavour of understanding Nature, and all the satisfaction of making new discoveries and thinking about new fundamental ideas (which there are many to find still). I also find problems in pure mathematics astonishing. In the other side, I think that using this rules we call laws of physics to do useful and innovative stuff is just as fun and interesting as finding out about the rules themselves and I think they are both inseparable aspects of the game that people with an insatiable curiosity, like me , like to play. I think that describes pretty much of why I find so hard to decide between physics and engineering, I hope you can now help me making a decission.

The second part of my dilemma are universities. My mother is very keen on me doing the undergraduate studies here in Spain (Madrid to be specific); however, I think that applying to top universities in physics/engineering programmes, like MIT, Standford Caltech, Oxbridge, etc. would be a good idea. But after reading some threads I think that these top unis aren't as good at teaching as they say, they just are very renown. I think as well that many people think that these are better for graduate studies (because the prestige is more useful then, when you are going to get all the offers from companies) and do the undergraduate in an ok university which might even give more attention to students..What do you think, are these tops ones good for undergraduates, or just for graduate studies?

Thanks in advance and hope you can help me

 

[physiker_192]

The top universities you mentioned often pick good professors as well, but a good researcher need not be a good teacher. So its hard to generalise here whether a university is more suited toward grad or undergrad study. Whatever opinion you might read on the web might be coming from a small percentage of the total students count making a solid conclusion infeasible.
If you don't want to go far and worry about finances, have a look at Germany, tuition fees are typically around 1000eur per year.
Most bachelor programmes are held in German though, but I have seen a large influx of Spanish exchange students at my university. Its also not that far from Spain.

My university offers an Engineering Physics programme:
http://www.ph.tum.de/angebot/info?language=en

The Engineering Physics master programme is held in English (the bachelor is in German).