mr-tom said:
Just wondering what peoples thoughts are on the 'Physics with Theoretical Physics' course. I've never really had any lab work in Physics but I'm assuming I would find it tedious and boring (if it's anything like chemistry lab work). I much prefer the mathematical side and am much more able at mathematics than practical. I'll have Maths, Further Maths and Physics A-levels next year.
I was in the same position as you before starting uni, and actually chose physics in the end (at one of the unis you mentioned), even though I too hated chemistry/physics lab work. I found that to no surprise I didn't really enjoy physics uni lab work either, and enjoyed the computational labs and theoretical stuff a lot more, so I ended up switching over to theoretical physics.
From what you've described about yourself, I would say you will enjoy the theoretical modules and theory labs more, so would go with that, but like Cristo said it's no big deal anyway because you can just swap.
It's a bit early to say at this stage, but if you were thinking of a PhD in a theoretical subject like string theory, it might even be worth while considering a joint maths-physics degree, as you would have to learn it during such a PhD anyway, and this gives you the luxery of learning it in a formal setting. This route would basically kill lab completley (I don't know if that appeals to you or not) and in my experience, it wouldn't have meant I missed out on anything I found interesting (things like Solid state physics, gas liquids and solids etc would have been lost but you would gain things like algebraic geometry, differential geometry, group theory all v useful for further study in theoretical particle physics). But it's prob wayyy to early to know what you want to do a PhD in, or even if you want to do a PhD at all or not. I knew someone who swapped to joint math-phys at the end of year 1, so it is possible to even do this.
Also what are the job prospects like for a graduate in Theoretical Physics as opposed to straight Physics. I've heard that many go into finance and IT which I wouldn't mind as long as I'm earning good money.
Pretty much the same as a graduate from straight physics to be honest. If you take labs and projects with more programming in this might be an advantage to getting a role in say an IT consultancy.
As for finance, investment banks and the like recruit at the graduate level from all numerical (and even some non numerical) degrees, but these jobs are extremely competitive (in the UK they recruit from target universities with Oxbridge, Imperial, LSE, UCL being the top five, typically graduates with a first class degree, and you will need to actual show knowledge and interest in finance itself). I would suggest if in a few years you are attracted by the huge salaries and bonuses of investment banking, you take some finance options which will be offered to you, get plenty of extra curricular things going, and starting reading the FT
Like I said investment banking is a very competitive area, since starting salaries for fresh grads are typically £30-40k, plus bonuses, and within 5 years you would typically be earning £150k+ . The hours are long long long however, i.e. 12 hr days as standard, with frequent 15hr days cropping up.
Lots of physics grads always go into acturial work, but this involves taking further qualifications (whilst you're working for the company), until you've done this you'd be on about 20k for a few years. When you become qualified (like I say after a good few years) the salary goes to about £50k.
Other options are the nuclear industry, engineering like BAE systems, medical industry, software development. A good link for typical career paths for UK physicists:
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/physics.htm
In brief the only way Theory vs straight physics is going to make a real difference is if you go down the PhD route, and you can discover this sometime into your degree after having a taste of everything.
