- #1
spacelime
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Hello! I am a returning student, 19YO, and will be starting back in community college in a month retaking classes I failed the first go-around with college. This is hopefully less of a "tell me what to do" thread, and more of a "clarify my misconceptions."
Basically, I am very interested in a large variety of things within the natural sciences. For instance, I'm quite fascinated with materials research that bridges biological systems with "engineering problems" -- growing organisms to sequester pollutants/micro-plastics, or replacements for leather. I thought I was going to do welding (for misguided financial reasons), but found learning about grain structures in metal/metallurgy was more exciting than doing pipes for a career. I've always been deeply connected to the urge to understand the world, and in my - albeit limited - education in the sciences, I have found more and more to be excited about.
One thing I value is a tangible connection to the concepts. Arbitrary knowledge is great for some things, but I look at the world more as a series of problems to solve. Climate change? What are we going to do about it? Agriculture unsustainable? How are we going to maximize efficiency and nutrition? This leads me to think that a career in academia is not the right choice.
With this in mind, looking at what degree I want to pursue, I am in a pickle. My original major was mechanical engineering - guided by my (highly influential) Physics/math teacher in high school, and a desire to work in/on rockets. I was 16, so I had very little other than my adolescent preconceptions to go off of. Taking a step back from school for the past 2 years has given me a broader worldview, and I've returned wanting to pursue something hard.
This is my long-winded way of asking whether I would be 'closing myself in' by pursuing a degree in Physics/Applied Physics? I don't want to dwell in school longer than necessary, for financial reasons as well as the fact that we have limited time to be who we are in this world. My intuition is pointing me towards a dual degree in physics/mech eng, but this could tack too much time onto my education to be reasonable, or simply not be worth it.
TL;DR
Can I have my cake and eat it too? Is a degree in physics a broad enough skill-set to work in the rocket industry, or is it more reasonable to pursue engineering directly?
Hope this isn't too rambling! Thanks
Basically, I am very interested in a large variety of things within the natural sciences. For instance, I'm quite fascinated with materials research that bridges biological systems with "engineering problems" -- growing organisms to sequester pollutants/micro-plastics, or replacements for leather. I thought I was going to do welding (for misguided financial reasons), but found learning about grain structures in metal/metallurgy was more exciting than doing pipes for a career. I've always been deeply connected to the urge to understand the world, and in my - albeit limited - education in the sciences, I have found more and more to be excited about.
One thing I value is a tangible connection to the concepts. Arbitrary knowledge is great for some things, but I look at the world more as a series of problems to solve. Climate change? What are we going to do about it? Agriculture unsustainable? How are we going to maximize efficiency and nutrition? This leads me to think that a career in academia is not the right choice.
With this in mind, looking at what degree I want to pursue, I am in a pickle. My original major was mechanical engineering - guided by my (highly influential) Physics/math teacher in high school, and a desire to work in/on rockets. I was 16, so I had very little other than my adolescent preconceptions to go off of. Taking a step back from school for the past 2 years has given me a broader worldview, and I've returned wanting to pursue something hard.
This is my long-winded way of asking whether I would be 'closing myself in' by pursuing a degree in Physics/Applied Physics? I don't want to dwell in school longer than necessary, for financial reasons as well as the fact that we have limited time to be who we are in this world. My intuition is pointing me towards a dual degree in physics/mech eng, but this could tack too much time onto my education to be reasonable, or simply not be worth it.
TL;DR
Can I have my cake and eat it too? Is a degree in physics a broad enough skill-set to work in the rocket industry, or is it more reasonable to pursue engineering directly?
Hope this isn't too rambling! Thanks