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Help an Undergrad Physics student! Electives!

  • 15-06-2016 10:02pm
    #1
    TMJM96
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 228 ✭✭


    Hey all,

    I'm an Applied Physics Undergrad who just finished first year, don't have results yet but I'm assuming I passed (:pac:).

    Anyway, in second year we have to pick between two electives, Physical Chemistry 3 or Sensors & Actuators. Then again in third year you have either Physical Chemistry 4 or Instrumentstion & Control.

    Basically, what would be the best to pick? I honestly have no idea what I want to do after my degree. I thought I did but college level physics is different to what I thought it was (in a good way) so I'm sort of back at having no clue as to what I want. I have a feeling those on this forum may work in both industry and others have a more academic life. What would set me up better for a career after college?

    Talking to those in other years they said choose the Chem module if you think you want an academic career and then the second module if you want a "straight to industry" career. Again, not sure what I want to do.

    Any advice anyone can give would be brilliant. :D


Comments

  • #2
    Morbert
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,457 ✭✭✭Morbert


    At a 2nd year undergrad level, you won't really be closing doors by picking one or the other.

    The best advice I can give is to get a hold of the coursework or textbooks early and have a thorough look at the course material, read up online about the respective fields, and see which appeals to you more.

    I'm familiar with chemical physics, but not physical chemistry, and I'm theoretical/computational, so I can't unfortunately give you more specific advice.


  • #3
    TMJM96
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 228 ✭✭TMJM96


    Morbert wrote: »
    At a 2nd year undergrad level, you won't really be closing doors by picking one or the other.

    The best advice I can give is to get a hold of the coursework or textbooks early and have a thorough look at the course material, read up online about the respective fields, and see which appeals to you more.

    I'm familiar with chemical physics, but not physical chemistry, and I'm theoretical/computational, so I can't unfortunately give you more specific advice.

    Thanks for replying!

    Yeah, I've been reading up on both fields and they both seem fairly interesting however Physical Chem seems a bit boring at times. Any experience I've had with Electronics has been really enjoyable (I really liked building circuits) but at the same time I was just really bad at building circuits.

    I wasn't great at the Chem Labs, my friend doing a Chem course did a lot of the work but I got more confident with being able to do them at the end of the semester so hopefully next year I can do them properly.


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