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I'm currently a student in Pittsburgh. I enjoy writing and tend to do very well in English classes, but I also have an interest in the sciences. I have taken math and physics before (came in as an engineering major) and not done particularly well, but I am now determined that I can improve my grades based on the fact that I am now adjusted to where I live and am more focused and ready to work harder. As it stands, I'm looking at a BA in physics and to also double major in English or English writing (both seem like they'd be interesting). Seems like a good plan, right? Well, I'm a little nervous about what to do afterward.
Technical writing may be of some interest to me. I don't particularly want an engineering type job and don't really think I want to go to grad school - I'd be interested in a career where I could write, possibly in combination with a science background. The courses I'd be taking would give me a deep knowledge of calculus and physics (up to calculus 3 and modern physics topics) and I have the option of taking a few more classes in physics and calculus if I so choose.
The reason for picking the BA rather than the BS in physics is based on the fact that I would need to go another year or two to fit in the courses necessary for a BS and because I wouldn't have much time for taking more difficult English and writing courses - I suppose I COULD take more difficult courses, but in combination with a degree in Physics I imagine this would be very difficult and possibly not in my best interest based upon what I previously said regarding my choice in major(s). If anybody has a little bit of advice on what I could DO with a BA in physics, seeing as it gives me a good understanding of physics and high level math but isn't necessarily geared toward a technical career, I'd be very interested in hearing from you in this thread. Any other advice or comments are welcome. Thanks guys!
What did you intend to do after graduation when you decided to major in physics? I don't think BAs in physics are particularly useful, coupled with the fact that there are plenty of unemployed/underemployed technical writers out there, I'm not sure what you expect to do when you graduate.
What did you intend to do after graduation when you decided to major in physics? I don't think BAs in physics are particularly useful, coupled with the fact that there are plenty of unemployed/underemployed technical writers out there, I'm not sure what you expect to do when you graduate.
That's essentially what I'm asking for advice on. I had the idea of technical writing or anything that could make use of people with both good communication skills and some skills in a technical field, yet I don't exactly know what those careers would be.
Proposal Writing (government or private sectors)
Copy Writing
Grant Writing
IT Writer (manuals/handbooks etc)
Medical Writer
Translation Coordinator
Analytic's Writer
Editing
Legal Writer (laws etc)
All jobs you CAN do with an English degree, but are incredibly unlikely to get or else are mostly freelance (i.e.starvation). I think the OP should explore more opportunities in the sciences - good writing skills may set him apart from other engineers and help his career, but I doubt a degree in English will do much. Then again, who knows....these days everyone is unemployed, even some engineers.
OK I may sound harsh, but it sounds like you need some tough love .
1) BA in Physics is a waste of time / money / talent. go BS and then Masters or dont even bother. if you feel that you aren't gifted enough to compete with Indians/Chinese - you may want to look into finance or accounting (slightly more boring, but more applicable to real life, has tons of numbers in it and there are lots of jobs out there). I've seen way too many examples where Engineers switch careers in mid life to become Finance guys.
2) English (any degree, even the freaking PhD) is a waste of time / money / talent as well. they brainwash you into beliveing that "you can do anything you want with an English degree". complete hogwash -- and the world gets another bartender . if you like this type of degree, go into corporate communications / human resources. again, same stuff, but more job opportunities out there / better pay.
All jobs you CAN do with an English degree, but are incredibly unlikely to get or else are mostly freelance (i.e.starvation). I think the OP should explore more opportunities in the sciences - good writing skills may set him apart from other engineers and help his career, but I doubt a degree in English will do much. Then again, who knows....these days everyone is unemployed, even some engineers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pzrOrange
OK I may sound harsh, but it sounds like you need some tough love .
1) BA in Physics is a waste of time / money / talent. go BS and then Masters or dont even bother. if you feel that you aren't gifted enough to compete with Indians/Chinese - you may want to look into finance or accounting (slightly more boring, but more applicable to real life, has tons of numbers in it and there are lots of jobs out there). I've seen way too many examples where Engineers switch careers in mid life to become Finance guys.
2) English (any degree, even the freaking PhD) is a waste of time / money / talent as well. they brainwash you into beliveing that "you can do anything you want with an English degree". complete hogwash -- and the world gets another bartender . if you like this type of degree, go into corporate communications / human resources. again, same stuff, but more job opportunities out there / better pay.
Okay, I'm a professional writer. I work full time as a proposal writer and am getting my Masters in Science in Professional Writer (public and private sectors). I work with 4 other proposal writers and my company as a whole employs about 40 writers for government and private proposals. We also recruit for fortune 1000 companies hundreds of full time positions like the ones I listed above. Yes, you need experience or certification or an advanced degree, but the positions are out there and are some of the few that are NOT being outsourced.
If you have what it takes to complete engineering then go for it. You can always write for fun (like posting on CD) on your spare time. There's a lot of writing in engineering too. It's a great career.
Ha, I had a similar schism of wants a couple of years ago.
I ended up completing a BA in Philosophy instead. It can get pretty technical, but it's a lot of writing and reading overly nuanced documents. But, imo, it's well worth it. It taught me a lot, and gave me time to think about what I wanted to do.
I have a decent number of science/math credits, so, now my plan is to finish a degree in math, and minor in biology/geology, while applying to relevant grad schools, related more to what I want. The good news is, most grad school programs don't mind a degree in a non related field as long as you took the required courses to manage their program.
So, my advice is, if you're willing to go to grad school, figure out which programs you want to get into, do the courses that are specifically required for that program, and in the meantime do whatever you want. The truth ks, these days, undergrad means nothing.
Except for engineering, which was what I wanted to do, and did, the first year of college.
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. if you like this type of degree, go into corporate communications / human resources. again, same stuff, but more job opportunities out there / better pay.
