<p>@NPcomplete thanks man. i had no idea about that. always thought calculus & real analysis are the same stuff. you arent applying for admission this fall, are you? you’re gonna be one hell of a competitor!</p>
<p>guys i’m in a sorta dilemma. and i’d appreciate any heip in the matter.
though i’m lousy at it, i do happen to like mathematics a bit(more than just a ‘bit’ actually). well, so i thought about doing a dual degree in both physics and mathematics. will it be worth the extra effort, time and money? will i get any actual benifits in the market? or will it just serve to quench, a bit, my thirst for knowledge? because i’ll surely(or at least i hope to) do research in astrophysics.
thank you.</p>
<p>@Akashdip: I think you would definitely get some benefits, since mathematics and physics are both in-demand subjects. It could help you in research as well, since you will have an in depth knowledge of mathematics, which is always essential if you want to do research in any science.</p>
<p>But there are issues as well. First, both are rigorous majors, and majoring in both can be really difficult. And since you want to do research, it is almost mandatory that you have to go on to grad school. Grad schools will definitely look at your CGPA, so it is important that you perform exceptionally well in both majors. Although I dun have evidence to prove this, I think having a 3.5 CGPA in one major is much better than having a 2.5 CGPA in 2…</p>
<p>@RoughE thanks man. i’m sure i can manage exceptional grades in both of them. the question was not whether i can put in the extra effort, but should i put in the extra effort? 'cause its gonna cost me extra money & one extra year as well.
i’m looking forward to a few more honest opinions. thank you.</p>
<p>another thing guys. i need clarification in a silly matter regarding the u.s. system of education.
what are the degrees offered for a student pursuing science or math? correct me.
=>4 year bs
=>2 year ms
=>4 year phd
can one do phd directly after completing his bs? i’m asking this 'cause here in india, we’re allowed to do that if one’s got a 4 year bs degree.</p>
<p>I’ve heard of people doing Phd directly after BS/BA. But these are probably very rare cases.</p>
<p>@akashdin,yes it is possible to do phd,after bs,our landlord’s son (studied in us)he did phd after his bs,but you have to be really good.</p>
<p>@akashdip,sorry I spelled your name wrong on the previous post,wasnt looking on the screen while typing,lol</p>
<p>I guess its a common factor in US study system… One of my known Bro gonna complete his undergrad from UMinnesota (Biomedical Engineering) nd He already got accepted into PhD program in Neuroscience of University of California, Irvine. </p>
<p>Another Bangladeshi guy will Graduate from UMich this year and already got into PhD program in Mechanical Engineering of MIT.</p>
<p>So akashdip don’t worry man. U can do your PhD just after completing your undergrad.</p>
<p>These guys were always Dean’s listed for 8 semesters and the later guy had a CGPA of 4.00/4.00 in Aerospace Engineering (Although I’m not sure whether CGPA is a major factor for PhD or not) :)</p>
<p>thanks both of you. i was sorta confused. so i gotta study & research hard to save 2 years, right?</p>
<p>I guess so 
Its not that tough to maintain a good CGPA.</p>
<p>MIT Mech E. even before completion of bachelors! he must have one hell of a resume & an arsenal of research works…</p>
<p>Got my first result for the night. Tufts University- Accepted… Yay!
Just hoping my luck holds through the rest of the night… Good luck to everyone on Ivy day…</p>
<p>Wow RoughE.</p>
<p>Awesome news. Some people I know got rejected. But Congrats!!!</p>
<p>@ Akashdip: yeah dude…he had an awesome resume :)</p>
<p>@ RoughE: Congratz Broda Vandy + Tufts = Party</p>
<p>@RoughE,congratz man…your on a roll.</p>
<p>Around 1 hour left for Columbia Decision. :)</p>
<p>Thanks guys… really means a lot to me…</p>
<p>@Rough: Congrats at your acceptances! The country is proud of you!</p>
<p>@akash: I did apply this year. I have poor extracurriculars though, so I may not be much competition. Physics degrees are useful depending on the context. Theoretical physics like quantum theory and astrophysics generally garners less jobs because industries don’t value the theoretical knowledge much. It is not impossible however, and if you are in love with these subjects, there is no substitute for passion. However, physics that is directly used in engineering applications like solid-state and computational fluid dynamics are fields where research is still in demand for solid applications in electronics and biological systems. In any case, a physics bachelor degree is difficult to work with, but a PhD makes things much easier. If you can pick up knowledge of statistics (like numerical analysis) and programming, then that makes your physics degree much more versatile. </p>
<p>However, high-paying jobs for research and professorship in the U.S. are generally very limited for nearly all fields because only a few spots open up each year as opposed to thousands of students getting their degree. However, lots of physics PhDs move to other fields like finance, especially because they have the math skills and math is transferrable to any field. So you can do what you love in college and transfer your skills to another field if the field you originally chose was mathematically-inclined. The only problem is that you shouldn’t expect a job ready for you in the field you originally desire. If you are looking at other countries though, such as Canada, Australia, Germany, France and Japan (and willing to learn the languages for the latter three), then job opportunities greatly increase in every scientific discipline.</p>
<p>Math degree is not very different although, while physics transfers very easily to engineering and finance, mathematics transfers even better to finance and if you have solid math skills, you could easily pick up an econometrics book and absorb it within a couple weeks. You could pick up accounting and actuarial textbooks and call them easy, ASSUMING you studied mathematics with an informed passion. But as in the case with physics, a math degree does not guarantee a professorship, but it still can be transferred to other fields, especially if you have a PhD. </p>
<p>So do not worry about the jobs if you do not mind transferring skills. If you definitely do not want to get a PhD and you do not want to retrain yourself and you are not willing to learn a new language, then only is when you worry yourself with jobs. But otherwise, the money will find your passions and not the other way around. This is all assuming you are pursuing a scientific field that is mathematically-inclined. Physics is surely one of them.</p>
<p>NP</p>