• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

You are here: Home / Life / Academics / CM’s Guide to the Physics Major

CM’s Guide to the Physics Major

November 16, 2015 //  by Isabella Senzamici

Share1FacebookTweet

Physics explores the forces that affect every aspect of human activity, from a foot sinking into sand to the sun’s endless white-hot burn in a pale-blue sky. It takes life’s fundamental mysteries and attempts to uncover the secrets buried beneath them. Studying matter, energy and the interaction between the two, physics speaks to the scientific miracles we witness daily. For those who want to engross themselves in a science that spans across galaxies and sub-atomic particles, majoring in physics is for you.

What You’ll Be Doing

physics
giphy.com

Because physics deals with all types of matter, classes included in undergraduate programs vary significantly. Nuclear physics, geophysics and astrophysics all function independently of each other and thus require separate curriculums. Before narrowing your niche, some basic science and math classes are required. “In my final year of classes, I took electricity and magnetism, optics, mechanics, quantum mechanics, observational astrophysics, three separate advanced lab courses, a mathematical methods in physics course and a senior survey course on science in culture,” said University of Colorado alumnus Dr. Evan Smith, a researcher at the Ohio Air Force Laboratory. These classes prod students not just to learn, but also generate new knowledge.

Upsides

physics2
giphy.com

1. “The best I can explain majoring in physics is to describe it as a crash course in everything science related. So with that being said, it has made me extremely adaptable to learning new things on the fly.” – Dr. Josh Webster, Florida State University, Interim High School Physics Teacher

2. “There’s no way that the major can’t prepare you for a future job. It’s not one of those majors where the knowledge is subjective and can be determined by the professor; the exact and precise science of physics will be applicable to anything and everything you do post-college. You’re really qualified for almost any career.” –Dr. Ron Weiss, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Post-Doctoral Research in Plasma Physics

3. “If your teachers are engaged and excited to teach you the material, you’ll want to go to class more than you’ll want to sleep in. You either love physics or you hate it; and chances are, if you love it, you’ll spend every day psyched to learn new information about how the world works.” -Dr. Evan Smith, University of Colorado, Researcher at Ohio Air Force Laboratory

Downsides

downsides
giphy.com

1. “The thing to consider about the physics major is whether you’ll be taking classes at a large university or not. Being at a liberal arts school, I had less opportunities for research than had I gone to a larger school with a robust graduate program.” – Dr. Evan Smith, University of Colorado, Researcher at Ohio Air Force Laboratory

2. “The problem with the physics major at the undergraduate level comes from the depth of knowledge you’re required to have to be successful, and not just what is required to fulfill graduation requirements. Sometimes you’re required to learn and use various mathematical techniques that aren’t taught in any of the prerequisite math courses. So as a physics major, you’re urged to take extra math courses that aren’t required, but are very helpful to solving problems.” – Dr. Josh Webster, Florida State University, Interim High School Physics Teacher

3. “You may find it hard to narrow your specialty while taking classes. Because my physics program was such a broad, general curriculum, I was never inspired one way or another to go into a particular physics field and ended up feeling clueless after I received my degree. After a few internships and research opportunities, I was on my feet again, but that’s something to think about while you’re finishing the major, not after.” -Dr. Ron Weiss, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Post-Doctoral Research in Plasma Physics

Career Opportunities

physics3
giphy.com

1. Geophysicist

As a geophysicist, you’ll delve into earth’s darkest mysteries and explore for oil, gas and minerals during site investigations. Chances are, you might even be employed at archaeological excavations to locate buried historical remains.

2. Nuclear physicist

Yes, you can actually become one of these. Nuclear physicists study particles in an atom’s nucleus, working mostly in research for the electronics, aerospace, communications, energy and healthcare industries, as well as in research laboratories and government agencies.

3. Meteorologist

Put on your best weatherman voice, because as a meteorologist you’ll research information about atmospheric conditions like temperature and pressure and how they create weather and climate.

4. Higher Education Lecturer

Should you want to pass on your hard-earned knowledge to impressionable youths, these lecturers teach academic and vocational subjects to undergraduate and graduate students at univerisities.

5. Seismic Interpreter

Seismic interpreters combine the use of 2-D, 3-D and 4-D models with their geological knowledge to calculate the depth and outline of underground formations in order to estimate mineral or carbon deposits. Energy or mineral extraction companies use this data to make informed environmental assesments or analyze geological research depending on the work setting.

Share1FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Academics College Majors

About Isabella Senzamici

Student, musician, and writer who loves binge-watching shows on the Food Network and reading any and every book she can get her hands on. Senior at Florida State University studying Editing, Writing, and Media.

You May Also Like

cover photo sju si

Top 10 Best Resources Offered at St. John’s University-Staten Island

What Your Favorite Pixar Movie Says About You: College Edition

CM’s Guide to St. John’s University-Staten Island Campus

pensive

Tackling the Beast After 2020: Applying to Graduate School

CM’s Top 10 Best Pharmacy Schools in the Nation

10 Insanely Hard Classes to Avoid at Penn State

It’s Okay If Your Grades Fall Behind During a Pandemic

student typing on laptop

The Key to Surviving an Online Math Class in 2020

guy online

The Transition to Online Classes: A New Struggle or a Desirable Change? 

College Magazine’s Guide to the Engineering Major

smiling graduate

Redefining Success as a Freshman in College

Top 10 Hermione Granger Approved Colleges for Bookworms

20 Notable UConn Alumni Who Changed the World

10 Most-Loved Professors at the University of Florida

red stoplight

Reflections of a Nervous Post-Graduate

https://unsplash.com/photos/Z-ceDRi9fVU

Is There Such a Thing as Being Too Ambitious in College?

10 Invaluable Skills You Get from Learning and Working Virtually

Virtual Learning

Class Etiquette 101: The Unspoken Rules of Zoom

future teacher

CM’s Ultimate Guide to the English Education Major

How to Study for a Test When Your Roommates are Pregaming

online acting classes

The Show Must Go On: 10 Tips for Success in Online Acting Classes

aesthetic books

15 School Supplies English Majors Literature-lly Need This Fall 

tips for online classes

10 Tips for Acing Your Remote Classes This Semester

girl in graduation cap and gown standing with her back to the camera

Go Grad! 10 Ways to Beat the Graduate School Scaries

Previous Post: « Why I’m Not Sad About the Door that Closed
Next Post: The Pros(e) of Being an English Major »

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

102

10 St. John’s University Finals Activities to Help You De-Stress

mental health
95

Pandemic and Academic Blues: Being Aware of Your Mental Health

23

A Gator’s Bucket-List: 21 Things to Do Before Graduating From UF

Broadway
15

10 Musical Soundtracks to Make Study Sessions That Much Easier

songs to belt out
14

21 Songs to Belt Out in the Shower

Featured Chapter: St. John’s University

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

Copyright © 2021 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.