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I always wanted to be a physicist. I even got into a Physics program in a decent college. But my dad forced me to go the engineering route and I switched my ma

I always wanted to be a physicist. I even got into a Physics program in a decent college. But my dad forced me to go the engineering route and I switched my major. Two decades later, I often wonder what my life would have been if I hadn't done what he told me. Physics is super hard and regardless of my passion and devotion I don't think I would have been very good at it (I can't even do dynamic programming problems asked in coding interviews - so unlikely I would have done any useful research in physics). I would have been languishing as a professor in some unknown college making significantly less money. But the dream hasn't died out though. I still fantasize about being a physicist working on black holes or cosmology. But I have accepted it will forever remain a dream.

logicchains 5y ago
>I can't even do dynamic programming problems asked in coding interviews - so unlikely I would have done any useful research in physics Solving dynamic programming problems on the spot is about as useful to physics (or software design) as reciting the alphabet backwards very quickly is to being a good author. A lot of those problems were originally solved as someone's thesis (i.e. not in 5 minutes). Most people who do well on such problems in interviews just spent a lot of time practising, and companies like candidates who are willing to spend a bunch of time grinding something monotonous because that's what most of the work will be if hired.
- mathgenius 5y ago
  There are deep connections between dynamic programming (Bellman's equation) and the Hamilton-Jacobi wave equation...
selimthegrim 5y ago
I mean that sort of studying is useful for passing the qualifying exam but coming up with things to work on is a whole different ballgame
mathgenius 5y ago
> working on black holes or cosmology 99% of theoretical physics papers consist of torturous incremental research that no one gives a shit about, not even the authors. (I might be exaggerating slightly, but not much.)
foreigner 5y ago
Same exact scenario happened with me! I'm pretty content with my engineering career though.

logicchains 5y ago

>I can't even do dynamic programming problems asked in coding interviews - so unlikely I would have done any useful research in physics Solving dynamic programming problems on the spot is about as useful to physics (or software design) as reciting the alphabet backwards very quickly is to being a good author. A lot of those problems were originally solved as someone's thesis (i.e. not in 5 minutes). Most people who do well on such problems in interviews just spent a lot of time practising, and companies like candidates who are willing to spend a bunch of time grinding something monotonous because that's what most of the work will be if hired.

mathgenius 5y ago
There are deep connections between dynamic programming (Bellman's equation) and the Hamilton-Jacobi wave equation...

selimthegrim 5y ago

I mean that sort of studying is useful for passing the qualifying exam but coming up with things to work on is a whole different ballgame

mathgenius 5y ago

> working on black holes or cosmology 99% of theoretical physics papers consist of torturous incremental research that no one gives a shit about, not even the authors. (I might be exaggerating slightly, but not much.)

foreigner 5y ago

Same exact scenario happened with me! I'm pretty content with my engineering career though.