Doing a Physics degree if cannot get into Engineering

[blueshoes]

Is it a viable option for ds to study Physics at university, rather than Engineering, if Ds wants to be an engineer when he graduates?

Ds is waiting for his A level results and has to go into clearing in August as he wishes to swap from his UCAS firm choice of Economics into an Engineering course. Being a serial mind changer, it is a matter of chance whether a place comes up in clearing for him to get into an Engineering course of his choice (General, Mechanical or Aeronautical) at a university of his choice.

In the spirit of hedging his bets, it looks slightly easier to get into Physics courses. He might be able to get a Physics course in clearing at a more competitive university.

Is is wise for him to do Physics if he wants to be an engineer is in terms of getting a job and desirability to big employers? Dh and I have no background in engineering or sciences and have no idea.

Just to throw a spanner in the works, ds might change his mind again and decide to go into finance on graduation. How would a Physics (as opposed to Engineering) degree be regarded by Finance employers?

All tips and thoughts gratefully received, as they were on my previous thread🙏

@blueshoesPlease don’t think I’m being difficult but does he want planes or infrastructure? These two aren’t interchangeable really. Nottingham and Manchester MEng (what engineering?) are good offers. The Sheffield course is fairly new I think. However he really should know what he’s interested in by now because doing 3 or 4 years in depth engineering you don’t care about is going to seem like a long time. Has he no deep interest in anything??

@TizerorFizz It is a fair point. I don't think ds particularly wants planes or infrastructure. He just thinks the modules in Aero sound more interesting than Civil.

Ds is as shallow as a pond in the outback in terms of deep interests. I don't think is that unusual for his age. I believe many teenagers, including me at his age, don't have a strong idea what they want to do and choose a uni degree that leaves options open. Others choose a course in the best brand name uni that their grades qualify them for. So I think ds is doing pretty well to get into a recognised uni to do a solid course in subjects he likes and is reasonably good at. He will have a better idea of his interests once he does the course and may manoevre during that time if he needs to.

Ds accepted Civil MEng at Manchester 😁

@blueshoesThey are vocational courses though. I’ve yet to meet an engineer who didn’t care about what they did. As a result they applied for the relevant courses.

DH had been interested in architecture (and did a short architecture course at school) so liked buildings and infrastructure. They also did some mechanical engineering as part of engineering A level and this meant he was reasonably well informed about engineering disciplines. We have many engineers as friends and none were ambivalent. Maybe that’s why most have been very successful!

Having a good engineering degree will open plenty of doors - DS did aero at imperial, and there are not tonnes of aero jobs in the UK if you don’t want to work in defence. Not none, but not enough for everyone with an aero degree to walk into one.

I think the Imperial figures when he graduated were that only about 25% of their engineering grads get engineering jobs, and although he swore blind that would never be him, of course it was.

DS works in advertising, and earns six figures. DH works in a very similar role and his undergrad degree was in Philosophy, so the subject doesn’t really matter. Your son could also pivot into management consultancy, finance, law or accounting very easily.

@LemondrizzleShark your ds must be incredibly bright to do aero at Imperial and then bag a high paying advertising role. It gives me hope for ds that he can pivot into other areas you mentioned. Can I ask how your ds got into advertising? Seems a bit of a leap considering he is such a highly qualified STEM guy but what do I know about advertising or aero!

@TizerorFizz ds is not an engineer's engineer, as you have rightly surmised. He is more of a generalist. If he works in an engineering company, I am guessing ds is more likely to eventually go into project management or the management/commercial side. I think you make your own success and success comes in different forms especially in this day and age where it is uncertain what the jobs of the future will be in the age of AI.

I am just happy for ds to bask in the happiness of getting into his degree choice after a rather emotionally gruelling day in Clearing.

Yes, the engineers care about what they do - but as I think you’re well aware some do engineering degrees and then go into other careers, in which they may benefit to a greater or lesser extent from their studies. (Same applies to other STEM courses). There are many roles in which being thoroughly technically/scientifically literate is an advantage.

@ErrolTheDragon Well yes, well aware of that! However there’s a big difference between aeronautical and civil. Even spending 4 years doing something that doesn’t float your boat might be 4 years too long.

Come to say the same thing as many that if he wants to be an engineer, he needs an engineering degree. The reverse isn't true. I have a electrical and electronic engineering degree and I'm in software. Software engineering has a lot of maths and physics graduates. However, I think most physics graduates are in finance. Data scientist is another very popular area now with maths and physics graduates. Many computer science graduates don't have good enough maths for it.

Congrats on your son at Manchester. He'll have a good time there. It's a very good university for engineering.