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/lit/ - Literature

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14364152 No.14364152 [Reply] [Original]

As someone that loves literature and philosophy what STEM degree should I get? I’m going to be reading through the western canon while I’m at school and I’m wondering what subject would be the most interesting/compliment my other interests/give me the best prospects?

IMO why would I pay a school for a syllabus and books to read when I can do that myself? If I’m getting a degree it might as well be something I couldn’t or won’t learn on my own.

>> No.14364154

Engineering

>> No.14364157

>>14364154
This.

>> No.14364176

>>14364154
I was thinking math/physics and then pivoting towards a coding job. The work-life ratio of engineering doesn’t appeal to me at all and I’d rather have a career with more freedom.

>> No.14364414

>>14364176
This is probably your best bet. For intellectual stimulation math and physics will be most satisfying in the STEM field, but physics won't net you a career unless you go to grad school. CS is essentially applied logic and I would imagine could be fulfilling if you're creative and not just a code-monkey. You could also consider Finance if you have the personality for it.
Personally I went the humanities route, studied philosophy and literature, got an MUP, then went to law school and practice in land use and development. I have decent work-life balance, make good money, and am intellectually satisfied through both my job and extracurricular reading.

>> No.14364575

>>14364414
Law school isn’t for me, I think I’m going to major in physics/math, maybe minor in cs and then hopefully get a relevant coop before I graduate.

>> No.14364851

>>14364152
I'm currently studying math and physics AND reading through the western canon, OP. Trust me when I say that this is the most intellectually satisfying route. Don't let the engineers convince you otherwise, they don't even get to study the cool STEM shit like quantum mechanics or cosmology.

>> No.14364888

>>14364851
That’s what I’m thinking, I don’t want to be a glorified technician, I want to learn the “language of God”. I’m sure I’ll become disillusioned at some point, but the cool aspects of physics still interest, the math also seems more relevant to my interest in philosophy.

>> No.14364965

>>14364152
Anything but maths, you can't half ass a maths degree unless you go to a mega trash uni. I would say computer science/engineering for almost certain employment.

I am telling you now as a maths graduate, do NOT study maths unless you are autistic and love it. You also don't know what real maths is until uni. I was miserable during my studies and it took me 5 years to graduate.

>> No.14364996

>>14364152
I did a maths degree and foolishly did not start to read through great works until after I graduated. It goes hand in hand with philosophy, since mathematics is essentially just starting with a few basic assumptions about the universe and then figuring out the implications of those assumptions.

I was also stupid in that I stuck heavily to maths, so there weren't really jobs open to me, I just graduated knowing a lot of maths and having abive average problem solving, abstract thinking, and reasoning skills. Its not all bad, I'm going into teaching because I realised the thing I liked most about maths was explaining it to other people, and I enjoy it.

>> No.14365151

>>14364414
You are me if I had the money to actually spent on a study.
But I have to provide for my rent and father.

>> No.14365173

>>14364965
I am not autistically in love with math or CS. Is bio or Chem viable for decent career prospects?

In my mind, all of these programs will bore me, so I might as well choose the ones that are the most mentally stimulating such as math/physics.

>> No.14365256

>>14364176
If you imagine the work life balance of a physisist and an engineer will be much different you are going to be disappointed. Most physicists end up as programmers/engineers unless they stay in academia. Ang engineers can also stay in academia if they want but that is kinda beside my point.b

t. Engineer who works as a programmer with his desk next to a physisist. The main difference is he is around 20 years senior to me.

>> No.14365278

>>14365256
Yea, but I’ll learn cooler stuff in the physics program and the engineering program at my school requires 6 courses a semester to stay on schedule to grad in 4 years so fuck that.

>> No.14365283

>>14364851
Quantum mechanics is an important part of electrical engineering studies. Cosmology is not cool.

>> No.14365331

>>14365283
Physics students cover quantum field theory, meanwhile the EE students cover within the context of EE, so it’s a narrower view of the subject. I know next to nothing about cosmology, why isn’t it cool?

>> No.14365569

>>14364414
Don’t do Finance. Whatever you do plan to go all the way to a PhD. What would you study if you had to do that? Study that.

>> No.14365577

>>14365173
Not unless you go to medical school, pa school, etc.

>> No.14365661

>>14365569
It’d be nice, but PhDs for math/physics students are very competitive.