Math/Literature/English/Spanish/Physics/Economics/Biology/everythingelse/chemistry. I'm taking Chem/Eco/English/Adv. Math/Physics/Adv. Spanish this year, and really I have no interest in taking Chemistry ever again, but I need to if I plan on doing Physics. According to my dad, chemistry all connects once you get to a certain point, but until then its the boring stuff we're doing now. If anyone knows, its him, considering he's a biochemist. Also, even though that order is all well and good, everything but chemistry is an A+ easily, and chem hopefully is an A.
Chemistry does unify when you get further ahead, and becomes more like Physics, but you don't need it at all to do Physics. I dropped first year Chem like it was hot - the amount of Chemistry I've needed to do my physics degree, with a major in quantum physics (one of the most chemistryish physics there is), was absolutely minimal.
In general, for physical sciences, having a strong foundation in mathematics, calculus specifically, will serve you a lot better than Chemistry, or even High School physics will.
Somehow, I'm good at lit and Bio, though I have no interest in them whatsoever. I probably wont end up doing physics since nowadays its not exactly figuring out why apples fall on your head, its all astronomy or very small particles, which again, I'm not particularly interested in.
Physics is actually quite varied, though it will depend where you go. Your undergrad studies will typically cover: Mechanics, Fluids, Thermodynamics, Electromagnetism, Quantum Mechanics, Optics, Plasma, Astrophysics and Relativity.
In terms of research areas, this is a sample of some of the projects/areas that were on offer at USyd over the past couple of years:
- Computer simulation of the brain's response to certain stimuli, using a state-of-the-art computer model.
- The formation of magnetic solar flares on the sun's surface using computer modelling and Bayesian statistics.
- Computer modelling and manufacture/deposition of new materials using plasma deposition techniques, creating new kinds of glass, plastics, surface coatings, bio-sensors, etc.
- Development of optical fiber devices for optical computing and information technology, including slow-light materials, optical multiplexers evansecent couplers, optical waveguides.
- Development of quantum computing algorithms, quantum dot qubits for quantum computation, and low-temperature ion traps.
- Quantum philosophy and abstract mathematical formulations of quantum interpretation.
- Plasma modelling and fusion experiments, including plasma quantisation.
- Manufacturing optical fiber filter devices for radio telescopes.
- Characterisation of telescope data.
- Cosmology and explorations of spacetime constructions around black holes or other unusual topologies.
- Laser physics, including holography and semiconductor physics.
Math and Economics are the two subjects I can really see myself going into, although I'm not sure what you can do with math alone. Spanish is... not very useful in India, to say the least, and I never will get why people major in a language. I always figured I would do a duel major with Eco and Math, or one as a minor. One problem with our school is that economics and Buisness are alternatives to each other, but how different are they really?
Languages are significant to employers because employers are often worldwide presence, and so languages can be useful in that sense (certainly, in the west, Asian languages are quite significant). But moreover, learning a language shows dedication and commitment, and so on.
Business/Commerce is usually about running business, so it's Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, and so on. Economics is more wide-angled, it's about describing and predicting markets, so you tend to work with regulators, and so forth.
Mathematics is quite varied, it depends on what you're doing with it. Statistics and certain fields of applied mathematics is quite generally useful, and you frequently get used as consultants for the government and businesses on all manner of matters. Pure Mathematics, especially combinatorics and cryptology, often get hired by the Dept of Defence as codebreakers and encrypters. There's also academia, and IT.