[Answer] I Really Like Physics and Have an Unexplained Interest in Computer Programming—What Major in College Can Satisfy Both?

[Answer] I Really Like Physics and Have an Unexplained Interest in Computer Programming—What Major in College Can Satisfy Both?

Seeing this question makes me a little worried. Secondary education really ought to provide at least some exposure to and introduction to university majors, so that most high school students are not completely blind when filling out their applications. Relying on concepts from films and TV to imagine and yearn for the future is quite dangerous. One of the biggest risks is that, when you discover the huge gap between reality and ideals, you may become deeply discouraged.

Of course, having ideals is a very good thing. When most people may be focused on how to study well and get through the gaokao, being able to plan for and imagine the future can also be a source of motivation. But whether it is physics, computer science, or any STEM-related major, I think there are a few points that should be clarified:

1. Most majors are not as wonderful or idealistic as they appear in films and TV. Physics is more likely to mean wrestling with advanced mathematics and theoretical knowledge that are several times more complex than what you encountered in high school. Computer science is more likely to mean spending a long time thinking about how to implement a particular algorithm or data structure in code, rather than suddenly becoming some brilliant figure overnight, as often happens on screen.

2. At the undergraduate level, most coursework is still made up of general education and foundational major courses. So regardless of the major, it is extremely rare for students to produce truly groundbreaking research during their bachelor’s studies. However, compared with primary and secondary education, higher education (starting from university) brings a qualitative leap in the level and difficulty of thinking required. The difference involved in the concept of “limits,” for example—the transition from the finite to the infinite—is enormous. To some extent, ordinary higher education can be understood as an upgraded version of high school education: a stage where there is more knowledge to learn, and that knowledge is harder and more challenging—not a stage where learning knowledge is already over and now it is time to showcase real technical mastery.

3. Going one step further, this more complex and profound knowledge only creates the possibility of innovation and creativity. In real life, I think more than 99% of people do work that is not especially creative, but rather repetitive in one way or another. Of course, you may have a chance of becoming part of the 1%, but that possibility depends to a large extent on successfully getting through high school and building a solid theoretical foundation. Ideals can be highly motivating, but they must also be kept in check. At the right time, you need to stop imagining and stay grounded. In other words, only by properly balancing “looking up to see the road ahead” and “keeping your head down and walking” can you move forward faster.

4. This is not to say that science majors are bad. One of my close friends studied physics, and I think that is perfectly fine. But unless you are determined to pursue academic and theoretical research, under the current broader environment I personally would not strongly recommend choosing an overly theoretical discipline such as physics. Computer science is a direction more worth considering. Still, it comes back to the same point: first do well on the exam, because only then do you have the power to choose. Otherwise, everything is just wishful thinking.