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Physics vs Engineering: What Path Should You Choose?

75.8K views· 3,492 likes· 13:40· Mar 27, 2025

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To try everything Brilliant has to offer free for a full 30 days, visit https://brilliant.org/LewisCooper/. You’ll also get 20% off an annual premium subscription. Deciding between a Physics or Engineering degree or career? In this video, we break down the key differences between the two, I share my experience with both fields, and help you figure out which one’s the best fit for your career and passions. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 00:27 - Physics vs Engineering 01:32 - Sponsor 02:38 - What is 'Physics' 03:22 - Benefits of a Physics Degree 05:25 - Downsides of a Physics Degree 06:54 - What is 'Engineering' 08:51 - Benefits of an Engineering Degree 10:14 - Downsides of an Engineering Degree 13:00 - Final Thoughts 🚀 Get my actionable strategies on career growth, online business, productivity, and more: https://pathtoprogress.substack.com/ SOCIALS: 🌍 My website: https://www.lewiscooper.net/ 🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/lewiscooperr 📚 Goodreads: https://goodreads.com/lewiscooper WHO AM I? My name is Lewis, I'm a spacecraft engineer, astrophysics graduate and productivity enthusiast. On my channel, you'll find a collection of videos about productivity, personal development, stoicism, student life and whatever else I find interesting. I also have a website where I publish articles on productivity, time management and advice on making the best version of ourselves: https://www.lewiscooper.net/ STUFF I USE Laptop: https://amzn.to/3Z1CHue Mouse: https://amzn.to/3Fs7xW4 Hard Drive: https://amzn.to/3Fs7Fow Camera: https://amzn.to/3SoLF0L Lens 1: https://amzn.to/3Fvnk6z Lens 2: https://amzn.to/43zTCFG Kindle: https://amzn.to/45z9hHA Notebook: https://amzn.to/4kgCWdk Mechanical Pencil: https://amzn.to/3Fs4FIT CONTACT ME: Business Inquiries: contact.lewiscooper@gmail.com PS: Some of the links in this description may be affiliate links that I get a small kickback from to help the channel grow 🙌 This video is sponsored by Brilliant

About This Video

In this video I break down the real differences between physics and engineering, because “which one should I choose?” is one of those questions that looks simple on paper, but gets messy the moment you think about careers, day-to-day work, and what you actually enjoy learning. I start by clarifying what I mean by “physics” (a framework for understanding how the world works, from first principles) versus “engineering” (taking those principles and turning them into useful, working systems under constraints). I also share my own perspective as someone who’s done astrophysics at Cambridge and worked as a spacecraft engineer—so I’ve seen both mindsets up close. I go through the benefits and downsides of a physics degree: it’s insanely strong for problem-solving, abstraction, and keeping doors open, but it can be less direct in terms of “here is the job you will do” unless you intentionally build applied skills alongside it. Then I do the same for engineering: it’s usually more structured, more obviously tied to specific roles, and you’ll get more practice designing within real-world constraints—but it can also feel narrower if you’re craving deep theory or you’re not sure which branch you want. My main takeaway is that neither path is “better”; the right choice depends on whether you’re motivated more by understanding or by building, and what kind of work you want to do most days.

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