Uhlenbeck was doubly glad to be able to make the move, firstly because he had always wanted to study physics and mathematics at university, but also because he felt he did not have the dexterity to undertake a practical subject.
Uhlenbeck doble ay nasisiyahan na maaaring makapagbago ng ilipat, una dahil siya ay palaging kinakailangan sa pag-aaral pisika at matematika sa unibersidad, ngunit din dahil siya Nadarama niyang hindi magkaroon ng kagalingan ng kamay upang magsagawa ng isang praktikal na paksa.