CS DEGREE Options

[Be_Tran]

well its my freshmen year of college and i hope on getting a cs degree but i hear its hard hard hard work and u go all the way up to calc 3 and i hate math, but i know i'm a hard worker and i love computers cause i'm on them 24/7. Do you guys (the people with cs degrees) think its worth it or do u think a computer engineering degree is better and what are the pros and cons of a computer software career?

[ham_let]

lolllllllll where is deturned radio...

that member can help you with your decision...

[Scheme]

lolllllllll where is deturned radio...

that member can help you with your decision...

yo bro, i heard you were interested in computer science. don't do it man. you'll regret it for the rest of your life.

[**J.I.S**]

You go way over calc 3 for CS, and just because you stay on computer all the time doesn't mean you would love the things you will do as a programmer.

This post has been edited by **J.I.S**: Jan 5 2008, 04:31 PM

[VietSk8rGUI]

psssh wuss...i got a math minor wit my cs degree...could have gotten a dbl degree but im lazy...not staying in school just for 9 hrs.

CE and CS seems all the same to me tho...where i am CS was easier becuz i didnt have to take those bs engineering classes dat were useless...like y would i build a bridge? @_@...but u betta wuv programming ^__^ ez stuff tho

This post has been edited by VietSk8rGUI: Jan 6 2008, 01:07 AM

[Scheme]

bs engineering classes dat were useless...like y would i build a bridge? @_@

wow what a jerk

[SkylineC83]

You go way over calc 3 for CS, and just because you stay on computer all the time doesn't mean you would love the things you will do as a programmer.

yeah agreed......

you have to be very proficient at math to be an efficient coder

[**J.I.S**]

wow what a jerk

I know, isn't he.
*sighs* xP

Btw who were you? The mods on AF really need to start imposing the one account rule more, its getting rather annoying.

[VietSk8rGUI]

^ and yes they should enforce it more those darn confusing afers!!!

o wait i forgot my college had 2 diff track for CE...one was a electrical engineering and comp sci track...now they changed it and joined them...if u want 2 b CE tho u need to like and understand and like the hardware portion of the computer...which i hated wit passion....i wasnt into em diodes resisters and etc. but i think it is ezier to find a job for CE.....or u can always become an MIS major...the business equivalent to programmers i think...heh business u know u dont got hard math in dat lol jk

This post has been edited by VietSk8rGUI: Jan 6 2008, 01:09 PM

[**J.I.S**]

^ and yes they should enforce it more those darn confusing afers!!!

o wait i forgot my college had 2 diff track for CE...one was a electrical engineering and comp sci track...now they changed it and joined them...if u want 2 b CE tho u need to like and understand and like the hardware portion of the computer...which i hated wit passion....i wasnt into em diodes resisters and etc. but i think it is ezier to find a job for CE.....or u can always become an MIS major...the business equivalent to programmers i think...heh business u know u dont got hard math in dat lol jk

Oh wait x_x

I meant enforcing it starting now Those who had more than one account in the past but don't create them compulsively should be let go xP

[Informatique]

You people don't know what you're talking about.

I have a CS degree and I am currently working as a junior software engineer.

The most important thing to know bout a CS major is that don't expect them to teach you how to program or do any of the work that is demanded by the majority of Software companies. There is a phrase that I'd like to quote:

"Computer Science is no more the study of computers than Astronomy is about telescopes." -Edsger Dijkstra

CS is heavily math-based. Not just the classic Algebra and Calculus. Here are some examples:

Differential Equations and Numerical Methods
Statistics and Probability
Logic and Discrete Math

But once you go out into the working world, employers won't value your math skills. They want you to help them realize their business visions through software. Building Enterprise Applications is the new big thing. These applications are sometimes so complex that as a developer, you spend only 10% of your time reading code and the other 90% configuring, understanding and making it just function properly. They are very delicate and require extensive experience in order to operate. But they are extremely valuable and powerful if implemented correctly.

The other kind of CS job are writing extremely efficient code that is more geared towards research projects. This requires perhaps more math skills and lots of programming skills but these projects aren't very lucrative from a business perspective. The managers and business people in a company want immediate results and these sort of projects don't really cut it. But big companies and perhaps government would invest heavily in these sort of R&D projects. From an intellectual point of view, these projects are a lot more satisfying because it allows the developer to go into the very fundamentals of a computer. Whereas in the world of Enterprise Applications, the complexity of operating such a vast complex software can be quite frustrating.

Either way, the software world is very interesting and will continue to grow in importance. Almost everything these days is operated and driven by software.

The only downside to this profession is the lack of girls in it.