Computer Science / Engineering Thread!!

[tay1]

you can use a bunch of languages to teach intro to program.. at UF they taught it in Java.. once you learn Objected Oriented programming picking up new languages is pretty easy.

I messed around with OOP a bit when I was messing around with Java. I just couldn't understand that by myself. Hopefully when I take the class, I can understand it more.

 

[Coromanti]

This feels like the right thread to put this in.

I'm a double Economics/French major at present.  I'm definitely keeping the French part (I'm like 2-3 classes from completing that major) but I think my interest in Economics has waned.  I would like to replace Econ with something else.  I was thinking about staying in the same vein and switching to Finance BUT I also started taking Chemistry classes this year and I'm really enjoying it and doing well.  What do you STEM folks think about switching to a Chemistry or Chemical Engineering major?

 

[tay1]

I'd say don't quite give up you're interest in Econ just yet. Try to think about the reasons you wanted to go in that direction in the first place and see if that helps. However, if you like Chemistry, I don't see how that can be a bad thing in any way. Just depends on what you want to do with it.

 

[AZwildcats]

 
I graduated in 2001 with a Electrical engineering degree in a well known state school in my neck of woods and I've never been without a job since and its no coincidence.

1. Giving advice to those currently in school or having thoughts about majoring in one of these fields.

It is hard work and I mean hard work. There was a stat at my school that only 10% of students who start as engineer majors actually graduate. It is a hard earned degree for good reason.

2. Giving any kind of assistance to those who need it.

If you don't quit, you will finish. Also, don't be discouraged if you don't do well in one class. I recall my first calculus class in community college. I thought, "hey, this class is wide open! I'll just sign up here!" Boy that professor was a witch. Didn't curve or nothing. End of the year, only one got A, one got a B, and the rest got C, D, and F. I'm glad I didn't quit engineering just from that class. The following semester I took it with another professor after asking around and I got an A. I also got a D in logic course. After talking to a counselor, they said it's not part of my core so I don't really need to retake it. It hurt my GPA but I had to graduate so I kept moving on.

3. Educating people about what Computer Science and Engineering is.

A lot of people think CS is hard core programming and engineering is design. But that is not the case. CS and E can open a lot of doors that other majors cannot. I have seen many people who get CS degree but are in finance or engineering who are patent attorneys. Do not limit yourself. What you won't find is someone with an accounting degree doing engineering work. I can go on and on about this but I'll leave it at that.

4. Talk about what you do, how you've gotten there, all of that.

I'm a director of a network engineering team managing over 120 engineers globally. Throughout my career, I had to do all the stuff that you hear about such as work graveyard, weekend, and menial work. I was never the sharpest student or worker but I made sure I was always the most hardworking, competent, and professional worker for internal and external customers. I took every opportunity to shine and even asked for it when it was available. I recall my first team lead position where I was managing engineers who were twice my age simply because I was more hungry.

5. Talking about technology in general.

skip...lol. It's always changing. It is a field where you must keep updated and study continously. If you don't like to be up to date with the latest technology, it's best you get out.

Thanks for this bro, I found it informative. I thought CS was just coding until I went to my cousins job at IBM. He has a masters in CS and doesnt code at all at his job, he works mostly as a sales rep to clients and gets paid handsomely. 

The only thing that scared me about CS was the thought of a life of coding in a basement. After I learned I could use it as a door, Im more motivated to finish

 

[elcatfisho]

I graduated in 2001 with a Electrical engineering degree in a well known state school in my neck of woods and I've never been without a job since and its no coincidence.

1. Giving advice to those currently in school or having thoughts about majoring in one of these fields.

It is hard work and I mean hard work. There was a stat at my school that only 10% of students who start as engineer majors actually graduate. It is a hard earned degree for good reason.

2. Giving any kind of assistance to those who need it.

If you don't quit, you will finish. Also, don't be discouraged if you don't do well in one class. I recall my first calculus class in community college. I thought, "hey, this class is wide open! I'll just sign up here!" Boy that professor was a witch. Didn't curve or nothing. End of the year, only one got A, one got a B, and the rest got C, D, and F. I'm glad I didn't quit engineering just from that class. The following semester I took it with another professor after asking around and I got an A. I also got a D in logic course. After talking to a counselor, they said it's not part of my core so I don't really need to retake it. It hurt my GPA but I had to graduate so I kept moving on.

3. Educating people about what Computer Science and Engineering is.

A lot of people think CS is hard core programming and engineering is design. But that is not the case. CS and E can open a lot of doors that other majors cannot. I have seen many people who get CS degree but are in finance or engineering who are patent attorneys. Do not limit yourself. What you won't find is someone with an accounting degree doing engineering work. I can go on and on about this but I'll leave it at that.

4. Talk about what you do, how you've gotten there, all of that.

I'm a director of a network engineering team managing over 120 engineers globally. Throughout my career, I had to do all the stuff that you hear about such as work graveyard, weekend, and menial work. I was never the sharpest student or worker but I made sure I was always the most hardworking, competent, and professional worker for internal and external customers. I took every opportunity to shine and even asked for it when it was available. I recall my first team lead position where I was managing engineers who were twice my age simply because I was more hungry.

5. Talking about technology in general.

skip...lol. It's always changing. It is a field where you must keep updated and study continously. If you don't like to be up to date with the latest technology, it's best you get out.

Agreed with the C.S part. Going into it that's all I thought it was because I was naive. Programming is just one aspect of it. I wish I know that going in.

This feels like the right thread to put this in.

I'm a double Economics/French major at present.  I'm definitely keeping the French part (I'm like 2-3 classes from completing that major) but I think my interest in Economics has waned.  I would like to replace Econ with something else.  I was thinking about staying in the same vein and switching to Finance BUT I also started taking Chemistry classes this year and I'm really enjoying it and doing well.  What do you STEM folks think about switching to a Chemistry or Chemical Engineering major?

I had the chance to talk to a professional engineer at work the other day and he said the things getting an engineering degree does for you is that it teaches you a language (technical analysis & conceptual learning), teaches you how to think, and gives you a toolbox to solve problems with.

Really what major you choose is pretty arbitrary because you can always work on projects outside of your classes that demonstrate your desire to work on something different. Every engineering degree out there forces you to look at a problem and logically try to solve it with the information you know.

CSE is a great degree for the reason that you know how to quantify different elements and manipulate code to get the result you want. You can do all sorts of projects with a CSE background whether its in automotive industry, computers, manufacturing, or even medicine. You may notice that now, Google & Apple are trying to get their foot in the door with infotainment systems in cars and robotics. One guy I know created an electronic database system for healthcare in hospitals, and is also working on some sort of image/signal processing package for surveillance cameras. If I started college again, I would really consider CSE.

Chemical engineering is a classic engineering degree. I know quite a few ChemE students and it is a tough degree. Ochem, multivariable calculus, P-Chem, transport kinetics, thermodynamics and separation processes are some example classes you'll take. ChemE concepts and theories are all built with math, so you do need to study your ODEs/PDEs, but if you are proficient with MATLAB, you can get a solution really fast. There will always be jobs for ChemE's because no one else really understands how to refine reactants economically with raw materials like petroleum.

I'm in materials science, so my classes are about understanding how materials will behave under extenuating circumstances, what properties to be aware of, and what materials would be the best choice for a given choice.

 

[harryho]

 
Thanks for this bro, I found it informative. I thought CS was just coding until I went to my cousins job at IBM. He has a masters in CS and doesnt code at all at his job, he works mostly as a sales rep to clients and gets paid handsomely. 

The only thing that scared me about CS was the thought of a life of coding in a basement. After I learned I could use it as a door, Im more motivated to finish

If you can get into sales at a technical firm, you are set. They easily make $150k+ in bonuses.

 

[harryho]

I had the chance to talk to a professional engineer at work the other day and he said the things getting an engineering degree does for you is that it teaches you a language (technical analysis & conceptual learning), teaches you how to think, and gives you a toolbox to solve problems with.

Really what major you choose is pretty arbitrary because you can always work on projects outside of your classes that demonstrate your desire to work on something different. Every engineering degree out there forces you to look at a problem and logically try to solve it with the information you know.

CSE is a great degree for the reason that you know how to quantify different elements and manipulate code to get the result you want. You can do all sorts of projects with a CSE background whether its in automotive industry, computers, manufacturing, or even medicine. You may notice that now, Google & Apple are trying to get their foot in the door with infotainment systems in cars and robotics. One guy I know created an electronic database system for healthcare in hospitals, and is also working on some sort of image/signal processing package for surveillance cameras. If I started college again, I would really consider CSE.

Chemical engineering is a classic engineering degree. I know quite a few ChemE students and it is a tough degree. Ochem, multivariable calculus, P-Chem, transport kinetics, thermodynamics and separation processes are some example classes you'll take. ChemE concepts and theories are all built with math, so you do need to study your ODEs/PDEs, but if you are proficient with MATLAB, you can get a solution really fast. There will always be jobs for ChemE's because no one else really understands how to refine reactants economically with raw materials like petroleum.

I'm in materials science, so my classes are about understanding how materials will behave under extenuating circumstances, what properties to be aware of, and what materials would be the best choice for a given choice.

Yes. One other attribute that a lot of companies value is the ability for someone to articulate technical issues to a layperson. They don't want tech junkies that are introverts. They want people who can get in front of stake holders, who are usually non-technical, and explain elegantly the problem and opportunity.

 

[tay1]

Anybody teach any engineering or related classes? If all goes well with me and my major, I honestly think I'd consider teaching an intro class to people. Engineering and C.S can be hard to start off by yourself, I'd love to help people who may have an interest in it, but don't know where to start.

 

[Naruto]

Yes. One other attribute that a lot of companies value is the ability for someone to articulate technical issues to a layperson. They don't want tech junkies that are introverts. They want people who can get in front of stake holders, who are usually non-technical, and explain elegantly the problem and opportunity.

I hope so, that's something I see as an advantage over the other people in my program. Don't know if the stereotype is true but my prof says a lot of people with cs degrees are typically introverts.

 

[superb]

switch majors fast

 

[harryho]

I hope so, that's something I see as an advantage over the other people in my program. Don't know if the stereotype is true but my prof says a lot of people with cs degrees are typically introverts.

Your degree will get you that interview. Your personality will get you the job.

 

[certifiedsw]

Taking an intro CSE class next quarter lord help me :x