Computer Science

[mastamind89]

So I'm thinking about switching my major, already spoke to my advisor about it and I'm thinking about going into Computer Science. I looked into it and the classes and careers interest me. I was wondering if any undergraduates/graduates could tell me about the workload they experienced, career options, etc?

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[jfdoom]

Expect to make less than 11 dollars an hr when u graduate

IT is a TERRIBLE field to get into right now

 

[bkdan1]

Originally Posted by JFDOOM

Expect to make less than 11 dollars an hr when u graduate

IT is a TERRIBLE field to get into right now

I disagree, CS majors are still in heavy demand since their skills are so versatile. From software companies to financial to defense and more. I doubt you won't get hired after graduation. Sticking with it however is another story. I'm not CS but I have friends who are and the horror stories I hear are pretty scary, but once you tough it out you should be set.

 

[compaqp5280]

You say its a terrible field............  what about a person who is about to get this undergrad in communications - concentration in Journalism cuz that field is looking pretty bad a well.  I'm planning on getting my masters in CS though.....
What would u say about that? (no thread jack)

 

[beast4ya]

im trying to get an undergrad in computer science also

 

[jfdoom]

Originally Posted by bkdan1

Originally Posted by JFDOOM

Expect to make less than 11 dollars an hr when u graduate

IT is a TERRIBLE field to get into right now

. I doubt you won't get hired after graduation.

Tell that to the CS grads waiting tables

 

[and i love it]

Did you post that girl because she is a Computer Scientist? If so her

went up!

And CS

. I am in Software Engineering.

 

[thebachellor]

Originally Posted by JFDOOM

Expect to make less than 11 dollars an hr when u graduate

IT is a TERRIBLE field to get into right now

You're an idiot.

Since when is CS == IT?

I have an idea that might revolutionize NT.

How bout we speak on !$#* we know about? How hard is it to stay out of a topic that you don't know anything about?

Seriously.

 

[blaz3n]

I'm a computer science major..

Have you done any form of coding/programming? What languages do you know?

The workload isn't much, it just depends on how much you know, and about time management.

 

[jfdoom]

Originally Posted by TheBachellor

Originally Posted by JFDOOM

Expect to make less than 11 dollars an hr when u graduate

IT is a TERRIBLE field to get into right now

You're an idiot.

Since when is CS == IT?

I have an idea that might revolutionize NT.

How bout we speak on !$#* we know about? How hard is it to stay out of a topic that you don't know anything about?

Seriously.

CS, IT, all fall under the same branch

You seem mad sir

 

[and i love it]

Originally Posted by JFDOOM

Expect to make less than 11 dollars an hr when u graduate

IT is a TERRIBLE field to get into right now

Hm.. I know people on their first Co-op term getting upwards of 20 an hour.

But yeah.. CS != IT.

 

[ninjallamafromhell]

If you do switch prepare to descend into Inferno in order to reach Paradiso.

 

[youmadyoubad]

If your into writing code all day then go for it dude.

 

[yungchris504]

Originally Posted by JFDOOM

Originally Posted by bkdan1

Originally Posted by JFDOOM

Expect to make less than 11 dollars an hr when u graduate

IT is a TERRIBLE field to get into right now

. I doubt you won't get hired after graduation.

Tell that to the CS grads waiting tables

I mean it just depends on your knowledge.

I have one friend who may potentially work for wal-mart just to make ends meat

while I have another one who received a database job with AA making 70k. In this case it is what you know.

 

[mastamind89]

Originally Posted by bLaZ3n

I'm a computer science major..

Have you done any form of coding/programming? What languages do you know?

The workload isn't much, it just depends on how much you know, and about time management.

No, not exactly, I tried teaching myself. But I'm currently a Pre-Med Bio major

 

[kicksnbeats]

I graduated with a degree in Comp Sci from San Francisco State University in 2009.  Looking back, Electrical Engineering would have been the better route because it's more versatile and there are way too many diploma mills (University of Phoenix, ITT Tech, etc) spewing out CS degrees and watering down the value.  The computer tech industry is suffering as well because of the recession; massive layoffs and companies outsourcing jobs to dudes in India and China who will be willing to work for half your salary

  Working for the big companies (Google, Microsoft, Cisco, etc) has its perks because of the networking potential and they're not suffering as badly as the smaller companies.  The problem is, you have to have graduated from Stanford, Berkeley, MIT or know somebody who already works there to even have a chance of landing an interview.

In terms of the actual work itself, you REALLY need to love and be exceptional  at programming, coding, and working with computers.  Let me tell you, the burn out rate for being a programmer or "code monkey" is really high.  Many people quit the tech industry altogether to get into other fields because writing thousands of lines of commands prompts, functions, integrals, etc will make you go crazy.  I was talking to one of my classmates who graduated in 2008 that worked with some software company in Silicon Valley making 46k/yr.  He spent 1 year working there and quit because he got fed up with all the BS coding and stuff he had to do all day.  He's about to join the Air Force as an intelligence officer and he's hoping to work for the government later on.

Now if you absolutely love programming and working with computers, then go on ahead and major in CS.  If you're looking to get into it just because of the $$$$, you better choose another path like nursing or accounting.  Finding a CS job nowadays is tough because there are tons of experienced workers who lost their jobs and immigrants who are competing for the few positions out there.  This is one reason why I wanted to stay in the hotel industry after I graduated but I got accepted to UCLA business school and trying to become the manager of these code monkeys

 

[trapmuzik617]

I'm a computer science major... its not hard, but if you dont have the patience to sit around and type/figure out code for sometimes hours, then its not for you

 

[suprduperfly]

^ Thank you yungchris, and kicksnbeats, you really get hired based on your tool set (number of programming languages you know) and how well you can use them.
If you passed every class just to finish and didn't embrace the curriculum it'll show at an interview.

 

[trapmuzik617]

Originally Posted by yungchris504

Originally Posted by JFDOOM

Originally Posted by bkdan1

Originally Posted by JFDOOM

Expect to make less than 11 dollars an hr when u graduate

IT is a TERRIBLE field to get into right now

. I doubt you won't get hired after graduation.

Tell that to the CS grads waiting tables

I mean it just depends on your knowledge.

I have one friend who may potentially work for wal-mart just to make ends meat

Pause

 

[nkwu11]

I'm not sure what school you're in, accrediation, and all that, but I'm a former CS major at the best school for Computer Science in Canada. 
Basically, one of the best in the world for Math or Computer Science. The curriculum at my school is one of the more "well rounded"/"dificult" curriculums, and there is a co-op/internship option; our top grads are recruited by MS, Google, Amazon etc.

Speaking to CS majors in other universities, I'm extremely surprised at the difference in the work that they've done compared to us (I'm not trying to sound all high and mighty) and the difference our co-op/internship option has given us.

Please don't get it twisted that CS == IT == being a code monkey etc., There are lots of developers who have never had formal training. and please note that there IS a distinction between a "Computer Scientist" and a "Programmer. " That being said, a lot of computer science grads DO end up falling into IT (they probably shouldn't have enrolled in a CS program) or just be stagnant code monkeys for the rest of their lives.

First, I'd just like to say that CS is not just programming,  Anyone can learn how to program on their own, but you're learning principles and theory (and math). You don't need math skills to be a good programmer, but I personally believe you do to be a great one. 

Second, once you've landed a solid CS job, depending on what your interests are, it's very easy to stay stagnant in one position. A lot of times if you want to move up you have to drop the technical side and go to management/business side of a company. If you want to move up technically,you have to be very good at what you do. 

Third, assignments (again, depends on curriculum) can be the most time consuming thing you've ever done. I've never seen so many all nighters in one semester(by the smartest students I know). The thought process/problem solving required for programming is a very creative undertaking

The reason why there are CS grads waiting tables is because they expect their degree to do the talking for them (IMO, obviously). These are the graduates who come out of university not doing any programming for fun (read: passion) and only having experience with programming for assignment -- this leads to them bombing interviews with the most basic of programming questions. To be succesful you have to learn a language (it really doesn't matter which one) and learn things skills on your own time. There's only so much school will give you and there are too many passionate geeks out there programming instead of going out to enjoy the weekend.  If you're a CS major who knows their stuff, you'll get a job no problem in the future.

I personally didn't have the passion to do what I felt like what I wanted to do with a CS major so I switched out. If I had continued, I think I'd have landed a job I didn't really want and stayed stagnant for my career. Try and talk to as many CS GRADS as you can. There are SO many possible career paths I've seen that ARENT a significant leap away from CS. 

If you want money by the time you graduate, I'd probably target something related to data centers/data bases. That's a skill within CS/IT that will definitely be in demand. 

 

[mastamind89]

Originally Posted by kicksNbeats

I graduated with a degree in Comp Sci from San Francisco State University in 2009.  Looking back, Electrical Engineering would have been the better route because it's more versatile and there are way too many diploma mills (University of Phoenix, ITT Tech, etc) spewing out CS degrees and watering down the value.  The computer tech industry is suffering as well because of the recession; massive layoffs and companies outsourcing jobs to dudes in India and China who will be willing to work for half your salary

  Working for the big companies (Google, Microsoft, Cisco, etc) has its perks because of the networking potential and they're not suffering as badly as the smaller companies.  The problem is, you have to have graduated from Stanford, Berkeley, MIT or know somebody who already works there to even have a chance of landing an interview.

In terms of the actual work itself, you REALLY need to love and be exceptional  at programming, coding, and working with computers.  Let me tell you, the burn out rate for being a programmer or "code monkey" is really high.  Many people quit the tech industry altogether to get into other fields because writing thousands of lines of commands prompts, functions, integrals, etc will make you go crazy.  I was talking to one of my classmates who graduated in 2008 that worked with some software company in Silicon Valley making 46k/yr.  He spent 1 year working there and quit because he got fed up with all the BS coding and stuff he had to do all day.  He's about to join the Air Force as an intelligence officer and he's hoping to work for the government later on.

Now if you absolutely love programming and working with computers, then go on ahead and major in CS.  If you're looking to get into it just because of the $$$$, you better choose another path like nursing or accounting.  Finding a CS job nowadays is tough because there are tons of experienced workers who lost their jobs and immigrants who are competing for the few positions out there.  This is one reason why I wanted to stay in the hotel industry after I graduated but I got accepted to UCLA business school and trying to become the manager of these code monkeys

Consider I was Pre-Med, I'm very aware that I won't be making as much. But I don't like my current major and CS was on my list of majors to consider.
Would I be able to get into Homeland Security with a CS degree and specialize in something? My school also  has multimedia web design and development but I'm not as interested in it.
How about working for a phone company, well I guess that would be the OS maker and not the actual phone manufacture. That area is mostly for engineers?

 

[daproblem53]

NICEEE

 

[maddenfan04]

Get off peoples majors, its all about the person not the damn major. Network and know as much about your field as possible. Be on the CUTTING EDGE of knowledge ASAP. A MIT Computer Science major waiting tables, where they do that at? I can guarantee the people waiting tables didn't do their job in college.

 

[nkwu11]

Originally Posted by kicksNbeats

I graduated with a degree in Comp Sci from San Francisco State University in 2009.  Looking back, Electrical Engineering would have been the better route because it's more versatile and there are way too many diploma mills (University of Phoenix, ITT Tech, etc) spewing out CS degrees and watering down the value.  The computer tech industry is suffering as well because of the recession; massive layoffs and companies outsourcing jobs to dudes in India and China who will be willing to work for half your salary

  Working for the big companies (Google, Microsoft, Cisco, etc) has its perks because of the networking potential and they're not suffering as badly as the smaller companies.  The problem is, you have to have graduated from Stanford, Berkeley, MIT or know somebody who already works there to even have a chance of landing an interview.

In terms of the actual work itself, you REALLY need to love and be exceptional  at programming, coding, and working with computers.  Let me tell you, the burn out rate for being a programmer or "code monkey" is really high.  Many people quit the tech industry altogether to get into other fields because writing thousands of lines of commands prompts, functions, integrals, etc will make you go crazy.  I was talking to one of my classmates who graduated in 2008 that worked with some software company in Silicon Valley making 46k/yr.  He spent 1 year working there and quit because he got fed up with all the BS coding and stuff he had to do all day.  He's about to join the Air Force as an intelligence officer and he's hoping to work for the government later on.

Now if you absolutely love programming and working with computers, then go on ahead and major in CS.  If you're looking to get into it just because of the $$$$, you better choose another path like nursing or accounting.  Finding a CS job nowadays is tough because there are tons of experienced workers who lost their jobs and immigrants who are competing for the few positions out there.  This is one reason why I wanted to stay in the hotel industry after I graduated but I got accepted to UCLA business school and trying to become the manager of these code monkeys

Thank you for posting this.
I don't know what happened to my post  but I'll quickly type it out again.

I'm a FORMER CS Major from the best school in Canada for it. When I look at some of curriculum offered at other schools, I realize that their degrees are very watered down and you really don't get what you should know. This is one of the reasons why "CS grads are waiting tables"

I skipped out on my CS major because I had a co-op program associated with my degree. I realized that I wasn't in love with coding and not the passionate type to do all the extra learning. If you're like me and scrape by you can still get a job, but you'll be stagnant working in a code monkey or some similar position with very little room for growth. It's very hard to grow without leaving the technical side and working for your company's business/in a managerial role - the ones who STAY technical are often the brightest of the bunch, but it's a hard balance. 

The ones who are succesful and love waht they're doing and actually get to CREATE are the ones who are passionate about CS, program in their spare time and always want to get better. I've read a lot about a lot of CS grads who've never programmed outside of school (how this is possible, I don't understand) and how they bombed the most basic of interviews. It's these unpassionate, unengaged CS grads who make up the ones waiting tables 

Also remember how many programmers there are with no formal CS background - you don't need CS to program, but you need to program to be in CS. There is a distinction between CS and Programming, and IMO any CS program worth a damn will have a relatively significant portion of math in the curriculum. You don't need math to be a good programmer, but to be great, you do. I also forgot to mention that the problem solving required in CS can be an effort relying heavily on creativity at times. 

I dropped out of CS because I was only half into it and I knew it would mean I wouldn't be in the career path I wanted. 

Oh, and I'm surprised I read that a CS workload wasn't that hard. at my school, I've never seen so many all nighters (from the smartest kids) in one semester ever; this was just for assignments. 

I think you should try and talk to as many Comp Sci graduates as possible if you can. a CS degree offers a HUGE range of employment options. There are lots of factors you have to consider, namely if you're happyw ith what you can do/think you're going to, like programming/love it, have a decent work ethic and decent math skills. If you do, then I think it definitely is an option for you. 

 

[mastamind89]

Originally Posted by nkwu11

I'm not sure what school you're in, accrediation, and all that, but I'm a former CS major at the best school for Computer Science in Canada. 
Basically, one of the best in the world for Math or Computer Science. The curriculum at my school is one of the more "well rounded"/"dificult" curriculums, and there is a co-op/internship option; our top grads are recruited by MS, Google, Amazon etc.

Speaking to CS majors in other universities, I'm extremely surprised at the difference in the work that they've done compared to us (I'm not trying to sound all high and mighty) and the difference our co-op/internship option has given us.

Please don't get it twisted that CS == IT == being a code monkey etc., There are lots of developers who have never had formal training. and please note that there IS a distinction between a "Computer Scientist" and a "Programmer. " That being said, a lot of computer science grads DO end up falling into IT (they probably shouldn't have enrolled in a CS program) or just be stagnant code monkeys for the rest of their lives.

First, I'd just like to say that CS is not just programming,  Anyone can learn how to program on their own, but you're learning principles and theory (and math). You don't need math skills to be a good programmer, but I personally believe you do to be a great one. 

Second, once you've landed a solid CS job, depending on what your interests are, it's very easy to stay stagnant in one position. A lot of times if you want to move up you have to drop the technical side and go to management/business side of a company. If you want to move up technically,you have to be very good at what you do. 

Third, assignments (again, depends on curriculum) can be the most time consuming thing you've ever done. I've never seen so many all nighters in one semester(by the smartest students I know). The thought process/problem solving required for programming is a very creative undertaking

The reason why there are CS grads waiting tables is because they expect their degree to do the talking for them (IMO, obviously). These are the graduates who come out of university not doing any programming for fun (read: passion) and only having experience with programming for assignment -- this leads to them bombing interviews with the most basic of programming questions. To be succesful you have to learn a language (it really doesn't matter which one) and learn things skills on your own time. There's only so much school will give you and there are too many passionate geeks out there programming instead of going out to enjoy the weekend.  If you're a CS major who knows their stuff, you'll get a job no problem in the future.

I personally didn't have the passion to do what I felt like what I wanted to do with a CS major so I switched out. If I had continued, I think I'd have landed a job I didn't really want and stayed stagnant for my career. Try and talk to as many CS GRADS as you can. There are SO many possible career paths I've seen that ARENT a significant leap away from CS. 

If you want money by the time you graduate, I'd probably target something related to data centers/data bases. That's a skill within CS/IT that will definitely be in demand. 

What did you switch too? Yea it does suck knowing I'll be making much less than what I would be if I became a doctor. I mean I can still become one with w/e BS I get but I'm not happy being in Bio right now. I've noticed that I've been more into computers,  phones(HTC Thread), and other tech stuff. I attempted to teach myself how to make apps for phones(WindowsPhone7) and I do have Linux(it's on my desktop at home but for w/e reason the internet doesn't connect to it). I figured it would be a good option to consider.