Well, I've been procrastinating, but it's finally getting to the time where I don't really have all that much time left to actually choose and go for a major. I'm currently going for computer science, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me exactly what benefits and opportunities are available for a Computer Science major. If anyone had any advice as to which majors have the best job opportunities(and good pay), I'd be thankful. I would also think it would be nice if people could end up sharing their own experience in how they chose a major.
Picking a major.
-
-
Pick something you already do.
-
And are good at.
-
The two posts above are absolutely the most valuable things you could ever be told about choosing a major; precious as a baby dipped in diamonds.
I picked Political Science when it was NOT what I wanted to do, and have been kicking myself since.
-
As someone who has been preparing to do Computer Science for years, I'd have to say that you need to weigh your options. If you're like me, the reason you want to get into CS is game design. That's my goal, to develop a full-on game. I'm only an amateur at best (total novice really) at programming, though.
But even now I'm carefully considering, what exactly do I want to do. Game design has many parts to its whole. And programming is only a tiny piece of it. I've recently become convinced that what I'm really good at and REALLY want to do is writing games. Of course, I've also considered film, but what I'd really be good at is writing screenplays.
All of my interests and strengths go back to writing, so that's why I'm going to pursue a degree in Creative Writing/Technical Writing instead. It may not make me the most money, but it'd be something I'd really enjoy doing.
-
I think the most important thing you need to remember is that if you're trying to force something that just isn't clicking for you, don't. Just choose another major.
That's what I had to learn this last year. I'm just damn lucky that it wasn't a wasted year credits wise (in fact it might be better in the long run, but that's a different story). I wanted to go into game design, but no matter how hard I tried I am functionally retarded in technology. So don't force it Zack. Like the others have said, just think of all the things you're good at and like to do and go for it.
-
There is an old saying in my family, one that my Nana told my mother as a girl, that my mother now tells me, and that I will one day tell my children in the future:
"If you have a job you love, you will never have to work a day in your life."
-
What Mr.333 said. If you're following a major and you find yourself hating every class and every assignment, something is wrong.
I started college with a clean slate and just took interesting classes without a plan. Fastforward three years later, I've settled on what I want to do (teach) and I've completed two majors as well as learned a bunch of invaluable skills that will make my curriculum very interesting.
Just follow what you like and enjoy, and if you do it with the right attitude and the right way, stuff works itself out.
-
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'll definitely take everything into consideration. I guess part of it is just having a tough time finding out what kind of job I could do that I feel I would really love as well. It honestly comes off a lot of times like I have no interests that I could ever make a job out of though I suppose certain classes and work doesn't bore me anyway.
Edit: I suppose one thing I thought was neat a while back was a job about learning about how to create new technology and how to use it in the future and apply it in real life.
-
Whatever you do, don´t study Humanities. I did it and i´m only qualified to spook people out of studying it. If i can rephrase it, it would something like: oh, god. Why, why. Stay away from literature! Run, run while you still have the chance!!!"
lol, but seriously…
Think about what you want out of life: money, satisfaction, helping humanity, being a supervillain, etc, According to this point you can have a better idea of what major you want. Hey, if you´re good you can accomplish all of it.
also, make sure you can get a job after you graduate (oh, god why)
Working thru some stuff. Dunno how long i will be here.
-
Edit: I suppose one thing I thought was neat a while back was a job about learning about how to create new technology and how to use it in the future and apply it in real life.
More than computer science, that sounds like electric engineering or something of that sort, since you actually create the technology instead of the software that runs it.
Think about what you want out of life: money, satisfaction, helping humanity, being a supervillain, etc, According to this point you can have a better idea of what major you want. Hey, if you´re good you can accomplish all of it.
This CAN be accomplished with comp. sci. Do a great job, get hired at Google, rise through the ranks and by then you'll have enough power to kind of control the world.
-
Lots of good advice here. I would also recommend talking to some of the professors/people in whatever computer science department you're thinking about and asking what exactly the students end up doing, after school.
-
Well, I've been procrastinating, but it's finally getting to the time where I don't really have all that much time left to actually choose and go for a major. I'm currently going for computer science, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me exactly what benefits and opportunities are available for a Computer Science major. If anyone had any advice as to which majors have the best job opportunities(and good pay), I'd be thankful. I would also think it would be nice if people could end up sharing their own experience in how they chose a major.
Generally major is irrelevant. Something school doesn't teach you is what is necessary to succeed at whatever job you want to go at. Often, people think school is perfect preparation for their job, and get a rude awakening. Most people don't have any idea what kind of job they want in college, or how far they want to go, and that's the BIGGEST problem to finding motivation. More than anything, you should decide early where you want to stop your education so you make decisions with confidence and don't have to sweat the small stuff.
There's basically two types of majors, majors that allow you to build skills or majors that allow you to build GPA. If you're not going to be a Ph.D. in Political Science, whatever knowledge or opinions you have in Political Science are secondary to how good your GPA is. Even then, a high GPA is supplementary to good networking and luck.
Computer Science, I'd wager (no personal experience) is similar to Engineering where no one really cares what your GPA is so long as you've built the practical skills and resume to land work. If you can program, and can solve problems pretty easily, your grades in CS won't be as important.
You say your objectives are 1) job opportunities, and 2) good pay. Effort will produce good pay, so don't worry about it. But look into a kind of job you're interested in, and intern/volunteer for it and see if you really like it.
Here is a good article on introspection.
-
@Malintek-Terek:
More than anything, you should decide early where you want to stop your education so you make decisions with confidence and don't have to sweat the small stuff.
Hey, how about some realistic advice for the kid.
-
Well, I've been procrastinating, but it's finally getting to the time where I don't really have all that much time left to actually choose and go for a major. I'm currently going for computer science, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me exactly what benefits and opportunities are available for a Computer Science major. If anyone had any advice as to which majors have the best job opportunities(and good pay), I'd be thankful. I would also think it would be nice if people could end up sharing their own experience in how they chose a major.
When you say "Computer Science" be sure of what that means. You need to understand the differences between Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Software Engineering before making a decision. Computer Science focuses more on the theory of computation (operating systems, data structures, algorithms etc). Computer Engineering focuses more on how the actual machines are made (processor design etc). Software Engineering focuses more on learning how to "build" software (development, project management etc). They do share a lot of courses in the first couple of years, though.
-
When you say "Computer Science" be sure of what that means. You need to understand the differences between Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Software Engineering before making a decision. Computer Science focuses more on the theory of computation (operating systems, data structures, algorithms etc). Computer Engineering focuses more on how the actual machines are made (processor design etc). Software Engineering focuses more on learning how to "build" software (development, project management etc). They do share a lot of courses in the first couple of years, though.
I think it depends from where you are doing it. The computer science i am doing is (by your definition) Computer Science + Software Engineering. The exact same course is called B.Tech in india. So the exact meaning varies.
-
As others have said, you always want to pick something you're going to enjoy. In most cases, people would much rather be happy and living from paycheque to paycheque than to be making lots of money and hitting rock bottom at the age of forty.
I've heard countless stories of people who - having no real ambition other than 'go to college and get a degree' - go into business and end up miserable five, ten years later.
When I was in uni, I constantly switched majors in my first year. First I was English, and then Anthropology… Poli.Sci... Sociology... Psychology... before finally settling on a double in English and Sociology. Never once did I consider the financial ramifications, or lack thereof, that my choice may make me. I wanted to be happy.
If you want to stick with computer science, it's a relatively lucrative field in that nearly any business these days wants an IT guy on call. Just make sure it's what you want to do with your life, and good luck!
Former mod. Deadpan cynic. Blunt advisor. Badass.
If you need advice, either on here or otherwise, please feel free to PM me.
Definitely not Windrays's Facebook.And definitely not his Last.fm, either.
-
When I was in uni, I constantly switched majors in my first year. First I was English, and then Anthropology… Poli.Sci... Sociology... Psychology... before finally settling on a double in English and Sociology.
Should have planned ahead, tsk tsk, way to be a human being and change your mind about a massive life choice that is impossible to plan.:wassat:
