Ask HN: Is Computer Science too specific?

2 points by seth17 9 years ago | 7 comments

Some background: I'm currently in High School getting ready to apply to college. I've been set on CS for a while though I've been met with criticism from my parents.

PG wrote about the idea that it is better to stay upwind. This is the argument presented to me as a case against computer science. I've been told that the skills that I will be taught will severely limit my long term success if I decide to pursue CS. How much truth is there to this argument?

PaulHoule 9 years ago |

It is true that enrollment in undergraduate CS is highly volatile as potential students alternate from wanting to get in on the gold rush and then they hear arguments like those from your parents, which do have the kernel of truth that computer people face a "glass ceiling" in many organizations.

CS is an unusual academic field because it is situated between math, engineering, and other things. Part of it is focused on the hardware and software prevalent on Earth today but much of the theory is universal.

If you take CS I would suggest doing a dual major with math, you probably don't need to take many additional classes.

seth17 9 years ago | |

I was actually considering going for a degree in Mathematics instead but majoring in both seems much more appealing. Perhaps even something such as Economics and CS could also be viable?

Also, would a PhD in AI be recommended as well considering the potential it has across multiple fields?

PaulHoule 9 years ago | | |

It depends on you and your school. I carried about a semester worth of AP credits so I had an easy time taking all of the courses for both Physics and Math, the overlap between CS and Math was about the same.

As for the PhD, who knows? After four years of undergrad school you could spend 6-9 years in graduate school. A lot can happen between now and then.

Phithagoras 8 years ago |

CS, pure math, physics, and applied math are all around the same level of upwind in terms of what your education gives you in terms of critical thinking. In terms or workforce, CS is probably more upwind, especially as an undergrad degree. Even more upwind is electrical/computer engineering (in Canada at least, where engineering is tightly regulated).

It is unlikely that the skills you are taught will limit your long term success; after an undergrad in CS you can still get an MBA or to go grad school in many many fields. However, you'll be ahead of many people with only an undergrad degree: math and physics undergrads often find themselves with a skill set that doesn't apply particularly well to any specific job. CS and comp/elec eng are pretty universal, and you'll have flexibility with who you can work for. If you decide in 7 years that you're done "workin for the man" in "the system" you could go work in IT at Jackson Hole and ski your brains out.

twobyfour 8 years ago |

Minor in CS. If you want to go into tech, it'll give you a major head start above the boot camp grads both in terms of hiring and as a starting point for further learning. And yes, tech is still a better career bet than the majority of the alternatives.

Major in something that will help you learn critical thinking, learn about how some other aspect of the world works, and become three-dimensional in your intellectual perspective.

seth17 8 years ago | |

I didn't think there were majors that wouldn't teach you critical thinking.

Would someone with, let's say, an Economics major and a CS minor still have a chance at a Big 4?

shubb 9 years ago |

CS is a safe bet. If you study CS at a good school and graduate well, do a bit of portfolio, and study for interview tests, you'll land a job at a large company that pays much better than what most of your peers can expect.

We tend to focus on the richest and most successful, and forget that most people really don't do that well. They don't have much power at work, and don't get paid a lot. CS is a safe bet to avoid that.

You might not like programming, and if that's the case I'd avoid it. You spend a lot of your life at work, so you'd better enjoy what you do.

Where you start your career isn't where you end up. When you get your first job it will be in a particular industry - health, auto, finance. You'll find that you can easily either move to the same role in a different industry, or a different role in the same industry. Your first job is where you start, not where you end up. And things go down as well as up if you take the wrong step.

Developers don't end up on the board of companies. Managers end up on the boards of companies, and finance people. But a developer job can pay for an MBA, and a developer can move into management, of various types, all from the security of a fairly comfy starting place.

A lot of Math majors find themselves a bad fit for any particular job. Same with physics. If they want to get a job after graduation, maybe they can become developers, but it isn't as sure a bet. If they go onto a PHD, maybe they can become quants, or data scientists these days.

Business majors either get onto a grad scheme or they might as well not have studied. That grad scheme will either carry them to the point they need to start a stellar career, or will be grunt work that pays less than a dev job and is significantly more boring.

The scary thing about tech work is how fast technology moves. You have to put time and energy into keeping up, outside of work. And for a lot of people, with families, that's very hard to do. It's really tough. I notice this way of life starting to hit other sectors too.

You are at highschool and don't really know yourself yet though. So my takeaway would be that, if you choose the wrong major, you can always find your way to something else. It's just a lot easier if you're already in a decently paid job that you just don't like much.