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Why do so few people major in computer science? (2017)

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Re: Why do so few people major in computer science? (2017)

#11

Post by ghaff »

tropo wrote: post #2

People hit calculus, which is almost never needed in the job market, and they give up. Lots of math and hard science is in the major. It's not an alternative to the humanities and liberal arts and languages. It's done in addition, which just isn't fair at all. Students take two or three semesters of calculus-based physics, three semesters of calculus, two semesters of discrete math, engineering statistics, linear alg…

>Lots of math and hard science is in the major.

How different is this from engineering more broadly, to say nothing about math or physics majors? (I can see CS being a bit more math-heavy than some other engineering disciplines because at many schools, it's been historically associated with the math department but I think the general point stands.)

To understand these numbers, I'd have to understand better how degrees roll up into Computer & information sciences vs. Engineering & engineering technologies. At many schools, "CS" is in the engineering school, often associated with electrical engineering.

Re: Why do so few people major in computer science? (2017)

#12

Post by aNoob7000 »

netsharc wrote: post #3

A CS prof of mine said studying CS to later do programming is like studying architecture to later be a house builder. I find it an apt comparison.

This comparison is absolutely correct. I've been in the computer field for over 20 years with a CS degree, and never really needed it.

Most businesses only care about making money. Unless your unique algorithmn costs less to implement and can make money right away, you are out of luck.

Hell, all the stuff you learn at school about algorithms and faster ways of doing work, has been negated by hardware advances that mask poor coding practices.

Go get an information systems degree, learn to code, and make money. The world is going to need coders and IT people for a very long time.

Re: Why do so few people major in computer science? (2017)

#13

Post by czbond »

netsharc wrote: post #3

A CS prof of mine said studying CS to later do programming is like studying architecture to later be a house builder. I find it an apt comparison.

I wholly agree with this. I loved the mind bending nature of complex CS problems, including Algos & Automata. Yet coding is a snore fest for more than a few days.

I felt like I went from a forward looking, enlightening major - to become where you end up in the details worrying about semantics. CS is mind expanding; coding is specialist mind numbing boredom.

Re: Why do so few people major in computer science? (2017)

#15

Post by jedberg »

netsharc wrote: post #3

A CS prof of mine said studying CS to later do programming is like studying architecture to later be a house builder. I find it an apt comparison.

Maybe so, but I'd still rather have my house built by someone who studied architecture, because they will have unique insights in the moment that others would miss.

Also you get a better house if the architect who designed it also builds it.

And eventually the house builder gets enough experience to become a much more useful architect because they know what's actually possible and what is purely academic.

Re: Why do so few people major in computer science? (2017)

#16

Post by sammyh »

One theory could be that people do not simply have the previous experience in CS the same way they have it from physics, biology, chemistry and math from college or even before. I for once was interested in physics, started in electrical engineering but transferred quickly to computer science just after few mandatory courses I had taken.

Re: Why do so few people major in computer science? (2017)

#17

Post by scarface74 »

netsharc wrote: post #3

A CS prof of mine said studying CS to later do programming is like studying architecture to later be a house builder. I find it an apt comparison.

And that’s the issue. For most people college isn’t about “being a better citizen of the world”. It’s about getting a job. There are relatively few positions for pure “computer scientists”. There is also a reason (as stated in the article) that many companies outside of Silicon Valley won’t hire new college graduates. Many of them are basically useless as developers.

Re: Why do so few people major in computer science? (2017)

#18

Post by Nursie »

netsharc wrote: post #3

A CS prof of mine said studying CS to later do programming is like studying architecture to later be a house builder. I find it an apt comparison.

I'm not sure it's that apt... maybe it is, so long as you grant that architrctural study can help you design and build better houses.

Sure, you can get the knowledge in other ways, and sure, some of the houses built by people who haven't studied architecture are great too.

Some aren't though, and their builders could have benefitted from a bit of theory ahead of time.

It's almost more like the relationship between materials science and hoise building - it can enable you to do a better job.

For those saying you've never been helped by your CS degree, I think you either took a bad degree or you'be been stuck in un-taxing work. You've seriously never bothered thinking about, say, algorithmic complexity? Or other topics that should have been covered?

Re: Why do so few people major in computer science? (2017)

#19

Post by scarface74 »

aNoob7000 wrote: post #12
netsharc wrote: post #3

A CS prof of mine said studying CS to later do programming is like studying architecture to later be a house builder. I find it an apt comparison.

This comparison is absolutely correct. I've been in the computer field for over 20 years with a CS degree, and never really needed it. Most businesses only care about making money. Unless your unique algorithmn costs less to implement and can make money right away, you are out of luck. Hell, all the stuff you learn at school about algorithms and faster ways of doing work, has been negated by hardware advances that ma…

All business only care about making money.

Well, that or getting acquired....

Re: Why do so few people major in computer science? (2017)

#20

Post by ghaff »

One possible theory that's not mentioned in the article is that CS has probably become less approachable for those who don't enter college already somewhat versed in at least the basics. Something that is pretty much not true at all for any other STEM major.

I don't do a lot of programming myself, but I took an intro Algorithms in Python MOOC from a top school a while back. I think it's fair to say that, had I no appreciable programming/using a computer background, the class would probably have been impossibly difficult for me.

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