You can completely learn this stuff on your own, if you are sufficiently motivated! 10 reasons to ignore computer science degrees Many organizations are looking beyond the CS degree to hire programmers who can deliver real results. On the rare occasions I muster up the motivation to do well in a test, I will, despite not having been to a single lecture since the first week of the year. So, I got a job as a Data Analyst that only involves like 10 percent coding. Cookies help us deliver our Services. I was lucky in that my school understood a need for more practical courses as well. I love programming, there's something about it that appeals to me. First year, finishing first semester. i dropped out from washing out in calc about 3 years ago. Here’s why they might be right. I know engineering is a very good degree. The ranking compares the top computer science schools in the U.S. Read more on how this ranking was calculated. These figures were then combined to determine which graduate degrees were the most "useless" — basically, which give you the smallest boost in salary and employment. You will find it easier to find a job and people with degrees tend to be payed better. Many parents believe that university is required for a job, but I feel that I belong somewhere else that will teach me skills that are actually more applicable to the modern day workforce. We identified some common job titles in tech that accept candidates with a Computer Science degree. Although the actual courses will vary from college to college, this major will usually have a primary focus on Programming and include advanced Math classes. My parents are helping me pay school and at the end I estimate this degree will cost me and my parents 50-60k and its at a mediocre university. Finite state machines: The basis of regular expressions, often useful for implementing more performant algorithms instead of using general regular expressions. Math is the foundational language that you will be using and without a firm grasp on fairly complex mathematics you will not be able to do anything in the field. Computer Science Degree useless? They must be able to communicate well with non-technical people to assess their needs and convey technical information in … Are there other students who may like to join you in github projects? Moving forward after the "useless" Computer Science Major Let's face it, general consensus is a CS major is about as useless as you can get when it comes to the sciences. Bachelor's degree today is equal to a high school diploma back 40 years ago. In August 2018, I enrolled in college to get my computer science degree. Keeping that in mind, the math and statistics you learn will absolutely intersect and tie into the CS you're learning. The Best Colleges for Computer Science ranking is based on key statistics and student reviews using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Personally, I'd finish in your shoes; it's always better to have more options down the road. There’s no single path forged for students of Computer Science; it’s a degree that opens many doors to a variety of positions. Thank you for the kind words ;) You're right that I need to finish. The science part of computer science is the theory behind computers and isn't about just programming. ** Take a look and see who is working with a degree in the field. Edit: I'm considering switching because i believe i can get a higher GPA in finance. If they're good then none of the proofs you do will be rote. Actual 'computer science', i.e. Military science jobs include military officers, chemists, information security analysts, and more. Thankfully, you can give yourself a world-class CS education without investing years and a small fortune in a degree program . CS requires programming in the curriculum and you’ll have a fair bit of experience, but you’ll also probably have a breadth of knowledge across ML/AI, network and computer security, data science, architecture and OS, and even some EE. I'm currently in the second year of my computer science degree in South Africa and I'm finding the majority of my courses to be superfluous and I'm beginning to resent university in general. To the CS graduates and anyone who has felt a similar way about their degree - Have you had the same experience in the US or elsewhere? The University of Illinois has designed an innovative degree option, called CS + X, that allows students to pursue a flexible program of study incorporating a strong grounding in computer science with technical or professional training in the arts and sciences. The second one, having a degree just to show you can, probably still has value (though I'm not familiar with the job market in South Africa). We identified some common job titles in tech that accept candidates with a Computer Science degree. Only certain people are capable of getting a CS degree and its even harder to get a degree with good grades. There's lots of different jobs for Computer Science majors. I'm taking a bunch of Maths and Statistics courses that just seem ridiculous. Cookies help us deliver our Services. I’m a CS professor, and took a grand total of one CS course as an undergraduate. On the other hand, I really, really enjoy the actual Computer Science that I do. Accelerated degree options rely on 8-week courses built for working professionals. I don’t feel any stress now about getting the finance job I wanted, because I have all those great computer jobs as a backup. > To the CS graduates and anyone who has felt a similar way about their degree - Have you had the same experience in the US or elsewhere? I'm currently doing computer engineering but I'm thinking of switching to finance bcomm. 1. I'm generally of the opinion that almost anyone can learn almost anything, but people who spent these 3-4 years studying computer science do have an actual, tangible edge over those who did not, even if they spent these 3-4 years actually developing software. As for actual knowledge, that depends strongly on the quality of the university/college you are studying at. Does your school give you access to publicans like acm digital library? There's lots of different jobs for Computer Science majors. /u/CapableJacket (OP) has awarded 1 delta in this post. I just graduated with a degree in Computer Science from a foruth tier university. In 2005, about 54,000 people in the US earned bachelor’s degrees in computer science. Computer science specializations. There are so many useless degrees out there. There are plenty of resources out there, but some are better than others. Close. The outcomes were the worst in large, flagship schools: “At some of the most prestigious flagship universities, test results indicate the average graduat… Updated Jul. 10 reasons to ignore computer science degrees Many organizations are looking beyond the CS degree to hire programmers who can deliver real results. Red Pill Discussion for personalized questions about specific situations. Master's degree programs in computer science … In the tech industry, unless you went to one of the top C.S. If you're not learning much, then take more challenging courses or transfer elsewhere. We are told to earn a paper degree… I will :D. Here's a list of some things which seem pure math and pointless, but will turn out to be useful later on: Set theory: Useful for relational database queries. That's good to hear! Cisco puts the estimate at over 8 billion devices (and growing). 10. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Anyone else in computer science who feel like their degree is worthless? As for Computer Science, if you enjoy it then it's worth extra, but generally most people just use the skills they picked up at uni to do what they want. But why do I need a lecturer who's bored out of his/her mind and giving the same lecture for 73rd time in his/her life to show me the proof for 1>0? It's knowledge which will come in handy in all kind of jobs and further develop your analytical skills. The Daily Beast finds the 13 most useless majors, from philosophy to journalism. Computer science is the study of computer programming and other specializations as they pertain to technology. I have learned alot about myself in terms of my personality (very much leaning towards MGTOW, very driven in my personal projects, lifting and guitar). I have learned alot about myself in terms of my personality (very much leaning towards MGTOW, very driven in my personal projects, lifting and guitar). New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the changemyview community. Instead, this list focuses more on courses where subsequent employment and salary rates are suboptimal or where a degree is not likely to distinguish you from non-graduates. Not going to lectures is a terrible idea. Good job opportunities and good pay. you'll never have as many resources nearby and people willing to help. I am an experienced developer that has made some sites already. I guess I should just put my head down then, and stop worrying. I'm currently in computer engineering, might switch to software eng or switch to finance though. If you’re a self-taught engineer or bootcamp grad, you owe it to yourself to learn computer science. Did you find that the work got more enjoyable as you progressed? So recently I've met a lot of people who are self taught programmers or have done boot camps and got jobs. Worst investment of your time and money. The Wall Street Journalreported on the troubling results of the College Learning Assessment Plus test (CLA+), administered in over 200 colleges across the US. Military science jobs include military officers, chemists, information security analysts, and more. I would say, try to keep your all options open. Something like less than 1% of the world have a degree in anything. Just as you don't want massive biceps and Barbiedoll calves, you don't want to be all CS and nothing else. 23, 2012 4:45AM ET AP Photo Computer science would get you a good job as well. Four Reasons Why College Degrees Are Becoming Useless. You'll learn more as he would treat you like a beginning grad student. A self-taught programmer with no theoretical education is a permanent liability. Ten years ago, professors in computer science departments everywhere wondered how undergraduates from a broad range of fields could be attracted to computer science (CS). I felt that a computer science degree was the only way to go. CS is something I can just do without having to force myself to sit down at my desk, and if the project I'm working on requires me to learn a bit of calculus, I'm happy to. Your post really helps put things in perspective. Your post made me smile! Im currently in University 1st year and just ending the first semester. “Another worthless degree is one in IT or Computer Science.” That is the point in the article when I realized this is garbage. Is a Computer Science Degree worth it anymore? No, you are not an experienced developer. I graduated with a BS in CS in May of 2014, and I'm currently pulling a six figure income after 4 years of industry experience. With tuition costs rising out of line with wages, the returns of an expensive degree simply aren’t there anymore – and neither is the requirement, with graduate chefs making just 2%-11% more than their school leaver counterparts. No. A military science degree gives you an education in leadership, tactics, strategies, history, and technology as they relate to issues of war, peace, diplomacy, and defense. I disagree entirely that the degree is useless. Thank you for your input :), You're right that the programming aspect is what attracts me more. It is worthwhile. Having access to professors (and various assistants) is one of the main advantages of studying somewhere instead of doing it on your own. Do you agree that engineering degrees are useless and practical experience is way better? Growing up, we were promised the illusion of the golden ticket. Also get certified in security +, Cisco, cissp,if computers will be your gig. Your understanding of math has to be innate, not a forced understanding of some calculus, a mastery of calculus is required. Let me give you some hints. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Im currently in University 1st year and just ending the first semester. I felt that a computer science degree was the only way to go. A military science degree gives you an education in leadership, tactics, strategies, history, and technology as they relate to issues of war, peace, diplomacy, and defense. But it's been mentioned in other comments that at my early stage, I need to just push through this foundational phase and maybe both aspects will become more meaningful, to me at least. Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash The decision I made. It’s no wonder that an online computer science degree is so popular.. If you can actually sling code already then you might be useful to a prof for some research project. “Another worthless degree is one in IT or Computer Science.” That is the point in the article when I realized this is garbage. Biology is a pretty useless degree without grad school (maybe not for teaching). Computer Science has got to be one of the most useful 4-year degrees imaginable. Computer science majors must study calculus to earn their degrees, and other relevant math courses include statistics and linear algebra. Keep in mind that most medical schools don't really care what you major in, as long as you fulfill the pre-med requirements. on my useless art degree i really liked html from that progra. The stuff you're learning now is foundational and important for the really meaty computer science later in the program (for example, statistics is a necessary component of big data analysis). Someone needs to do their research and not classify these two as the exact same. Before we go over the 10 most useless degrees in college, let’s go over some major gaps that apply towards pursuing a degree in the first place. Also, I almost got a job as a Quality Engineer that would only have involved like 20 percent coding. In today’s market of highly inflated tuition costs, you have to be careful. As a software engineer who worked with CS graduates from many different countries (though admittedly not South Africa), I can assure you that though some of the skills you learn are purely theoretical, algorithmic problems and complexity calculations that have you recall things you learned in college come up everywhere all the time (though the extent varies depending on what kind of work exactly you do). Most of the value of having a degree is that it serves as a signal to employers. in Computer Science would give you WAY more job opportunities than a B.S. ... College is useless unless you want to do something in high demand that requires a degree. For example, I have a Computer Science degree but don't consider myself as an excellent coder. Not only to have a degree in the world, but for your self estime. I don't mean to toot my own horn by saying that, I just struggle to find the point of being enrolled in university at all if all I need to do is sit in my room memorising things I forget the next day. Conventional wisdom says you need a degree to get a good job and have a good life... especially in an IT career. We are two departments which is basically the same department, except my department handles larger and more complex projects, while the other handles smaller and less costly projects. schools, such as Carnegie Mellon, M.I.T., Stanford, or Berkeley... it doesn't really matter if you have a degree or not. Which way is right for you? I want to learn to code by experts and make amazing things, not study bullshit topics for electives I hate. Someone needs to do their research and not classify these two as the exact same. It might feel like you want to give in, but you need to just do it. Also on how you are spending your time. Archived. Press J to jump to the feed. How should I approach this? Thank you :). As a matter of disclosure, I have no degree of any kind … in fact not even a GED. Also,the only reason you want to quit is because you hate your electives. But you do need a sound education in theoretical comp sci. I find myself spending most of my time learning proofs by rote that I forget two days after I write the test because there's a step somewhere in the proof that will say "Don't worry about this intuition, you will cover it at honours level". By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. I'm sure living in South Africa you know how some people are dirt poor and would probably kill to be on your position, so you owe it to them too. With lots of companies you cannot get a programming job without a degree. Vector and matrix math: Basis of 3D graphics. ** Take a look and see who is working with a degree in the field. the abstract and academic side of things beyond just programming, is really more of a math than a science. A CS degree is a requirement for many advanced jobs, EVEN IF the job doesn't use all/any of the skills that you actually learned while getting the degree. He has a point but may be missing some bigger ones. If you choose one of the most useless degrees you will be throwing your money away. To me it feels like using the things I've learnt to achieve a goal rather than learning them for the sake of it! I don't think so. A bachelor’s degree in computer science is a complete waste of time. If I switched to finance how badly would that impact my future success? It proves to your potential employer that you're CAPABLE of doing the work, from a reputable source. Then I realized I can do all that with a computer science degree while opening all those computer opportunities as well, so I switched my major to computer science. This. Computer science gives you a a skill set you can apply right out of undergrad. That's pretty worthwhile for me, even though I've forgotten everything I learned. Δ. Be aware that age discrimination is common in the industry. After all, ‘data science’ still isn’t really something you learn in school, though more and more schools are offering data science programs. My advice to ANYONE trying to get the most out of their college education (not just people complaining about lectures) is to take advantage of other non-lecture resources you have. If you're not happy with this, start making it a priority to take honors math and stats classes. Thanks for your post Δ. I was pretty lazy in high school, and as a result I ended up at a relatively lax college. Please note that a change of view doesn't necessarily mean a reversal, or that the conversation has ended. Thus, you could theoretically get a business degree while also doing your pre-med requirements and get into medical school (or don't! It's as worthwhile as any, and hey, it sounds impressive at parties. I figured 'why would I need work experience to get my first job'? Press J to jump to the feed. Do you need a diploma to be one? Forbes ranks a degree in computer science as number four on the list of top degrees, as well as second place for highest annual starting payat $63,313. When I made my decision, there weren’t other options for breaking into a tech career, such as freeCodeCamp’s amazing online program. According to the WSJ, “At more than half of schools, at least a third of seniors were unable to make a cohesive argument, assess the quality of evidence in a document or interpret data in a table”. I haven't really been exposed to many people who are years ahead of me and more experienced. These figures were then combined to determine which graduate degrees are the most “useless” — basically, which give you the smallest boost in salary and employment. A B.S. Computer related jobs are forecast to continue to grow and along with that growth comes a high demand for trained professionals. To me it sounds a lot like you don't actually enjoy the Computer Science aspect of what you're doing (which is the theoretical and proof based stuff you don't like) and instead like the Programming aspect. If I didn't love it though, and it were just about wanting to make money - I could see it being a pure hell though. This makes a Computer Science (CS) Bachelor’s (4 year) Degree one of the premier IT degrees to have. A fresh graduate with no practical experience is a temporary liability. 1 most useless degree, followed by Animal Science and Horticulture, numbers 4 and 5, respectively. I don't know if a maths degree would give you an upper hand vs a physics degree fir your specific example, but I agree that a degree in "not computer science but strong in maths" is very helpful in the world of computers (background, I've a masters in physics, and work in computing). A Computer Science degree: ticket to your dream tech job or a useless piece of paper? If so, does it get any more rewarding later on? Enter with a mindset for conversation, not debate. When I made my decision, there weren’t other options for breaking into a tech career, such as freeCodeCamp’s amazing online program. Sometimes Computer Scientist and Programmer get used interchangeably, because most people go to school for computer science but get hired as programmers, but there is a difference between the two. I think the only major chunk of my CS degree I've never used is denotational semantics. Or is it all the same? Computer science is the study of computer programming and other specializations as they pertain to technology. Useless Bachelors Degrees? You clearly know what you're doing, and you'll be successful either way. I'm a sophomore Computer Science student and I'm starting to wonder if spending 4 years in college learning technology that may not even be relevant is worth it when there are opportunities for people who haven't even been coding for a few years. rough stuff + i couldnt hack the 8 am classes lol. If you've got $60K in the bank from programming work you've already done at your age, I'd say it's 50/50. Computer Programming looks like it will remain the premier IT job space. 10. It’s a huge waste. Wow, hopefully I can follow a similar path! This is because although some restauranteurs view culinary college as an … False sense of security. In this video, we talk about why getting a computer science degree WON'T get you a high-paying job. The best candidates for a CS degree would be those who have a deep interest and passion for computing as it is an incredibly difficult major for those not comfortable with computers or technology. Computer Programming looks like it will remain the premier IT job space. Master's degree programs in computer science … For computer science degrees, students may also choose from traditional pacing, an accelerated option, or a 3+1 option that allows students to first obtain an associates degree, and then transfer into the computer science program for a total of four years study. In 2005, about 54,000 people in the US earned bachelor’s degrees in computer science. Computer Science consists of different technical concepts such as programming languages, algorithm design, software engineering, computer-human interaction and the … No, as Web development is programming, and presumably one will take a decent number of programming classes as part of a computer science curriculum. But, it's just plain wrong. Computer science is one of the fastest-growing fields in the international and US markets and a computer science (CS) degree is a great way to break into this lucrative industry. The problem is the mediocre in the mediocre university business.