What are the signs that I should switch major from computer science?
Some common signs, from minor to major…Sweaty palmsMinor ticsNobody asks for your help on their programming assignmentsYou start naming all of your variables after members of the Kardashian familyEvery algorithm you implement gets stuck in an infinite loopNight terrorsYou feel like asking your counselor about joining the military or a monastery/nunneryYour GPA goes so low that it generates an underflow errorSeriously, though, there are a few questions you should ask yourself:Am I really good at this? If not, can I realistically make myself better at this? Do I see a way forwards?Do I really want to do this after I leave college?Is there something I am either better at or really would like to do? (preferably both)
What major should I switch to from Computer Science if I can't pass the required Calculus courses?
Only you can know your strengths and weaknesses. Generalizing…STEM majors are out of the question. Calculus is considered relatively easier than many other Math courses you’ll have to take (all which will be using Calculus). This includes CS, CE, EE, ME, EE, Physics, Economics, and more.Other majors may also require quite a bit of upper level Math, including business majors.Your best bet would be a Liberal Arts degree, since the Math requirements are usually very few.You have to figure out what you want. If you love CS and struggle with Math, try again. Get a tutor. Do more than just your homework problems- do all of them in the book. How many hours did you spend in the tutoring lab last week?Plenty of people struggle with Math, and it shouldn’t be career ending. Try, try, and do it again. I know some CS majors who had to take Calculus II three times before passing. You just might surprise yourself.Depending on the school, Economics, Biology, and other sciences may not be very math-heavy, so if you’re interested in Science, that’s an option. You should do some research.Long story short, I suggest you try to pass Calculus again. Are you using all your resources and giving it 100%? If not, the answer is simple- take any major you want that doesn’t require the Calculus you can’t pass.
Should I switch my major from Computer Science to Software Engineering?
In principal, a Software Engineering curriculum should focus more on skills that will make you an effective programmer in the business world, whereas Computer Science is more about the theory and mathematics of software and is aimed at the academic route.Look at the curriculum (class list) for each major at your school. Note all the classes that are different and compare those classes. Find and skim the class descriptions and syllabus if you can and choose the major whose classes you find more interesting.For example, Software Engineering probably has a few project classes where Computer Science has more Theory of Computation type classes.In my opinion, the Software Engineering major was created with good reason, if you know you want to work for a software company, that's probably the way to go. But if you like the Computer Science curriculum better, software companies will be just as eager to hire you as long as you can demonstrate understanding of practical concepts like Version Control Systems, Databases, Issue Tracking, etc.
Is computer science major hard?
I really enjoy computer science, and I would like to make it my future career. I hear a lot about it being extremely difficult though. A lot of the people I talk to say that they, or others have dropped out because it was so hard to them. So my question is, is it really that hard? I mean I understand it's not going to be a walk in the park, and I wouldn't want it to be. However, so hard as to make people drop out? My other question is, what kind of "homework" do you usually have and how much time do you spend on it to get a good grade? I hear it's mostly programming, is this true? Thanks.
What makes the Computer Science major so hard? The CS dropout rate at my school is very high; only 15 percent of freshmen who declare a CS major graduate with the degree. Is the material or logic hard to grasp, or are the lazy students weeded out?
Having spent the better part of my life studying, implementing and teaching CS, one problem that I have seen to be the common denominator of many new students is not being able to think in terms of machines. Let me explain:A computer really is a “finite state machine” whose states can be manipulated to perform operations and get results. Problems that can be solved by computers (yes, there are problems that cannot realistically or even theoretically be solved by machines) need to be translated into a set of states and rules that govern how computer will shift from one state to another. This is much different from the way humans tend to think of problems and their solutions. With a CS major, you repeatedly come across situations where you need to translate common problems into a set of states and instructions (especially in programming). For example, how would you sort a list of unordered integers through a finite sequence of steps where each step is an operation that computer can perform at a time. This translation requires a particular way of thinking, which can be very hard to grasp in the early days of your CS journey.Another factor that complicates matters in CS is the involvement of mathematics. You need to be good at school/college-level math. Binary arithmetic, Matrices and Boolean algebra will meet you early on in your journey. More often than not, people shy away from (or hate) mathematics.One more thing about CS that makes it tricky for the starters is the fact that CS is the hub of so many other sciences including but not limited to Discrete mathematics, Circuit Design, Software development, Networking, Data sciences, Informatics and Web. In your graduation years, you get a taste of most of these subjects and beginners can’t possibly appreciate the common underlying foundation that binds all these worlds together. Looking at other majors like Chemistry or Biology where the “field of view” is relatively narrow/coherent, people find changing their major easier than changing their mindsets. :)
Should I switch from a computer engineering major to a computer science major?
but I am a computer programmer who don’t electronicsYou are NOT alone.When I was doing EE, many of my classmates though EE was all about fixing radios and assembling a PCB for a hobby stereo amplifier. The math and physics “crashed” their dreams.You probably wrote a few programs, and you thought “hey, I can do that,” but programming is just a tool. You could switch to CS, but then you will have to deal with discrete math, algorithms, compilers, program optimization, and a variety of other subjects that if you don’t like math, they will give you nightmares as “SPICE” and TTL circuits in an EE Lab.You need to make your mind: Do you want to be an engineer or a computer scientist, or do you want to be a “technician.” Engineering and CS are hard. No matter what you choose, you need to put the effort. Pick the one you like the most, but do not expect it to be “easy.”
Why do so many students drop out from a computer science major?
CS is a fantastic major. However, in my mind below are some of the reasons students drop out of it.New language: You can't write code in plain english (at least just yet). Computer Science, has its own language, and not just one, over the course of a CS degree you will probably work with a few - Java, C, C++, Scheme/Lisp etc. It requires patience and practice to learn new syntax.Workload: From my experience, CS classes can have high workload. Each semester, it is important to be smart about picking a good mix of high/moderate work load classesTeam work: A lot of CS classes will require you to work in teams on a project. People who would rather work alone, or those who have had poor experiences in a team, might be put off by the majorInput vs output shift: CS is fascinating, you can build your own games, mobile apps, web applications etc. Anything you dream up, with a laptop, and an internet connection, you can put together. However, this is easier said than done. It takes a lot of hardwork, commitment, and a good bit of time to build something great. Students only realize this after starting with the majorCourse structure: CS is one of the most hands-on major in the today's world in my mind. If you want, you can build almost anything yourself. Even though it is super hands-on, the classes are still long lectures, with 1 lab a week. Chemistry classes have 1 lab a week, where you work with beakers, and pipettes. A lot of learning in CS happens by doing. I think schools need to rethink how the course is taught and shift the mix of lecture and lab time
I'm doing badly in my Computer Science class; should I drop the class, or change to S/NS type grading?
I go to the University of Washington and I'm doing poorly in my CSE Java Programming II class. So recently, we had our midterm and I did really bad on it. It's depressing me out of my mind because I studied a lot for it, and I have no idea how I could do so badly. I decided to calculate my possible final GPA in the class and I realized that I could only get as high as a 3.0 even if I got 100% on the final. However, this class is related to the major I want to do and I currently have no interest in anything else. I was wondering if I should drop the class, or change to S/NS type grading. S/NS basically means that if I get higher than a 2.0, the grade in my transcript is S, for satisfactory, or NS for less than 2.0. It doesn't affect my GPA, but I can't use the class for my major so I have to retake it again for a better score. I'm really scared and nervous because it's my second year and I feel like I should already have my major by the start of next year, but so far nothing is going according to plan no matter how hard I study.
Folks who dropped out of engineering and computer science, what major did you switch to?
So many engineering majors switch to business. It’s not just a joke that business school is for failed engineers; it seems to be a fact.Note: I was an accounting major before changing to math.Apparently, STEM majors would decide against pursuing STEM degrees really do head to business school most often. (Source: Study tracks attrition rates for STEM majors)