
Ask HN: Is Computer Science too specific? - seth17
Some background: I&#x27;m currently in High School getting ready to apply to college. I&#x27;ve been set on CS for a while though I&#x27;ve been met with criticism from my parents.<p>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&#x27;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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.

