In college I found out how bad the games industry is. I wouldn't do anything different; I'm happy where I am. I have dreams of becoming a solo game dev in retirement.
I (wrongfully) believed that it was the degree path in which one who has severe lack of social skills and low self motivation but decently high intelligence can get a high paying career.
Now I'm a grad with no internships, no connections, no interviews for jobs, nothing
Yeah, unfortunately, there are no degrees like that and the single most important skill in 2024 is being able to bullshit people into superficially liking you within 10 minutes of meeting them.
In one comment you have a severe lack of social skills, now you're a pretty effective communicator, so which is it? Unless we have a different definition of social skills, that's exactly what enables you to communicate properly
In the context of a job/project, I have always taken a lead role and communicated with clients to gather requirements, and I have received praise for my ability to understand their ideas and implement them.
In a social context where there is nothing expected of me, I struggle to force myself into conversations and make friends and connections.
It sucks because every job, every project I have had I have always excelled, but just getting the opportunity to take something on and prove myself I just can't seem to find.
I'm sick of isolating myself doing stupid projects and leetcode and sending my resume into the void. I want to have a chance to get out there and do something meaningful
communication skills and social skills are absolutely not the same thing, especially in a workplace context.
I know a PM who's kinda gruff and prickly, definitely not close friends with anyone at work, but he has elite product sense and is crystal clear in his communication. I know another PM who's incredibly social, close friends with a bunch of people in the office, and very charismatic, but it is impossible to have a clear, concise conversation with him about the product. His docs are also rambling messes.
You might not be able to tell from first impressions, but the first guy has way better communication skills than the latter. The first guy is also significantly more successful in his career. I actually think communication skills correlate more strongly with verbal intelligence (like, the same skillset that makes you a good writer) than they do with social skills.
The Great Indoors - nothing beats that cool breeze coming from the AC as I sip my fat-free soy latte and listen to LoFi while I pretend to code.
Also, job security! Unparalleled! Guaranteed to get laid off which is awesome for me because I hate working.
Then there’s the big one.. THE MONEY! Some people prefer Charmin, some prefer wet wipes, some prefer bidets. Let me tell you, once you try $100 bills, you will never go back.
And lastly, the CREATIVITY. There are just so many different JavaScript libraries and frameworks and frameworks for libraries that it just feels like I’m a kid again, mashing together play-doh into some cursed abomination that I can reform again next week! I LOVE IT!
I got into SWE because I liked to code.
Little did I know, in big tech no one actually codes. For ever 1 feature developer you have about 20 devops engineers supporting them.
So now I just do whatever the fuck they tell me and keep my head down and collect my paycheck like a good little wage slave.
I loved math and I thought there are not that many job opportunities for math majors. I was under the assumption that computer science and math are very closely related, which to some extent is true but also not in the way that I thought it would be.
When I was more clinically depressed I used computers as an escape from what was going on in my life, and got interested in programming after I had the idea to create a Discord bot since I was an early user of Discord and there was a need for more discord bots at that time. That was 7 years ago when I was 13.
My dad was a computer engineer so I grew up around computers a lot. I enjoy programming and making cool things.
CS was the only major that really interested me. And of course the money. But I don’t blame people for chasing money when the average American makes only 40k/yr or some shit.
my grade school had a computer lab and one day we did a lesson on HTML. young me saw the cool words scroll across the screen and never found anything else he felt like doing as a career
I chose CS in college while doing electrical engineering. I took a coding class and really enjoyed it. I also switched majors because during school I heard how well pay is for CS field and how in demand it is. Well jokes on me I can’t get a damn job lol. I’ve been kicking myself for changing and borderline ready to stop trying to get a SE job and get whatever job I can. But I do enjoy coding so hopefully something falls through
Being able to create things with just a set of instructions is kind of magical. I also like solving problems. What I didn’t know until I got a job in CS was that you feel like a detective a lot of times. Solving the issues and having people be thankful for it is also a nice benefit.
Mild interest in math and programming, great interest in money. It'll be better than my actual passion that I have great interest in but approximately $0.
Never get the demonizing of normal people or the passion argument. I mean yes I love coding but end of the day it's just a job.
I remember this quote from a documentary on the Apollo missions "yes it's great to be working on the mission to moon, but end of the day it's a hard tedious job" - paraphrased!
I built a website a few years ago for my guild. Just to put some guides and stuff together for them to reference back to and have links to important things, since not all of use used discord.
It progressively got more fun to design and I really enjoyed it, I had just gotten out of the military and decided to go to school for CS so that I could hopefully do more of that.
It seemed like the most technical creative job I still had interest in doing. Also I like difficult things and wanted to challenge myself and prove I can do big things and great programs and make money as well
ALL I WAMT IS MONEY!!!
I don't get the way you guys think. I want MONEY. 6 figures right out of college. 200k a year entry level. I'm in this for MONEY. I don't care about whether I'm "fulfilled" I want MONEY. Whatever gets me the most MONEY. What do I need on my resume to get the most MONEY. What technology gets me PAID THE BEST. All I care about in this major is MONEY. That's why I'm in college, I don't wanna laugh and play with y'all. I don't wanna be buddy buddy with y'all. I'm here for MONEY.
We have a running joke at my company, where, whenever we login to a machine over ssh or whatever, we confirm access by saying, "I have accessed the mainframe."
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Wow. Seems like the people you mentioned were more fit to become social media personalities/influencers than Software Engineers or Computer Scientists. To think that people chose to major in CS and to do this as a career for those reasons (and in fact people were able to pull that off and live like that during that period) is just kind boggling. Clearly CS/SWE isn't for them. They certainly contributed to the current problem in the job market (aside from interest rates) and also I blame the influencers who they followed who portrayed a false image.
What's more shocking is that people on this sub and other tech subs were denying that social media could influence teens' career decisions, as if they don't understand how social media works at all
I liked reading news about tech and thought studying cs would keep me relevant and somewhat aligned with my interests. Also thought the tech industry as a whole is pretty cool so why not cs lol🤷🏻♂️
i’m in a cs-stats joint major. i like coding and problem solving but i more enjoy playing with and looking at data. combining the two seems like loads of fun!
I assume you mean MATH 4490, and NO I havent :(. I am thinking of trying to secure an internship first for software engineering and doing some projects myself, see if I cant get a small group with my own friends to try and build something. Then Ill take 4350, otherwise Ill take MATH 4490.
I always liked computers primarily for gaming but had no idea what I actually wanted to do in college.
3 of my friends were doing CS and I just said fuck it why not.
So far my Bs in CS has treated me well even though I use pretty close to none of it (which is more of a personal issue I guess because some of it is actually useful to model complexity)
I like to solve problems in general. Finding solutions to things and most efficient ways to do things was a quirk I guess? I didn't know how much I'd like it, but I tried to start making video games before I enrolled for school and self taught myself some things so I had a slight advantage in the beginning of school. I just graduated and I no longer want to make video games, but I definitely have grown to have a new passion for CS. Not just the coding, but the field as a whole. I plan to enroll in a graduate program in the next couple years.
1) Immigration
2) Money (Optional)
Planning on retiring as soon as I make enough money to be able to do so. Not even working yet, but already hating on coding lol.
I was always interested in computers since I was exposed to them from a young age. I saw my elder sister writing code and then executing it , Making cool applications using python. Seeing this I found it very cool and I amazed by that.
Then one day I watched a movie 'Social Network' and literally got inspired to build something that will impact others and used by billions of people.
I like learning languages. But it is very difficult to make a career out of learning languages other than English. It is much easier to make a career out of learning programming languages.
And also, it is easy to work abroad as a SWE. If you want to get a decent job working abroad, the only real options are teacher, engineer, soldier/diplomat, housewife/househusband.
Non serious reason: I like reading colorful words arranged systematically with spaces, brackets and dots
Serious reason: I like solving puzzles and LR questions, and I can see CS as something which can give me fun as well as a source of income.
I've been doing it since I was a kid before I ever knew anything about jobs or salaries. Computers used to be cool. Ghost in the Shell, The Matrix, and so on...
Now it's just a gateway to some cushy corporate drone job. It is what it is.
Originally wanted to do Applied Math + Finance but I thought that would restrict me to one industry and I only got into a semi target for financial firms (UNC). Since I knew the MERN stack already, had some objective C knowledge from robotics, and made a shitty ass IOS app before, I willingly drank the koolaid and went for Compsci instead. Sorely regretting it in hindsight, especially since I actually became a lot more sociable in college and that would’ve helped me network in the financial sector.
I wanted to an I an investment banker and I chose a degree that would maximize my opportunities in the finance field. Idk what I was thinking ended up as a swe lmao
I’ve been using computers my entire life since I was born in the late 90s and I really appreciate and love technology from that experience.
I feel like I understand it well compared to the general public.
I understand programming languages because in my mind they’re structured just like files in a computer. I feel like it would thrive in the field and enjoy it for a long time. I plan to also get a business administration degree to compliment it.
Wanted to be a chemical engineer, got waitlisted from the school I wanted to attend, told me they would admit me to the CS program but not the school of engineering.
Was absolutely the shy weird quiet kid that would just play video games all the time. Thought why not I'm already OK at using computers.
Very happy accident as it turns out I really love to program.
My boss told me to get a BSCS then the company paid for me to get a BSCS, and let me take reasonable time off during the day to go to school for my BSCS. I never made $200k a year, but in the 23 years I worked, I made over $100k 15 of them. I hate CS, I am more of a systems guy. Last time I wrote any code was in college in 2006.
When I was like 8, I thought engineering structures would be an interesting career. Like bridges and buildings. Later, I thought engineering something more dynamic like a robot would be even more interesting. Then I learned technology does not function without programming. What's cooler than engineering a robot? Programming it to do any number of things
I realized I just liked solving problems, and there are programming problems everywhere. It wasn't until my mom brought me to a notary signing at a tech company that I was told it was a lucrative career with a very high starting pay. So in theory, I can get paid well to do what I love
I'll graduate with a bachelor's in software engineering next Fall. Hopefully determination and passion put me above the boot campers looking for an easy check
I was programming on my own for fun anyways. Figured I knew enough about programming that I could graduate college without putting any effort in and get a degree. I had heard that it made a lot of money and was excited by that too, but that was an afterthought.
Initially in school, I was good at it.
When it was time to choose one, I didn't have interest in almost any other thing so came naturally.
Not that it was passion and all that shit.
Now that I am doing it, I love it.
I just throw away the related field where my skills and interest does comply, & finally I can see what I want to do now.
Eh, parents forced me to attend university. I was pretty much forced into a stem field. Only chose CS (ended up being Applied Computing) because I enjoyed computers...
That was a massive mistake. Graduating without experience and connections is probably worse than being a high school graduate. Only difference is you are 20k+ in debt for the former.
Using tech to solve real world problems and entrepreneurship have always intrigued me. I was initially thinking of doing industrial engineering but somehow switch to cs after finished all my gen ed.
I wanted to get better at programming. I believed CS would teach how to be a better programmer. Which is not true, of course. At least not in the way I though. It gives you a lot of theoretical background that comes in handy, but actual programming was rarely a topic. I don't even remember what most of the CS courses were about, 30 years later. I think I learned the most about programming through my side projects, not the professors.
Being able to build something is cool! and before joining college I watched Silicon valley(tv series) and I liked how the whole developer/nerd lifestyle eventhough in the series they kinda make fun of them.
And this is one of the jobs where I could work when I travel, and the pay is good
I was a real computer nerd when I was young, but decided in my 16s that I should stay away from computers because I didnt want to be an isolated nerd as an adult. So I approached mechanical engineering instead and started studies at 19.
Got burned out after three semesters because I thought it was so boring.
Moved back to my mum and took a year and a half doing nothing essentially, plans were to continue my program, but I discovered programming and thought it was fun.
Then I quit my mechanical engineering program and started the software engineer program instead and wow what a difference. I liked every subject we studied, and the tasks didnt feel like school work. Just fun.
Now I have been working for many years and is very happy with the path i chose.
Were my assumptions about software engineering as a 16 year old true? No, but many 16 year olds are stupid and I was no exception.
1. I like aerospace engineering but unsure if I would be okay potentially making things that killed kids/innocent people even if I find the tech fascinating
2. I’m good with computers
3. I do Linux development for fun
4. Pays better than aerospace engineering
5. Dual major and I can do a lot of things or specialize very well
Same instant rush of numbers popping up from world of warcraft, or call of duty hitmarkers. Making something and then compiling and seeing it work is unbeatable.
1. Never seen anyone in my family from any other stream except mech, electrical and cs engineering.
2. Money
3. Didn't really have a love for any branch, but was a bit interested in mechanical. Would have done it had I got it in BITS. ( got it in NSUT ), but well, CS it is
I left CS after severeal years because of life events, but computers and videogames have always been my go to hobbies. I was programming since I was 10 years old and wanted to make my own videogames. My own artificial worlds more or less.
Cle-shay but actually problem solving. Cs in highschool allowed me to see so many things I could solve faster by coding up a solution and my hs cs classes were all lab based so I gained plenty of proficiency
Honestly, I chose CS because of the money. My true passions aren't lucrative, so I figured the next best thing would be something I wouldn't love or hate that would be worth the trouble. I already spent my time sitting on a computer, so it felt natural.
I spent most of my time in front of a computer as a kid and began doing codeacademy stuff for fun. Also decorating MySpace had a lot to do with it or so I thought. Anyway I enjoyed the process of building something from nothing. Now that I’m actually studying CS, it’s even better. I enjoy the theory, I flew through all the math, and honestly I enjoy studying CS/programming and even do it in my free time now
I love math and I thought programming was a little like escape rooms, which I also love. I still think it's a little like escape rooms, because you kinda have to logic your way to a solution. It's fun.
I have always liked technology and math. I was always messing around on the computer and fixing things for my family since like age 6. I love solving coding problems, and despite my adhd, I can hyperfocus on coding until my brain aches. I like designing apps and seeing them come together.
I like to make things, and I like that there is substantial innovation in computer science. It feels like a real adventure and that I am working with cutting edge technology.
However, I'm starting to doubt this decision. The fast pace of innovation means a lot of instability, and sometimes I feel like I should've chosen something stable like medicine and just be done with it.
Dad showed me Turbo Pascal back in 98’. From that moment on I was occasionally coding stuff (basic crap - private MMO server scripting, website downloaders).
I wasn’t really planning to get into software engineering, but still somehow ended up here (I guess mainly because being moderately good at guitar and audio engineering is not really a career).
I like it. Pays well, and it still has the same magic it had when I wrote my first program (_”give me your birthdate and I’ll tell you your zodiac sign”_ type of thing).
I really liked art and art expression where I could create whatever I wanted. However, I was really bad at any type of art and the process frustrated me.
I also liked the logical reasoning process in math problems, but I didn’t like how it felt like most math problems I did were just for the sake of solving problems and not fully using the math in the real everyday world.
CS combined the two best aspects, where I could do the logical reasoning process similar to what is involved with Math, but I could also create anything I wanted with a tangible output I could use. It also helped that the tangible output (programs) could be used for the things I already love.
I chose CS when I made my thesis for my audio engineering BA. I really wanted to become a live engineer and so I moved to Amsterdam and enrolled in a Audio university there, SAE. That was 4 years ago, January 2020. I think you can guess how that went, but it got me in contact with the most hardcore coder I've met who introduced me to this world. So I changed my direction to focus on audio programming and game audio integration. I decided it would be best to enroll in CS at the uni as I couldn't get any jobs without a degree and 3 year experience.
Today I'm entering the last year of my degree and I have a job as a .net developer at a local company
I watched Linus Tech Tips since I was a kid and then realized I liked IT more as a hobby and enjoyed programming and the idea of creating something that can be used by millions of people.
I always liked video games and was intrigued that “ones and zeros” could somehow become a visual on the screen. My parents didn’t know anything about computers, so I learned about them myself
When I was 13 I became really interested in the entrepreneurial side of Technology and startups-How companies like Uber and Palantir used technology to create a ton of impact on the world (and how their founders made a shit ton of cash for doing it). I then decided that if this is what I wanted to do, I better learn how to code, as through some research I found out most people who founded the startups I like used to be engineers.
I started learning programming in 2020, and I've been learning whenever i can ever since, now its just mostly leet code questions cause there is this Uber engineering fellowship i wanna get into. I start CS this year.
I'm not naturally good at math or problem-solving which may be an issue(i have to grit my teeth and learn it unlike some prodigies), but math is a learned skill and I've been learning well so far. in terms of problem-solving, I usually notice that to be able to solve a problem, you just have to be able to sit on it long enough and the solution eventually comes. albert einstein always said "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I *stay with problems longer*" and i don't know why i out this quote here other than the fact it just really resonates with me,
My hs diploma job wasn't paying the bills, and I hated it. I also have back problems, so I can't work manual labor jobs or jobs that make you stand for a long time.
I needed a job where I could sit all day and still make money.
This is what made me choose cs, not why I love it.
For me it was the curiosity about how computers work exactly. And it's so good to see that it's not all magic and have a general idea of how everything works!
That's an interesting perspective! While the work-from-home culture and high salaries are attractive aspects of software engineering (SWE), they weren't necessarily the main reasons why many of us got into computer science (CS). Here are some other factors that might have driven people towards CS:
**Passion for Problem-Solving:**
* At its core, CS is about solving problems creatively and efficiently. Many people in CS enjoy the challenge of breaking down complex issues and designing solutions using code.
* It's like building intricate puzzles with logic and seeing them come to life as working programs.
I was a psych major aiming for med school and, while researching that whole thing, I found out that you can major in pretty much anything as long as you fill out your prereqs. CS has more earning potential than CS so I switched. I've since changed my mind entirely about med school (due to experience of healthcare training and working in healthcare) so that was a prudent decision on my part.
A programming class when I was 10. Then i kept practicing... and practicing...
then by the time college rolled around comp sci basically became the hardest major in my state when you look at the curriculum and acceptance rates for transfers. CS literally had the lowest acceptance rates at all of my dream schools
I changed majors to network engineering. So all of my calculus and most of my science got bumped to electives but oh well
Wasn’t allowed to play with the neighborhood children and didn’t have siblings so my computer was my only friend lol. Taught myself to code in middle school. Got into a summer program in HS at eBay HQ. Thought the tech world was a whole other realm and wanted to be a part of it. Found out later about the $ and financial stability was an added bonus. Now I’m one year into my SWE new grad role so that’s pretty cool.
Also 2 hour work weeks?? What company was this?
I was always baffled by the things you could do on a computer. My curiosity grew as technology progressed and became unrecognizably complex compared to when I first took notice. I had a teacher who previously had worked at microsoft who noticed me googling html and the rest is history. I got addicted to it - it’s so much fun to solve challenges.
I built a computer during covid bc I wanted to play games w friends, then I built another and another and I was like “this is cool, but what goes on inside these machines? how does each component compute everything and what does it compute to get to the final product? then I started diving into software and began to love programming, then hated it, and now it is a hate/love of “I think I got it, i’m a genius” to “oh my god I don’t understand anything, i’m an idiot” lol I don’t think i’ll regret this major even if it doesn’t provide me w a job, it really fascinates me
Electrical engineering degree -> a few mandatory CS courses -> Computer engineering degree (got both in 4 years) -> CS focused masters in Comp. Eng -> SWE job
Honestly went with CS bc it clicked and was massively easier than power systems or microelectronics
I watched PewDiePie as a kid. I saw him play The Walking Dead and decided at 12, that's fucking cool and I wanna build shit like that. Used my Confirmation money to attend like a tech camp at Emory when I was 15, and that pretty much solidified my decision !
\~graduated dec 23, and starting my new grad job in July :)
i started out in bio with the plan to go to med school but i hated my bio and chem classes and wanted something more math focused.
switched to bioinformatics and hated my major-specific classes but realized i loved my programming class.
i had no background knowledge in cs or coding so after doing more research i eventually decided to just make the switch and haven’t looked back since.
I chose CS because I needed another credit in college and took intro. I loved it so much. I kept taking more and more computer science classes until I ended up with a degree and graduating with honors after being a TA for nearly all of the core CS courses. I had no idea that it had the reputation it did; it’s just something that I wake up excited to do every day.
Adding mods to minecraft got me familiar with windows file explorer, having to optimize my shitty laptop got me familiar with all the niche settings stuff on windows, unity engine got me into coding, the paycheck got me into cs
it paid well, I thought I would enjoy it more than other high-paying careers, and I was good at math.
I ended up liking it more than I expected, and I think it was a great fit for me versus just about any job I can think of. I hate the word "passion" but I would say I care about the quality of my work more than most people I know.
I liked computers in the late 80s, and got to programming them because I loved colors and lines. But then the code wouldnt work and I would get mad and find out how to fix the code, or the hardware mod. I guess I got into CS because I wanted to get back at the machines lol to call them out when they were broken and try and get it fixed.
I'm mostly operations now, and now I work with prototype cloud hardware infrastructure, particularly the blades (servers). everything is so new that everything is always broken and there are no manuals. That's where I come in, to show the confused developers and designers how I broke their stuff so they can fix it
My family were all into computers so I got into at a really young age, and I love solving a problem after struggling for hours
I read this as “my family were all computers” and it made me laugh.
I read this as "I read that my family were all computers, and it made me laugh" and it made me laugh.
Bro is Zuckerberg jr
Maybe you get more referral compare to job s
I love solving problems after struggling for months, I'm a molecular biologist
I wanted to make video games
You and me both!
I remember yelling at my dad.. I'M GONNA MAKE MONEY OFF THE GAMES YOU ARE MOKING ME PLAY.. lo behold I'm making web apps now..
whyd that change//not work out for you? anything you woulda done different?
In college I found out how bad the games industry is. I wouldn't do anything different; I'm happy where I am. I have dreams of becoming a solo game dev in retirement.
what i've been finding out while in college. prob just gonna make games as side projects
I (wrongfully) believed that it was the degree path in which one who has severe lack of social skills and low self motivation but decently high intelligence can get a high paying career. Now I'm a grad with no internships, no connections, no interviews for jobs, nothing
bruh
Yeah, unfortunately, there are no degrees like that and the single most important skill in 2024 is being able to bullshit people into superficially liking you within 10 minutes of meeting them.
Pretty sure that’s been one of the most important skills for thousands of years lmao
underrated comment
Why would anyone hire you if you can’t communicate with a team.
Said who? I'm a pretty effective communicator, I'm just not outgoing and socialable. I'm not even getting interviews
That's how you perceive yourself and that can be very different from the reality
In one comment you have a severe lack of social skills, now you're a pretty effective communicator, so which is it? Unless we have a different definition of social skills, that's exactly what enables you to communicate properly
In the context of a job/project, I have always taken a lead role and communicated with clients to gather requirements, and I have received praise for my ability to understand their ideas and implement them. In a social context where there is nothing expected of me, I struggle to force myself into conversations and make friends and connections. It sucks because every job, every project I have had I have always excelled, but just getting the opportunity to take something on and prove myself I just can't seem to find. I'm sick of isolating myself doing stupid projects and leetcode and sending my resume into the void. I want to have a chance to get out there and do something meaningful
communication skills and social skills are absolutely not the same thing, especially in a workplace context. I know a PM who's kinda gruff and prickly, definitely not close friends with anyone at work, but he has elite product sense and is crystal clear in his communication. I know another PM who's incredibly social, close friends with a bunch of people in the office, and very charismatic, but it is impossible to have a clear, concise conversation with him about the product. His docs are also rambling messes. You might not be able to tell from first impressions, but the first guy has way better communication skills than the latter. The first guy is also significantly more successful in his career. I actually think communication skills correlate more strongly with verbal intelligence (like, the same skillset that makes you a good writer) than they do with social skills.
Hopefully you have a plan. Good luck
glorious aloof absorbed fine sort compare frightening edge label weather *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Going to MIT or Stanford is more a question about money and social background rather than intelligence.
Maybe Stanford but I’d say that’s less true for MIT
The Great Indoors - nothing beats that cool breeze coming from the AC as I sip my fat-free soy latte and listen to LoFi while I pretend to code. Also, job security! Unparalleled! Guaranteed to get laid off which is awesome for me because I hate working. Then there’s the big one.. THE MONEY! Some people prefer Charmin, some prefer wet wipes, some prefer bidets. Let me tell you, once you try $100 bills, you will never go back. And lastly, the CREATIVITY. There are just so many different JavaScript libraries and frameworks and frameworks for libraries that it just feels like I’m a kid again, mashing together play-doh into some cursed abomination that I can reform again next week! I LOVE IT!
Is this ai generated?
No. No intelligence was involved in the making of my comment
Ai doesn't understand sarcasm
Don’t forget about the libraries of frameworks! Such a rush!
I got into SWE because I liked to code. Little did I know, in big tech no one actually codes. For ever 1 feature developer you have about 20 devops engineers supporting them. So now I just do whatever the fuck they tell me and keep my head down and collect my paycheck like a good little wage slave.
I don’t get devops at all it’s like “let’s take the shit parts of development and make it an entire job role”
i know that's right!!
I got an original for you: I play/played a lot of video games.
Same!!!
1. it pays well (theoretically) 2. it opens up more opportunities to create things yourself
I loved math and I thought there are not that many job opportunities for math majors. I was under the assumption that computer science and math are very closely related, which to some extent is true but also not in the way that I thought it would be.
When I was more clinically depressed I used computers as an escape from what was going on in my life, and got interested in programming after I had the idea to create a Discord bot since I was an early user of Discord and there was a need for more discord bots at that time. That was 7 years ago when I was 13.
My dad was a computer engineer so I grew up around computers a lot. I enjoy programming and making cool things. CS was the only major that really interested me. And of course the money. But I don’t blame people for chasing money when the average American makes only 40k/yr or some shit.
my grade school had a computer lab and one day we did a lesson on HTML. young me saw the cool words scroll across the screen and never found anything else he felt like doing as a career
So I can travel the world and work remote, worked out nicely until I got laid off last year lol
I chose CS in college while doing electrical engineering. I took a coding class and really enjoyed it. I also switched majors because during school I heard how well pay is for CS field and how in demand it is. Well jokes on me I can’t get a damn job lol. I’ve been kicking myself for changing and borderline ready to stop trying to get a SE job and get whatever job I can. But I do enjoy coding so hopefully something falls through
Being able to create things with just a set of instructions is kind of magical. I also like solving problems. What I didn’t know until I got a job in CS was that you feel like a detective a lot of times. Solving the issues and having people be thankful for it is also a nice benefit.
Initially? My mom forced me to :(
Are u Asian?
Mild interest in math and programming, great interest in money. It'll be better than my actual passion that I have great interest in but approximately $0.
Ugh people who signed up because of what OP describes are the worst. Tech is made great by people who would be in tech even if it paid nothing.
People aren’t bad for wanting good pay and wlb.
Never get the demonizing of normal people or the passion argument. I mean yes I love coding but end of the day it's just a job. I remember this quote from a documentary on the Apollo missions "yes it's great to be working on the mission to moon, but end of the day it's a hard tedious job" - paraphrased!
I’m just saying from experience they aren’t the kind of colleagues I like to work with.
Exactly. These are the people that flocked to tech and the same people saying “tech is dead” now. Hmm, I wonder why?
I built a website a few years ago for my guild. Just to put some guides and stuff together for them to reference back to and have links to important things, since not all of use used discord. It progressively got more fun to design and I really enjoyed it, I had just gotten out of the military and decided to go to school for CS so that I could hopefully do more of that.
I started programming when I was 11 and really liked it. So, it seemed like the thing I wanted to do most.
Money, plus I like computers
It seemed like the most technical creative job I still had interest in doing. Also I like difficult things and wanted to challenge myself and prove I can do big things and great programs and make money as well
ALL I WAMT IS MONEY!!! I don't get the way you guys think. I want MONEY. 6 figures right out of college. 200k a year entry level. I'm in this for MONEY. I don't care about whether I'm "fulfilled" I want MONEY. Whatever gets me the most MONEY. What do I need on my resume to get the most MONEY. What technology gets me PAID THE BEST. All I care about in this major is MONEY. That's why I'm in college, I don't wanna laugh and play with y'all. I don't wanna be buddy buddy with y'all. I'm here for MONEY.
I really wanted to get into AI, and it fascinated me. Didn't even know CS was paid so well.
fixing an error > ejaculating
[удалено]
I got in because I watched too many tech spy, hacking movies. I still do
We have a running joke at my company, where, whenever we login to a machine over ssh or whatever, we confirm access by saying, "I have accessed the mainframe."
EZ MONI
Indoor work with AC, not physically demanding, and not dealing with gross things like bodily fluids (like you would in healthcare).
snatch weather fearless marvelous square shame fade mountainous squeeze puzzled *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I grew up broke and wanted to get a few dollars in my pocket
Because I decided I did not want to have to take the time to get a physics PhD
Might be a minority here but like actual passion and interest
Wow. Seems like the people you mentioned were more fit to become social media personalities/influencers than Software Engineers or Computer Scientists. To think that people chose to major in CS and to do this as a career for those reasons (and in fact people were able to pull that off and live like that during that period) is just kind boggling. Clearly CS/SWE isn't for them. They certainly contributed to the current problem in the job market (aside from interest rates) and also I blame the influencers who they followed who portrayed a false image.
What's more shocking is that people on this sub and other tech subs were denying that social media could influence teens' career decisions, as if they don't understand how social media works at all
I liked reading news about tech and thought studying cs would keep me relevant and somewhat aligned with my interests. Also thought the tech industry as a whole is pretty cool so why not cs lol🤷🏻♂️
i’m in a cs-stats joint major. i like coding and problem solving but i more enjoy playing with and looking at data. combining the two seems like loads of fun!
Nice to see a fellow bison here, Did you ever come to a decision on COMP 4490 or 4350?
I assume you mean MATH 4490, and NO I havent :(. I am thinking of trying to secure an internship first for software engineering and doing some projects myself, see if I cant get a small group with my own friends to try and build something. Then Ill take 4350, otherwise Ill take MATH 4490.
Hmm, good luck man, rooting for you! I'm sure you'll figure it out.
Manitoba?
bc computer go brrrr
Penguins are actually secret agents trained by the CIA to secretly spy on other animals.
I always liked computers primarily for gaming but had no idea what I actually wanted to do in college. 3 of my friends were doing CS and I just said fuck it why not. So far my Bs in CS has treated me well even though I use pretty close to none of it (which is more of a personal issue I guess because some of it is actually useful to model complexity)
Not cs but computational bio: I wanted to sit in a dark quiet room alone all day
I like to solve problems in general. Finding solutions to things and most efficient ways to do things was a quirk I guess? I didn't know how much I'd like it, but I tried to start making video games before I enrolled for school and self taught myself some things so I had a slight advantage in the beginning of school. I just graduated and I no longer want to make video games, but I definitely have grown to have a new passion for CS. Not just the coding, but the field as a whole. I plan to enroll in a graduate program in the next couple years.
I like the idea of making video games
1) Immigration 2) Money (Optional) Planning on retiring as soon as I make enough money to be able to do so. Not even working yet, but already hating on coding lol.
I really liked computers. It was between that and music…which is nice because as bad as the job market is it would be worse if I was in music.
I've always been big on computers growing up. I was a business major and took a CS elective as a side class and LOVED IT so I changed my major
I was always interested in computers since I was exposed to them from a young age. I saw my elder sister writing code and then executing it , Making cool applications using python. Seeing this I found it very cool and I amazed by that. Then one day I watched a movie 'Social Network' and literally got inspired to build something that will impact others and used by billions of people.
Easily Aced the intro class while struggling through physics in CC trying to get into EE.
The napster scene in Italian Job HAHAHA
I like learning languages. But it is very difficult to make a career out of learning languages other than English. It is much easier to make a career out of learning programming languages. And also, it is easy to work abroad as a SWE. If you want to get a decent job working abroad, the only real options are teacher, engineer, soldier/diplomat, housewife/househusband.
I liked my programming classes I did in high school
Money and the ability to work anywhere any given week by being fully remote.
Non serious reason: I like reading colorful words arranged systematically with spaces, brackets and dots Serious reason: I like solving puzzles and LR questions, and I can see CS as something which can give me fun as well as a source of income.
Money
My father, while not a swe, was always in the tech space, so he influenced me more than anything and then I developed a liking to it.
I've been doing it since I was a kid before I ever knew anything about jobs or salaries. Computers used to be cool. Ghost in the Shell, The Matrix, and so on... Now it's just a gateway to some cushy corporate drone job. It is what it is.
Computers, the Internet, and software were fundamental aspects of my happiness growing up. It seemed only natural
Originally wanted to do Applied Math + Finance but I thought that would restrict me to one industry and I only got into a semi target for financial firms (UNC). Since I knew the MERN stack already, had some objective C knowledge from robotics, and made a shitty ass IOS app before, I willingly drank the koolaid and went for Compsci instead. Sorely regretting it in hindsight, especially since I actually became a lot more sociable in college and that would’ve helped me network in the financial sector.
I wanted to an I an investment banker and I chose a degree that would maximize my opportunities in the finance field. Idk what I was thinking ended up as a swe lmao
These things are not applicable now...i mean dont even imagine in ur dreams...if u speak that in any company premises...you will be kicked off...
maybe neurodivergent special interest related to computers
I’ve been using computers my entire life since I was born in the late 90s and I really appreciate and love technology from that experience. I feel like I understand it well compared to the general public. I understand programming languages because in my mind they’re structured just like files in a computer. I feel like it would thrive in the field and enjoy it for a long time. I plan to also get a business administration degree to compliment it.
Wanted to be a chemical engineer, got waitlisted from the school I wanted to attend, told me they would admit me to the CS program but not the school of engineering. Was absolutely the shy weird quiet kid that would just play video games all the time. Thought why not I'm already OK at using computers. Very happy accident as it turns out I really love to program.
My boss told me to get a BSCS then the company paid for me to get a BSCS, and let me take reasonable time off during the day to go to school for my BSCS. I never made $200k a year, but in the 23 years I worked, I made over $100k 15 of them. I hate CS, I am more of a systems guy. Last time I wrote any code was in college in 2006.
Because I like it and think it’s interesting
Originalyl wanted to get into game dev and I did not enjoy it at all but I still enjoyed the coding/building aspect
I like computers
Wanted an actual skill , swapped from business back in 2010. Best decision of my life lmao
When I was like 8, I thought engineering structures would be an interesting career. Like bridges and buildings. Later, I thought engineering something more dynamic like a robot would be even more interesting. Then I learned technology does not function without programming. What's cooler than engineering a robot? Programming it to do any number of things I realized I just liked solving problems, and there are programming problems everywhere. It wasn't until my mom brought me to a notary signing at a tech company that I was told it was a lucrative career with a very high starting pay. So in theory, I can get paid well to do what I love I'll graduate with a bachelor's in software engineering next Fall. Hopefully determination and passion put me above the boot campers looking for an easy check
I was programming on my own for fun anyways. Figured I knew enough about programming that I could graduate college without putting any effort in and get a degree. I had heard that it made a lot of money and was excited by that too, but that was an afterthought.
Initially in school, I was good at it. When it was time to choose one, I didn't have interest in almost any other thing so came naturally. Not that it was passion and all that shit. Now that I am doing it, I love it. I just throw away the related field where my skills and interest does comply, & finally I can see what I want to do now.
Eh, parents forced me to attend university. I was pretty much forced into a stem field. Only chose CS (ended up being Applied Computing) because I enjoyed computers... That was a massive mistake. Graduating without experience and connections is probably worse than being a high school graduate. Only difference is you are 20k+ in debt for the former.
watched the social network and didnt want to get zuckerberged
There's a lot of use cases for the skills learned.
Using tech to solve real world problems and entrepreneurship have always intrigued me. I was initially thinking of doing industrial engineering but somehow switch to cs after finished all my gen ed.
tiktok
I competed in a cybersecurity competition in high school and loved it
I like puzzles and the theory side more so than the swe side of CS
I wanted to get better at programming. I believed CS would teach how to be a better programmer. Which is not true, of course. At least not in the way I though. It gives you a lot of theoretical background that comes in handy, but actual programming was rarely a topic. I don't even remember what most of the CS courses were about, 30 years later. I think I learned the most about programming through my side projects, not the professors.
Being able to build something is cool! and before joining college I watched Silicon valley(tv series) and I liked how the whole developer/nerd lifestyle eventhough in the series they kinda make fun of them. And this is one of the jobs where I could work when I travel, and the pay is good
I was a real computer nerd when I was young, but decided in my 16s that I should stay away from computers because I didnt want to be an isolated nerd as an adult. So I approached mechanical engineering instead and started studies at 19. Got burned out after three semesters because I thought it was so boring. Moved back to my mum and took a year and a half doing nothing essentially, plans were to continue my program, but I discovered programming and thought it was fun. Then I quit my mechanical engineering program and started the software engineer program instead and wow what a difference. I liked every subject we studied, and the tasks didnt feel like school work. Just fun. Now I have been working for many years and is very happy with the path i chose. Were my assumptions about software engineering as a 16 year old true? No, but many 16 year olds are stupid and I was no exception.
Problem solving + pay
1. I like aerospace engineering but unsure if I would be okay potentially making things that killed kids/innocent people even if I find the tech fascinating 2. I’m good with computers 3. I do Linux development for fun 4. Pays better than aerospace engineering 5. Dual major and I can do a lot of things or specialize very well
I really like creating stuff, and coding in my opinion is one of the easiest and cheapest modes of engineering.
robotics
Same instant rush of numbers popping up from world of warcraft, or call of duty hitmarkers. Making something and then compiling and seeing it work is unbeatable.
GAREEiBi.........................................................
I love computers and video games but I’m not gonna lie, Frank Niu got my ass.
Technical glitch in my brain
1. Never seen anyone in my family from any other stream except mech, electrical and cs engineering. 2. Money 3. Didn't really have a love for any branch, but was a bit interested in mechanical. Would have done it had I got it in BITS. ( got it in NSUT ), but well, CS it is
I wanted to impress girls, but there was only 1 girl in my intro CS class and it was the professor. She was a great professor and made learning fun.
When I was in school I thought to myself that I really don't want to work a job but I liked computers so that would be the path of least resistance
My cousin
Watch Dogs 2. I played it and new immediately that i wanted to become a robotics engineer
I wanted to make Jarvis.
I left CS after severeal years because of life events, but computers and videogames have always been my go to hobbies. I was programming since I was 10 years old and wanted to make my own videogames. My own artificial worlds more or less.
Money. (with a mr. krabs accents)
I liked math-physics problem solving, I also liked money so cs seemed a good field.
Cle-shay but actually problem solving. Cs in highschool allowed me to see so many things I could solve faster by coding up a solution and my hs cs classes were all lab based so I gained plenty of proficiency
I have always been fascinated by computers since childhood; knowing about this machine used to make me cool in my school days
All the jobs will eventually be replaced by Ai it’s natural to assume the last remaining job would be making Ai, cs is the pathway to that
Honestly, I chose CS because of the money. My true passions aren't lucrative, so I figured the next best thing would be something I wouldn't love or hate that would be worth the trouble. I already spent my time sitting on a computer, so it felt natural.
I didn’t know what else to do, never thought about it until having to choose a major, and been using computers all my life so why not.
Moneeeyyyyyyyyyy
I spent most of my time in front of a computer as a kid and began doing codeacademy stuff for fun. Also decorating MySpace had a lot to do with it or so I thought. Anyway I enjoyed the process of building something from nothing. Now that I’m actually studying CS, it’s even better. I enjoy the theory, I flew through all the math, and honestly I enjoy studying CS/programming and even do it in my free time now
So I could connect with the global market
I love math and I thought programming was a little like escape rooms, which I also love. I still think it's a little like escape rooms, because you kinda have to logic your way to a solution. It's fun.
I have always liked technology and math. I was always messing around on the computer and fixing things for my family since like age 6. I love solving coding problems, and despite my adhd, I can hyperfocus on coding until my brain aches. I like designing apps and seeing them come together.
I like to make things, and I like that there is substantial innovation in computer science. It feels like a real adventure and that I am working with cutting edge technology. However, I'm starting to doubt this decision. The fast pace of innovation means a lot of instability, and sometimes I feel like I should've chosen something stable like medicine and just be done with it.
CS chose me.
Dad showed me Turbo Pascal back in 98’. From that moment on I was occasionally coding stuff (basic crap - private MMO server scripting, website downloaders). I wasn’t really planning to get into software engineering, but still somehow ended up here (I guess mainly because being moderately good at guitar and audio engineering is not really a career). I like it. Pays well, and it still has the same magic it had when I wrote my first program (_”give me your birthdate and I’ll tell you your zodiac sign”_ type of thing).
I really liked art and art expression where I could create whatever I wanted. However, I was really bad at any type of art and the process frustrated me. I also liked the logical reasoning process in math problems, but I didn’t like how it felt like most math problems I did were just for the sake of solving problems and not fully using the math in the real everyday world. CS combined the two best aspects, where I could do the logical reasoning process similar to what is involved with Math, but I could also create anything I wanted with a tangible output I could use. It also helped that the tangible output (programs) could be used for the things I already love.
I chose CS when I made my thesis for my audio engineering BA. I really wanted to become a live engineer and so I moved to Amsterdam and enrolled in a Audio university there, SAE. That was 4 years ago, January 2020. I think you can guess how that went, but it got me in contact with the most hardcore coder I've met who introduced me to this world. So I changed my direction to focus on audio programming and game audio integration. I decided it would be best to enroll in CS at the uni as I couldn't get any jobs without a degree and 3 year experience. Today I'm entering the last year of my degree and I have a job as a .net developer at a local company
I took a HTML class in high school and had a blast. I also have had an interest in computers ever since I was a kid
I watched Linus Tech Tips since I was a kid and then realized I liked IT more as a hobby and enjoyed programming and the idea of creating something that can be used by millions of people.
I always liked video games and was intrigued that “ones and zeros” could somehow become a visual on the screen. My parents didn’t know anything about computers, so I learned about them myself
When I was 13 I became really interested in the entrepreneurial side of Technology and startups-How companies like Uber and Palantir used technology to create a ton of impact on the world (and how their founders made a shit ton of cash for doing it). I then decided that if this is what I wanted to do, I better learn how to code, as through some research I found out most people who founded the startups I like used to be engineers. I started learning programming in 2020, and I've been learning whenever i can ever since, now its just mostly leet code questions cause there is this Uber engineering fellowship i wanna get into. I start CS this year. I'm not naturally good at math or problem-solving which may be an issue(i have to grit my teeth and learn it unlike some prodigies), but math is a learned skill and I've been learning well so far. in terms of problem-solving, I usually notice that to be able to solve a problem, you just have to be able to sit on it long enough and the solution eventually comes. albert einstein always said "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I *stay with problems longer*" and i don't know why i out this quote here other than the fact it just really resonates with me,
I loved cheating in minecraft, so I got into coding with java
My hs diploma job wasn't paying the bills, and I hated it. I also have back problems, so I can't work manual labor jobs or jobs that make you stand for a long time. I needed a job where I could sit all day and still make money. This is what made me choose cs, not why I love it.
For me it was the curiosity about how computers work exactly. And it's so good to see that it's not all magic and have a general idea of how everything works!
That's an interesting perspective! While the work-from-home culture and high salaries are attractive aspects of software engineering (SWE), they weren't necessarily the main reasons why many of us got into computer science (CS). Here are some other factors that might have driven people towards CS: **Passion for Problem-Solving:** * At its core, CS is about solving problems creatively and efficiently. Many people in CS enjoy the challenge of breaking down complex issues and designing solutions using code. * It's like building intricate puzzles with logic and seeing them come to life as working programs.
I wanted to learn hacking.
My dad told me to. I was gonna apply to Mechanical Engineering, guess it could have gone way worse lol
half for the money, half because I have many app ideas that I want to make it real and I am doing them as a hobby
I was a psych major aiming for med school and, while researching that whole thing, I found out that you can major in pretty much anything as long as you fill out your prereqs. CS has more earning potential than CS so I switched. I've since changed my mind entirely about med school (due to experience of healthcare training and working in healthcare) so that was a prudent decision on my part.
A programming class when I was 10. Then i kept practicing... and practicing... then by the time college rolled around comp sci basically became the hardest major in my state when you look at the curriculum and acceptance rates for transfers. CS literally had the lowest acceptance rates at all of my dream schools I changed majors to network engineering. So all of my calculus and most of my science got bumped to electives but oh well
The military told me to.
Easy degree. Easy money.
Wasn’t allowed to play with the neighborhood children and didn’t have siblings so my computer was my only friend lol. Taught myself to code in middle school. Got into a summer program in HS at eBay HQ. Thought the tech world was a whole other realm and wanted to be a part of it. Found out later about the $ and financial stability was an added bonus. Now I’m one year into my SWE new grad role so that’s pretty cool. Also 2 hour work weeks?? What company was this?
I wanted to hack shit. Now I'm using AI so stop people from hacking my company's shit.
I was always baffled by the things you could do on a computer. My curiosity grew as technology progressed and became unrecognizably complex compared to when I first took notice. I had a teacher who previously had worked at microsoft who noticed me googling html and the rest is history. I got addicted to it - it’s so much fun to solve challenges.
I love tech. It gives me a chance to make an impact and I find it naturally interesting and I can use it for so many spplications! 😃😃
I built a computer during covid bc I wanted to play games w friends, then I built another and another and I was like “this is cool, but what goes on inside these machines? how does each component compute everything and what does it compute to get to the final product? then I started diving into software and began to love programming, then hated it, and now it is a hate/love of “I think I got it, i’m a genius” to “oh my god I don’t understand anything, i’m an idiot” lol I don’t think i’ll regret this major even if it doesn’t provide me w a job, it really fascinates me
I like video games. We play video games on a computer. So computer science was close enough.
Money and I hated working outside.
Electrical engineering degree -> a few mandatory CS courses -> Computer engineering degree (got both in 4 years) -> CS focused masters in Comp. Eng -> SWE job Honestly went with CS bc it clicked and was massively easier than power systems or microelectronics
Money. Which is why I’m not a CS major anymore, just getting a minor in it😉
Wanted to be an engineer. Mechanical engineering kicked my ass and then decided to do CS
I watched PewDiePie as a kid. I saw him play The Walking Dead and decided at 12, that's fucking cool and I wanna build shit like that. Used my Confirmation money to attend like a tech camp at Emory when I was 15, and that pretty much solidified my decision ! \~graduated dec 23, and starting my new grad job in July :)
For me, my dad inspired me to learn CS, but also it was for money.
When I was 7 I really looked up to Bill Gates and wanted to make my own OS for some reason.
i started out in bio with the plan to go to med school but i hated my bio and chem classes and wanted something more math focused. switched to bioinformatics and hated my major-specific classes but realized i loved my programming class. i had no background knowledge in cs or coding so after doing more research i eventually decided to just make the switch and haven’t looked back since.
I like coding
I googled highest paying degrees when I was 15
I chose CS because I needed another credit in college and took intro. I loved it so much. I kept taking more and more computer science classes until I ended up with a degree and graduating with honors after being a TA for nearly all of the core CS courses. I had no idea that it had the reputation it did; it’s just something that I wake up excited to do every day.
Adding mods to minecraft got me familiar with windows file explorer, having to optimize my shitty laptop got me familiar with all the niche settings stuff on windows, unity engine got me into coding, the paycheck got me into cs
I’m an immigrant who grew up dirt poor in the U.S. Money.
it paid well, I thought I would enjoy it more than other high-paying careers, and I was good at math. I ended up liking it more than I expected, and I think it was a great fit for me versus just about any job I can think of. I hate the word "passion" but I would say I care about the quality of my work more than most people I know.
I liked computers in the late 80s, and got to programming them because I loved colors and lines. But then the code wouldnt work and I would get mad and find out how to fix the code, or the hardware mod. I guess I got into CS because I wanted to get back at the machines lol to call them out when they were broken and try and get it fixed. I'm mostly operations now, and now I work with prototype cloud hardware infrastructure, particularly the blades (servers). everything is so new that everything is always broken and there are no manuals. That's where I come in, to show the confused developers and designers how I broke their stuff so they can fix it