Quote: (07-02-2018 10:13 AM)questor70 Wrote:
Quote: (06-30-2018 10:35 AM)ts58 Wrote:
To everyone else: I stand by my point there vast majority of jobs are in dev, not Engineering.
More to the point, I really do not get the attempt to separate the term IT from engineering. It's nothing but a semantic argument. I use the term IT to refer to any and all data-related work, everything from desktop support all the way up to the elites who write kernels and drivers in assembly.
I do not have a comp-sci degree and I'm making over six figures. Has the lack of a degree been an impediment? Somewhat, but the fact is that the majority of the kind of work done in programming as a whole is mostly simple flowchart style logic and not hand-rolled algorithims or heavy math/physics. This is because we have what, 60+ years of foundational computing behind us and most of the hard stuff has been done already and is now bundled up in preexisting libraries. This is even true in games where, for instance, Unity is driven by (horror of horrors, C# instead of C++). No more pointers. No more manual memory allocation/deallocation.
I have nothing but the utmost respect for those at the top of the food-chain. They can do things most of us can't, but IT work (as I define it) is now a VERY broad field and those considering it should not feel that they shouldn't bother if they didn't get a perfect SAT score in math and can't think in binary.
In terms of your last sentence, that's fine - and this is perhaps where the argument's crux lies - which is what is this thread about? The OP was wondering whether computer science is a good major/career for someone like himself who is good in thinking in binary. And not about whether he should be discouraged because he can't think in binary. Though that would in fact be really good separate thread, e.g. "How to succeed in IT without a CompSci degree".
A good analogy would be if someone created a thread about becoming a medical doctor and was wondering if it'd be a good career for him, and other posters chimed in saying how they never went to med school, but are still in the healthcare profession making 6 figures. Ergo, a MD isn't needed, and one shouldn't be discouraged if they didn't have great MCAT scores. Or saying how there are more jobs for nurses and physician assistants' than medical doctors.
OK, I'm not disagreeing with the general argument there - sure, you don't need an MD to get a job in the medical field. But would you not agree it's a bit of a distraction to start talking about nursing or dentistry when the OP specifically asked about med school programs? Now, if people were talking about trade-offs specifically, e.g. being a nurse is much less stressful, you don't spend as much time in school, etc etc - I'd say that's relevant. But to be frank, I haven't seen much in terms of those types of trade-offs in engineering vs. IT here.
Note that this is also where the semantic issue is more clearly shown. There's a difference between a surgeon and an RN, even though broadly both work in the medical field. And career outcomes are vastly different for the two - so semantics do matter.
Similarly, you don't need a degree in Computer Science to get a job in the broad field people define as IT. But the distinction between IT and engineering does matter, because of outcomes.
Because what a huge difference it can make if you indeed get a degree, which is what I presume is OP's goal.
I'll maintain that if you:
* go to a solid engineering/state school
* have a Bachelors or Masters in CompSci (or Electrical/Computer Engineering as they're related fields)
* maintain a 3.5GPA
so many more doors open up for you.
I had a friend who had a bachelors in biomedical engineering. He got an entry-level software development job ($90K starting salary). All-in-all, it wasn't very intellectually challenging. So he went for his masters in Computer Science, and got a much more intellectually challenging job and a very nice bump in salary.
The exceptions I've seen are guys who go to elite schools. James Damore went to Harvard for his PhD (dropped out) in biological systems. He got a job with Google. Going to schools like Harvard will get you at least an interview, regardless of your major, if you've taken a CompSci class or two. When Damore got fired, he was making $300K I believe. That's a massive salary for someone a few years out of school.
Ageism is a valid concern though. OP is 25 - if he finishes up his degree in 4 years, he'll be 29 years old. He might have issues with his age at that point.
