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I majored in EE, even though I expected to someday take a software job because I really enjoy programming. I figured I could continue teaching myself programmin

by freyr 9y ago

I majored in EE, even though I expected to someday take a software job because I really enjoy programming. I figured I could continue teaching myself programming in parallel. As a self-taught programmer, I think you're downplaying how much you can learn in a CS program. I don't pretend to know as much as a CS major. I haven't spent time learning compilers or DB internals, and probably haven't studied CS algorithms enough to pass an interview at Google or Facebook. Regarding the CS curriculum, an undergrad EE curriculum is similarly shallow: it's a sampling of many different subtopics that often are only loosely related (E&M, DSP, circuits, control theory, devices, etc.). Undergrads won't be experts in any one of those fields. Since I graduated (grad school) in EE, I've told myself each year that I'll jump from my EE job to a programming job, since I enjoy programming more. But it's getting harder and harder to justify. Will I be leaving a senior EE position for an entry-level software position? Does that make sense at 30? Why am I the oldest person in the office when I interview at a startup? Why is the interviewer fixating on compilers and database internals? If I were to do it over, I'd get a degree in CS because that's the most direct route to the job, and education continues on the job. Everything else was a diversion. And you're seeing the grass as greener on the other side of the fence regarding engineering/physics curriculum. Learning how to solve physics problems doesn't make you smarter or a better programmer.

Kurtz79 9y ago
I was in a very similar situation as you, graduated in EE but liking programming software much more. I found a very sweet spot in Embedded Systems programming, which by nature is more or less an intersection of the two disciplines.
tnecniv 9y ago
Have you considered doing embedded systems work? You can flex that programming muscle without abandoning all the EE stuff you think is cool.
kutkloon7 9y ago
Well, I took the route you suggested (the CS program). I liked to program when I entered, but most of that joy is gone now. I had the same in high school with reading. I might be downplaying CS programs, I just experienced one of them. In that program, I had no chance to learn compilers, operating systems, electronic circuits, assembly language, or any math. In hindsight, I'm not sure if this was the right choice. I did learn about those topics, but just in my spare time. I was able to pass my CS program while barely going to lectures (which may sound nice, but in practice I did not make any friends; it was a terrible time). I could just as well learn this on the side while studying something that is intrinsically more interesting, like physics or electrical engineering. At the other hand, I was able to double major, and it's not hard for me to find a job now.

by freyr 9y ago

Kurtz79 9y ago

I was in a very similar situation as you, graduated in EE but liking programming software much more. I found a very sweet spot in Embedded Systems programming, which by nature is more or less an intersection of the two disciplines.

tnecniv 9y ago

Have you considered doing embedded systems work? You can flex that programming muscle without abandoning all the EE stuff you think is cool.

kutkloon7 9y ago

Well, I took the route you suggested (the CS program). I liked to program when I entered, but most of that joy is gone now. I had the same in high school with reading. I might be downplaying CS programs, I just experienced one of them. In that program, I had no chance to learn compilers, operating systems, electronic circuits, assembly language, or any math. In hindsight, I'm not sure if this was the right choice. I did learn about those topics, but just in my spare time. I was able to pass my CS program while barely going to lectures (which may sound nice, but in practice I did not make any friends; it was a terrible time). I could just as well learn this on the side while studying something that is intrinsically more interesting, like physics or electrical engineering. At the other hand, I was able to double major, and it's not hard for me to find a job now.