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Ask HN: Does it matter to be a Computer Sc. student to enter the industry?
I am not a computer science student. But I am really passionate about coding. A lot of people keep telling me that my academic branch is different from what I like and it will not do me any good. Does it really matter if I am not a computer science student.
- polymatter 15y agoIn general, no it doesn't really matter at all, especially not if you have a degree in maths or the sciences instead. If you're going for a programming position though it really helps if you can demonstrate other programs you have written. But please give us more information about what you want to do.
- aniketpant 15y agoI am currently a web developer but doing my Mechanical Engineering.
- reemrevnivek 15y agoIt will do you some good, and may be perfectly fine. I have three thoughts that might help you determine how valuable it is for you: As an Electrical Engineering student, I find that I also enjoy coding. Developing a program is similar in many ways to developing an embedded system. My experience in the design process helps greatly in both areas, and I feel that I'm just as productive, if not more productive, than my CS counterparts. In fact, I'm currently writing C++ desktop apps in an internship. These apps interface with external hardware, where my EE skills come into play. My education has helped me to do this job, and I'm at least as good at it as someone who had no skill with hardware. If your academic branch is related to design, math, science, or the market you wish to enter, then it's a perfectly fine discipline for you to be in. If you don't have familiarity with a CS department at your school, you should be aware that computer science in its pure sense is very different from working in a programming industry. You don't necessarily have to touch a keyboard at all to do computer science; it's basically a discipline of mathematics. However, some schools have a CS department which is designed to prepare you for industry, which can't really be called computer science. A traditional CS degree isn't the ideal preparation for entry to industry. Now, if you were a student in an academic branch completely unrelated to the industry you want to enter, it might be hard to find sufficient value to justify the degree. You'd have to approach it from a "learning how to learn" or "wholistic education" standpoint.
- aniketpant 15y agoWell, this is true, but doesn't passion come first. I know so many coders who did their engineering in arts or commerce or are chemical engineers. And from all of them, I have learnt one thing, to never give up what you love the most :)