4 ms·

I looked at the graph, and it looked like only 2.4% of students are majoring in computer science. I would have thought that was much higher with all the buzz a

by dabent 15y ago

I looked at the graph, and it looked like only 2.4% of students are majoring in computer science. I would have thought that was much higher with all the buzz about social networks, startups and VC money falling from the skies. I guess I live in a bubble when it comes to that kind of news, at least to some extent. I'm used to seeing students follow the money, like they did with engineering in the 1980's. I had to get a 3.5 GPA to get accepted to the EE program at my school. The school used GPA as it's valve to restrict students, which had it's drawbacks, but demand was so high for EE back then, they had to raise the GPA that high. I also wonder if it isn't the calculus the keeps CS majors from completing, it's the recursion, pointers and such that really tied my brain in knots. Likewise with EE, which was my major - I handled calculus, but eventually I ended up solving systems of equations with complex numbers and doing math beyond freshman calculus. Of course, I gained problem solving skills that I use throughout my life and a career that's been great. I'm not sure how to better communicate those benefits to an 18-year-old in a way they'd understand.

mechanical_fish 15y ago
Why would the legend of Facebook motivate someone to finish a degree in CS? Zuckerberg dropped out! Steve Jobs dropped out, Bill Gates dropped out, I believe Steve Wozniak saved himself the trouble of dropping out by never going in the first place... Larry and Sergey have big-time CS degrees, but they also aren't as famous. Let's assume (apparently falsely, according to Alexis Ohanian's anecdotes) that PG is universally famous among techie 18-year-olds. PG literally wrote important books in CS. But does PG encourage everyone who applies to YC to get their CS degree as a top priority? Methinks not. He wants you to build something. To the extent that studying engineering and math doesn't feel like building anything, it doesn't feel like a hot new SV startup. There's a big demand for software talent, but how are teenagers supposed to grasp that getting a difficult CS degree is the best way to acquire or demonstrate that talent? Especially when we're not even very sure that's true? On the one hand, I've got a lot of Ph.D.-trained colleagues in my job (though, perhaps tellingly, none are in CS) but on the other hand several of our most valuable colleagues have degrees in music or English, and others are too young to have a degree at all.

by dabent 15y ago

mechanical_fish 15y ago

Why would the legend of Facebook motivate someone to finish a degree in CS? Zuckerberg dropped out! Steve Jobs dropped out, Bill Gates dropped out, I believe Steve Wozniak saved himself the trouble of dropping out by never going in the first place... Larry and Sergey have big-time CS degrees, but they also aren't as famous. Let's assume (apparently falsely, according to Alexis Ohanian's anecdotes) that PG is universally famous among techie 18-year-olds. PG literally wrote important books in CS. But does PG encourage everyone who applies to YC to get their CS degree as a top priority? Methinks not. He wants you to build something. To the extent that studying engineering and math doesn't feel like building anything, it doesn't feel like a hot new SV startup. There's a big demand for software talent, but how are teenagers supposed to grasp that getting a difficult CS degree is the best way to acquire or demonstrate that talent? Especially when we're not even very sure that's true? On the one hand, I've got a lot of Ph.D.-trained colleagues in my job (though, perhaps tellingly, none are in CS) but on the other hand several of our most valuable colleagues have degrees in music or English, and others are too young to have a degree at all.