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There are few fields today where you can walk out into crazy salaries, but CS is one of those fields. So what have we learnt? Nothing, apart from dataker is lu

There are few fields today where you can walk out into crazy salaries, but CS is one of those fields. So what have we learnt? Nothing, apart from dataker is lucky to be interested in one of the few fields left that pays well and is feeling pretty smug about it.

beering 11y ago
> dataker is lucky to be interested in one of the few fields left that pays well Who says dataker's interested? Maybe dataker just wanted to make more money and so chose CS. Or became interested after getting into the field. Why does your choice of major have to be something you're really interested in? I think part of the issue is we keep selling high schoolers on the idea of "choose what you love", but in high school your breadth of experience is laughably small. Picking a major that would pay well and then approaching it with a good attitude would probably get one farther.
- themartorana 11y ago
  Yes. Get in line, cog! Isn't this statement the exact opposite of the "follow your dreams!" mentality usually espoused on HN? We canonize those few that are lucky and successful and hold them up as examples, but if you follow their example and fail, well, "personal responsibility" and all. After all, your life would have been easier if you had just gotten in line.
  - nsgi 11y ago
    Also the idea that people in CS should be doing it because they love it, not just for the money. I wonder how many people on HN really want more developers who aren't really interested in it.
- dataker 11y ago
  This. Coming from an impoverished family, I took CS as a way out of it. Eventually, I became interested, but not the other way around.
baddox 11y ago
You shouldn't make it sound like dumb luck. It's very easy to look up salary statistics for various university programs, and things didn't usually change drastically in the four or so years it takes to get the degree.

beering 11y ago

> dataker is lucky to be interested in one of the few fields left that pays well Who says dataker's interested? Maybe dataker just wanted to make more money and so chose CS. Or became interested after getting into the field. Why does your choice of major have to be something you're really interested in? I think part of the issue is we keep selling high schoolers on the idea of "choose what you love", but in high school your breadth of experience is laughably small. Picking a major that would pay well and then approaching it with a good attitude would probably get one farther.

themartorana 11y ago
Yes. Get in line, cog! Isn't this statement the exact opposite of the "follow your dreams!" mentality usually espoused on HN? We canonize those few that are lucky and successful and hold them up as examples, but if you follow their example and fail, well, "personal responsibility" and all. After all, your life would have been easier if you had just gotten in line.
- nsgi 11y ago
  Also the idea that people in CS should be doing it because they love it, not just for the money. I wonder how many people on HN really want more developers who aren't really interested in it.
dataker 11y ago
This. Coming from an impoverished family, I took CS as a way out of it. Eventually, I became interested, but not the other way around.

baddox 11y ago

You shouldn't make it sound like dumb luck. It's very easy to look up salary statistics for various university programs, and things didn't usually change drastically in the four or so years it takes to get the degree.