Computer Science Degree?

I'm really set on being a software engineer but my ACT scores were 15-18 and I'm terrible at math. One of my RS friends who is a software engineer says that getting a CS degree is difficult because the classes are so hard.

Do you guys think I could make it through it or are the classes really that hard?

 

@Sythe what do you think?

 

I have a computer science degree and a minor in cyber forensics/computer security systems.

If you honestly pay attention to the classes and get tutoring for math if needed, it's really not that bad.

Basically, don't slack and youll be fine.

 

How sure are you that it is the field you want to go into?

If I were you, I would try and do a more specific IT degree if I 100% knew what field of IT I wanted to go into. There's nothing wrong with Computer Science and it's considered the go-to if you know you want to do IT but not what part of it, but for me it's a bit of a "general" thing to get if you want to go into something specific in IT.

 

Thanks man! I can get tutoring if needed and I won't slack off

What do you mean? I put in the thread I wanted to be a software engineer and as for IT I heard it is a shitty job but that's what I've heard from one person.

 

If it's your passion then go for it.

Put in the work, study hard, and you will be successful. If you fail, take it again. If you pass, enroll in additional schooling and continue to challenge yourself.

Do whatever it takes to be the person you want to be. You won't regret trying, but you will always regret not trying.

 

There's different degrees. At my college there's a "Software Development" degree that is easier than the Computer Science degree. There's a lot less math required for it too.

The majority of kids who go into Computer Science drop out or switch to a easier degree, at least in my school. The people who stay mostly struggle to get passing Cs(thats the minimum grade they allow). If you're not particularly smart and don't have a knack for programming, it'll be a uphill battle for years.

If you do have a knack for it and you are hard working and smart, you can breeze through it. I don't know you so I can't say how you'll fare.

 

Honestly as long as you pay attention in class and are really set to becoming one then the math wont be too hard.

You're interested in InfoSec? got any certs? I'm really trying to figure out what to get after Sec+ and Gpen if you have some advice to give.

 

Programming is heavily logic based. If you are good at problem solving and noticing fine details then programming is for you. Bug fixing is where the stress is at.

 

So after talking with some friends and my parents I think the best thing is to see how I do in community college and then if I do well I'll proceed to finish the rest of my college at a University. If I think it's a waste of money then I'll get certs and get a job in IT.

Thank you to everyone that commented on this thread, I really appreciate all the help

 

Good decision. Best of luck

 

I've seen total retards do well. One of my tutors can literally only talk about his farts and he's one of the top programmers in his class.

Develop a work ethic, research the professors you take, don't have down's syndrome.

 

Didnt you fail Java class?

 

It's not as hard as many other majors. You don't have to be smart to write software you just have to learn a bunch of things. You'll have to take math but that can be as hard as other classes. It's a good major to get because it's in demand.

 

didn't you sell all of your ripple?
my major gpa is fine, that one class was a matter of circumstance

 

As someone who has just finished their course in B.Tech in computer science and engineering, I haven't heard a more ridiculous statement.
Unlike most subjects where you'll have to mug things up a lot, this is one field where that just won't cut it.
You need to develop programming logic which only comes with practice.

You will find that a lot of people who may be good at programming may not necessarily be good at teaching it. My computer science teacher in school was a way better teacher than my programming professors in college.

All the best for your journey and in case you need help specifically with programming languages like C, C++ or JAVA, feel free to hit me up. I may be able to help out a bit.
Cheers!

 

Programming logic isn't much different than normal logic. Most people can learn if they want to. All you would really need is algebra. Obviously there's different levels of software development that are much more complicated, but for someone to get a job with a computer science degree is not difficult if they take it somewhat seriously.

 

I haven't graduated yet but I'm done my computer science degree (have the credits, just have to apply for graduation). If I had to do it again, I wouldn't. I would either find an actually Software Engineering program (they exist) or go the bootcamp route. When I started I didn't really know the difference between computer science and software engineering but they are very different. Computer science is more of the theory behind computers so if you know for sure you want to be a software engineer you will probably find a lot of the courses in computer science a bit pointless (stuff that is most likely required in a computer science degree like studying how the CPU works for example the MIPS architecture or OS programming might not ever benefit you in your software engineering future unless you want to work in the OS). A software engineering program or a bootcamp on the other hand, has a much better-curated course path for you to take if you know you want to be a software engineer. With these there would be a much larger focus on developing larger projects and working on a larger team. You would also learn the frameworks you need and build a portfolio while you are in your program. In computer science, when you graduate, you need to do a lot of self-learning to catch up to what other software engineering graduates would have learned. In my computer science program we don't have any classes for web technologies outside of html and css.

Just for perspective.. my friend dropped out of our computer science program a few years ago just to graduate with a degree in psychology. He knew he wanted to be a web dev so he enrolled in one of those intense bootcamps in California that don't actually charge you until you get a job. He's now a software engineer at Yahoo and I haven't even graduated yet

No matter what you do there isn't really any way to avoid some math. You at least have to have a good grasp on algorithm design and analysis (a lot of job interviews will even have you demonstrate this knowledge).

 

In my country the course itself is called computer science and engineering. The curriculum includes parts of the hardware functioning theory as well as programming. Even though I had absolutely no interest in the hardware part, we had to learn the basics anyway.

I personally feel I learnt more from my internships than I did from 4 years of college. But, I'd still feel that having a degree is extremely important. Since you at least have the ability to sustain yourself.