I would really appreciate your feedback, I have been really depressed/not enjoying anything (whenever I do enjoy something I just think of what lies ahead of me and instant depression/wanting to die)
So my parent is making me take CE over CS and I don’t know how I feel about it, I don’t know if I should insist for CE or just suck it up and take CE…I don’t really know.
Looking at it just from a regular standpoint, CE does seem better as you get hardware and a bit of software down, compared to CS in which it is only sofwtware? However, I do not have much interest in the hardware aspect, I have more interest in the software part. On top of that, for some reason I just feel like I am not going to be able to do the math required for CE (college I am looking at is NJIT). When I look back, I handled Algebra 1 and 2 fine, and I averaged higher than a 90 this year in Pre-Calculus (teacher wasn’t good so got a bit of help from friends along the way) and I also took a week in June to study for the ACCUPLACER college level math test and I passed with the lowest score possible (I think 63)? So, I dont know, I just don’t think I will be able to do the math required in CE and I am getting the feeling of depression/wanting to die so I don’t have to go through possibly end up failing the class.
What do you guys think I should do? Should I push for what I want more? At the same time I feel if I do that I may end up regretting and wishing I did CE as in my mind it does seem BETTER to major in that as you technically learn two things (hardwarea and software)…but at the same time I feel like I won’t be able to do the work.
In case you are interested, here is the course work for CS and CE at NJIT.
An extra semester of calculus plus one of linear algebra look like the main differences. I was expecting more than that, diff eq for example (maybe I missed it?). Probably ought to have linear algebra for CS anyway IMO.
It’s not a big difference, and you might be able to take a CS track. The circuits knowledge should be practical and fun later in life.
It does have diff Eq for Computer Engineering. I looked at Probability and Statistics (for CS) to see what it was, and its the thing of figuring out like (boys girls in class, average test score etc) which I hate doing since many times I suck at doing it, although I was doing just a quick look and trying to solve some problems, obviously the more I do the better I will get at it. I don’t know what do with my life anymore…I think I should do CS to be on the safe side…
Don’t panic… I wanted CS or something like it when I was a HS sr, and ended up in what looked a lot like an applied math program with a CS emphasis. It worked out ok, and the math background helped lead to a patent, so I can’t complain. It turned out that the fear of the thing was worse than the thing itself.
You might dig around a little, I know of one company that hires EE’s because they are easier and less expensive to get than CS grads.
Edit: Typos
So, do you think I should take CE? Everywhere I look I just see that I am not ready for it. I got a 430 or 460 on the math portion of sat. On act I believe I got act 21. The college level math exam I got the minimum passing, I believe 63. In class I’ve done well though, averaging above 90 on pre Calc and also with midterms and finals.
I really don’t think I should do CE, my dad wants me to take it because of how I told him I didn’t think I would pass the college level math which I did end up doing but with bare minimum score (which he then said how i could anything if i worked hard). Maybe I should wait for community college to start and see how I do there and then consult/think about it? I’m mostly just afraid I won’t be able to do math, I’m not worried about the main courses for CE.
judging by your post you seem to imply I should take ce or at least that the extra math in both ce/cs can be beneficial?
That’s a tough one. CS has some weird theoretical stuff too. Candidly, I found some of the database stuff as mathy as linear algebra.
I don’t think there’s a huge difference between them, I guess. One is likely to be a little more theory and the other more hands on maybe?
Motivation and finding a reliable study group would be key. Others may have more recent or just better advice.
I personally feel I would be better doing just CS and I think I would have more motivation with CS than doing CE, as right now I am already sort of turned off by it and would start with like a sort of “I can’t do it” type of idea…hmm…although you are saying they are mostly similar. Ugh…I really want to just learn coding mostly and I like it a lot, just the idea of learning different types of coding. In terms of CE, I don’t really see me interested in working like at Intel or something, again maybe only on their GPUs for Linux as they have open source drivers. Only thing I could see is designing something like a Raspberry pi, a very small arm board or something, but that’s not lucrative. I literally just can’t imagine what I would/could be doing as a CE.
I think computer engineering would work for embedded systems - where you wouldn’t be designing circuits or boards, but might be making the software that interacts with embedded hardware.
Automobiles, refrigerators, airliners, TV sets, microwaves, lots of useful things need people who can write really disciplined tight code.
If you see more than 20 vehicles on a highway, you’ve probably seen my code in motion, and I think that’s kind of cool.
The intersection of CE and CS is greater than the part of CS that you wouldn’t get as a CE major.
These are not different enough to fight with your parents about it. Personally, I think CS has more opportunities, but there is little you can’t do with either degree. It wouldn’t be hard to change your mind as a junior at the right school, and by then you can develop a clearer idea of which you prefer and why so you could justify it better than you can now.
I followed your previous thread on this dilemma. It’s clear to me you feel very unfavorably toward CE.
Basically you have a relationship problem rather than an academic one. You should do the CS, rather than the CE, because that’s what you’re positive about, and it’s really a very job-safe major. Your dad is over-the-top with his insistence on CE. There does come a time when we have to make the decisions for ourselves, not our parents. You have a choice between going for a ride with CE (and, if you choose that, I recommend that you not bother to feel bad if you fail - you only did it because you were forced to) or separating from your parents as a decision maker, getting financial aid instead of their money and doing what you know is right and healthier for you. (In the latter choice, you simply tell them what you’ve chosen and disregard what they have to say about it. I’m 64; I’ve been on both sides of this.)