<p>hey guys whats up? I'm trying to decide on a career, and it's starting to scare me a little lol. well, maybe not a carrer right now, but at least a major. anyway, I like the idea of computer and software engineering. I love technology and using the latest in high-tech. BUT, i think i might be missing a needed quality. i'm not a whiz at math. I'm in AP calculus and AP stats, i love the stats work but i have to really work hard to maintain a low A in calculus, so far this year. Math doesnt just come to me. </p>
<p>strengths:
communication, writing, analyzing, creativity, chemistry and physics</p>
<p>weaknesses:
higher order mathematical concepts (unless I ask ?'s and study)</p>
<p>Is there a career that would put me around technology and the like without having to make a 800 on the SAT math or ace calculus? thanks.</p>
<p>You need to be very careful when you are evaluating programs and their true focus. Writing code is different than EE stuff. Lots of folks are confused about "computer science" and what exactly that means.</p>
<p>Perhaps you could look into Computer Science if you like the idea of creating software programs. At my undergraduate institution, CS major required 4 math classes: Calc 1, 2, Stat, and a math elective, where as ECE required the student to become a math minor (8 math classes). </p>
<p>However, I believe that if you are willing to work hard and spend extra time studying, you can be successful in whichever major you choose.</p>
<p>
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Is there a career that would put me around technology and the like without having to make a 800 on the SAT math or ace calculus? thanks.
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<p>You can definitely have a career in technology. The truth is, most jobs in computer programming or IT are really not that hard, in terms of math. You're just writing simple, straightforward programs or installing/configuring/administering servers or modifying applications. None of that work requires much math knowledge. The truth is, a lot of the computer work out there requires little more than an 8th-grade level of math. You never use calculus, trigometry, or geometry. </p>
<p>It is, however, a separate question as to whether you can survive an computer engineering/CS degree program without good math skills. If your math skills are weak, then your available to pass such a program is dubious. Like I've said on other threads, this is one of my pet peeves about engineering programs - that they will kick students out for weak skills in a particular field, even if those skills have little to do with the actual job. My first response to that is that you don't need a computer degree to get a computer job. I know plenty of people who have degrees in other fields (or no degrees in all), and still have successful careers in computers. </p>
<p>In fact, one of them immediately comes to mind. He majored in English at Berkeley, but studied Java programming on the side as a hobby and became so good at it that he was actually beating out for jobs some students who actually majored in EECS. He then went on to have a successful career as a software engineer. He even admitted that he felt fortunate to have chosen the road he took, because if he had actually tried to major in EECS at Berkeley, he might not have even graduated at all, or if he did, he might have done so with poor grades such that he may not have gotten the job he did after graduation (as that job used a GPA screen). The way he went about things, he ended up having a more successful career than many Berkeley EECS graduates did.</p>
<p>You may want to choose a school where there is a separate information systems program OR a computer science program within the engineering program. Some CS programs are in the math department of a school and rest assured, you will be taking a lot of higher math.</p>
<p>In a way, the I.S./I.T. degree was kinda created for that...to get computer skills without having to mess with 2nd-order differential equations.</p>
<p>well, i'm not really "weak" in higher order math, its just not my best subject. I do have to try to understand the concepts rather than just the teacher saying, "this is how it is". I really like stats so far though, and graphing in calculus is ok.</p>
<p>You sure know a lot of people, sakky. I've been reading your older posts and you always have a person ready at hand to use as support for one of your arguments.</p>
<p>ramsfan911: I was a ECE major (concentrating on CompEngr) and is doing a graduate degree in Software Engineering and is in the process getting licensed as a PE (professional engineer). I hope to shred some lights. </p>
<p>In most ABET-accredited program, Computer Engineering is in fact a EE major with electives in VLSI and some advanced CS topics, e.g. computer architecture. Because of the required EE courses, master of advanced calculus is absolutely necessary. </p>
<p>Software Engineering, especially if offered by the CS department, tends to focus on the formal approaches of software development. The required courses often include formal studies of requirement engineering, design principles and test engineering. For SwE, calculus is virtually a no-show but solid grasp of statistics is very helpful. </p>
<p>Strong math is particularly necessary for studies in hard core CS areas, e.g. algorithm, theory of computation, NLP etc. In other CS areas, a lucid and logical mind is most helpful. :) As sakky and others have pointed out, most "computer" people are really doing IT which often only requires mastery of one of more programming languages and/or computing technologies. Some Dilbert qualities are required to survive in the real world. :)</p>
<p>I hope this post will help clear up a bit. Others please free to comment.</p>
<p>"In most ABET-accredited program, Computer Engineering is in fact a EE major with electives in VLSI and some advanced CS topics, e.g. computer architecture. Because of the required EE courses, master of advanced calculus is absolutely necessary. "</p>
<p>I hope you realize Advanced Calculus is Real Analysis. At my school Real Analysis isn't required for EE, ECE, or CS majors. I know people who graduated with an EE, or ECE degree from other colleges, and none of them took real analysis.</p>
<p>I think by advanced calculus he meant multi-variable calc. And IMHO, computer architecture is not much of a CS topic as it is more of a CE course.</p>
<p>"I think by advanced calculus he meant multi-variable calc. And IMHO, computer architecture is not much of a CS topic as it is more of a CE course."</p>
<p>He may have meant this, but advance calculus specifically refers to Real Analysis.</p>
<p>My apology with my lax usage of "advanced calculus". As VTBoy pointed out, a rigorous study of real analysis is usually not required. Having that said, I definitely believe master of <em>some</em> of its topics, e.g. multi-variable calculus, Lebesgue integration, Fourier Series/Transformation etc, are essential in EE.</p>
<p>Especially if you want to do advanced research in control and communication systems. There you have to know 'real analysis', specifically functional analysis. But as an undergrad, you don't have to worry about it.</p>