<p>I'm really into the idea of computer science. I've read that it is really fun and it pays really well after college. I'm really interested and plan (hope, really) to do Northwestern University's five-year bachelors-masters program. (I'm also applying to MIT, Georgia Tech, Harvard, and CalTech. Obviously, I have backup colleges). However, I'm a little nervous because I'm a high school junior, and have ABSOLUTELY no programming experience.</p>
<p>Questions -
Do they teach you how to program and wrote code on college?</p>
<p>Is computer science a really cut-throat major?</p>
<p>Will I be at a disadvantage in college because of my no-experience?</p>
<p>Is it possible (I mean, not difficult) to do the five year program?</p>
<p>I LOVE math, but is that enough?</p>
<p>I plan to take a few extra math classes, programming, and pre-engineering classes at my local community college. I hope that this looks impressive in college applications. Any advice would be great. Thanks so much.</p>
<p>Yes, you can start without any advance knowledge of computer science, though I suppose it would help. </p>
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<p>Maybe, maybe not. You might have a class where a lot of the people have experience even though experience isn’t actually presumed, and it might be awkward. But I don’t imagine it would be a vast disadvantage at the end of the day.</p>
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<p>In my case it wasn’t. Math is my favorite subject and I’m probably pretty good at it relatively speaking (which isn’t saying much), but my enjoyment of math doesn’t seem to translate into an interest in or aptitude for computer science. As far as I can tell, the requirements of a computer science major don’t really involve that much math.</p>
<p>If you love math, as in love math like no others do, then yoi have a chance. Learning a programming language is hard if its your first time, but once you get the basics, its all up to your ability to harmonize your knowledge of coding into one perfect solution of a code, which is pretty similar to the procedure of finding a working solution for a math problem. When i say the working solution, i mean the one most efficient solution to your math problem. You’d solve a differential problem using calc not a1+a2+a3+ … and so on right? And most of the times youd need the simple and beautiful way to think, which is also what youve done in math. Think carefully before you choose comp sci, because my peers who encountered comp sci for the first time had a pretty hard time, but they werent a math whiz. Not so sure about college life but I guess youd need to do 2x more than what ur colleagues do since they are hell heavily prepared. Comp sci freshmen are built to code. Their life was to code, they have vast extent of experience and thus have amazing talent and creativity. Good luck. Compsci is fun though.</p>
<p>I had some coding background (not a whole lot) before coming to MIT, which really helps since it makes learning other languages easier. So I suggest at least learning some coding in whatever language before before entering college. I’m in the same boat as you since I had a strong math background (participated in USAMO and other contests) and I can say it has definitely helped in more math-intensive classes.</p>