I am still deciding on a major. I am a first semester freshman. I am looking at majoring in either Electrical Engineering or Computer Science. If I were to do EE, I would be interested in minoring in CS, just because there is already so much overlap and it would be easy to implement into my schedule. My questions are:
Are there any general classes (General Chemistry, Intro to Computer Science, Physics I, etc.) that would tell me which major I would enjoy more? How can I find out which one would be right for me? I know CS is less applied, but I don’t know how I would be able to tell if I would prefer that or not without actually taking advanced CS or EE classes.
Are there any EE or CS majors here that could tell me a little about what day-to-day life is like in your job?
They are both good fields, but I hear that CS is more lucrative. Is this true?
If I were to get a CS Bachelor’s, what would be a good Master’s to get afterwards? I have seen that an MBA would be a good next step, is that true? Do CS majors or EE majors need a master’s degree?
What are some specific jobs of an EE in layman’s terms? Any examples of their work that I might be familiar with?
TL;DR: Not sure if I want to major in EE, CS, or major in EE with a minor in CS. How can I figure out which one I’ll like more? What is the difference between the two when it comes to day-to-day job operations? Is one better than the other as far as pay and job opportunities go?
NOTE: I have heard that a Computer Engineering degree would be the middle ground between CS and EE, but that is not offered at my school.
Take this with a grain of salt since I’m neither an engineer nor a computer scientist, but have you taken ANY programming? I’d take an online course on Python. Code Academy is a reasonable example. It will give you a taste. You don’t need advanced courses to know whether you could envision sitting in front of a screen hammering out code day in and day out. As for pay, a high paying job you hate isn’t sustainable. Choose the one you like best. Both will pay well. Lastly, a minor isn’t necessary, especially in CS. You can take a few classes or even learn on your own. The final proof is in your ability to code, not the paper you carry. Good luck.
The introductory CS courses (including data structures, computer systems, and discrete math) can help you gauge your interest in CS.
The introductory EE courses as well as the physics course with electricity and magnetism and sophomore level math courses (multivariable calculus, linear algebra, differential equations) can help you gauge your interest in EE.
Are you good with math? EE would require lots of problem solving using calculus, formula, memorizing transforms. Even within EE, after junior year you can choose concentration based on which area interests you, if you like CS, then choose Computer Engineering, there are other areas such as Power, Control, Communication, Electronic, etc. every school is different. Some school combined EE and CS in the same department because all EE students require to take programming class. I agree with @eyemgh, minor in CS is not necessarily.
If you are expending your energy memorizing many things as an engineer, you are doing it wrong (or have a bad professor who has assigned memorization).