feel obligated to major in computer science. weird situation.

College Majors
1

Hi guys, I’m having a lot of trouble deciding what to major in and need the internet’s help. As a kid I was firmly arts/humanities-oriented, not really interested in math and science but not bad at it either. I happened to take physics in my last year of high school, was fortunate to have a very dedicated teacher, and was surprised at how deeply interesting I found the class since before then I had sort of scorned science and math out of ignorance.

My parents have similar career paths: they studied a pure science (father: organic chemistry, then PhD in medicinal chemistry. mother: biology) but couldn’t find well-paying work in their respective fields so they learned programming and now have comfortable jobs in IT/computer stuff I’m not really too clear on myself. Neither of them do much with the chemistry/biology they once learned.

One common strand of advice is to “do what you love.” But I have a lot of interests: art, foreign language, physics, literature, many more… and most of these, especially majors in the arts and humanities, are commonly found on those awful “top ten worst majors.” My parents are also STEM people who don’t think arts and humanities are worth much, and if I wanted to major in French I don’t think I would be able to muster the confidence in my major to stand my ground.

I think physics is commonly acknowledged as a legit and respectable major (not saying that art and humanities majors aren’t [!!]), but I don’t want to go into research/academia. I read in forums that physics majors are often hired as software developers, but then it would make sense to just major in computer science. Also, since my parents studied pure science and it didn’t work out for them, they believe that physics is useless and not the way to go.

My parents very strongly want me to major in computer science because they believe it is the only thing that will get me a job, probably from their own experience in which learning programming basically got them above the poverty line. You don’t earn a lot doing protein synthesis. HOWEVER, computer science seems to me the most dreadful and boring thing there is. I respect people who do it, but it’s just not for me. I actually don’t know why I hate it so much because I’ve never taken any programming classes, so it’s probably just a reaction to my parents forcing it on me, but they’ve forced their opinions on me so much that I can no longer consider a comp sci major without feeling some gut revulsion. I don’t know what to do because if I major in one of my “passions” then my parents will disapprove and I will feel guilty and regretful and self-disgusted. On the other hand, if I major in comp sci, I will be too self-disgusted to learn anything beyond the bare minimum and never reach the point of employability. Also, the comp sci department at my school has a good reputation and ranking, so that’s some more pressure to deal with.

I believe in “the grass is greener where you water it,” and I have confidence in my work ethic and studying ability so I think I could do well enough in any field, but none of that applies if I can’t convince myself that I’m doing something for the right reasons in the first place, i.e. if I’m not 100% dedicated. I feel like no matter what I choose, my conscience will never be at ease. What does cc think I should do?

2

Thankfully for you, it will be you and not your parents who decide what to major in, take the courses and plan for the future. At a certain age, you need to take the reigns from your parents. Now is as good a time as any. Your situation is no the least bit unique. Many parents try to micro-manage their college age offspring-including determining their major. Some people spend years regretting allowing their parents to control them too long. Don’t be one of those.

3

Thanks for the reply. What troubles me the most is that I feel that I can’t justify doing a major in anything BUT computer science or engineering, something technical oriented, or I’ll graduate with not job in sight and will end up learning code on the side anyway and my father’s “I told you so” will haunt the rest of my days.

4

Forget about the “I told you so”. Don’t make decisions on the basis of avoiding some nebulous thing in the future. Rather make decisions on the basis of approach-what do you want? Look around. Not everybody who can pay their rent or mortgage is coding.

5

Think about it this way. Most college graduates did not major in computer science or engineering. But the vast majority of college graduates are gainfully employed, with a median salary in the middle-class range. So, no matter what you major in chances are good that you will find work and you will make a decent middle-class salary.

There is a vast universe of jobs out there that require people with all kinds of skill sets and academic backgrounds, but most people are not familiar with many jobs outside of their own field OR ones that they see on the news or have direct experience with (lawyers, doctors, engineers, teachers, etc. - and now the super-sexy software developer). For example, the majority of people outside of technology have never heard of my career field - but it’s something that social science majors primarily get hired into, and do well in financially speaking. I majored in psychology myself, and while I have an advanced degree, there are many people working in my field with bachelor’s degrees. I work at a very large technology company and while we do hire a lot of software developers, we couldn’t hire only software developers or the firm would collapse tomorrow.

Plus, it’s exactly like you said. A CS major in and of itself won’t get you work - you have to actually learn the material and be good at programming and thinking creatively about software and computers. Moreover, you aren’t concerned with just increasing the quantity of jobs you’d be a good fit for. You want to shape yourself to be a good fit for the jobs you want to do. Yes, you may have to get a little more creative if you major in English or sociology as opposed to petroleum engineering or nursing, but that’s okay.

6

I suggest that you do both - learn some coding, web development, computer user support and/or computer systems analysis (with an open mind - the likeability of physics was a surprise to you) and also study to a large extent the things you know you’re interested in. Majoring in Computer Science is helpful, but, as you know, not necessary to get a job in it. Courses providing the specific knowledges required for IT/CS jobs (as revealed by job descriptions on jobs websites like Indeed.com) can be enough.

7

Look for advice everywhere, not just inside your home & see what people in other professions have to say. I am a little bit like you in one respect: I hated Math. Curiously, I seem to like it now. I believe that to be good at some thing, you don’t have to be terribly good at that some thing. You just need to find it interesting - eventually, you will be good. It is enough if you can enjoy learning bits of it. Just as you had a Great Physics teacher (Nothing beats difficulty compared to Physics!), try to get a good Programming teacher - a senior student/guide!? Only then can you know if you really ‘don’t like it’.

8

You mean a stable job like at Disney and other companies?
http://money.cnn.com/2016/01/25/technology/disney-h1b-workers/

Have u considered pursuing physics and getting a teaching certificate? Lots of demand for STEM teachers. Good job security, great vacation benefits, great pension, and a deeply rewarding vocation. Plus, there’s the opportunity to see the world by working the international school circuit-- it’s’s a great lifestyle.

Some examples:
https://www.ash.nl/employment
http://www.sas.edu.sg/page.cfm?p=376

9

I concur with everyone above but add take one computer science class before you definitively rule it out. You admit that you love physics and didn’t expect to. Don’t major CS because of your parents but don’t avoid because of them either.

10

I’m having a hard time believing that someone with a PhD in medicinal chemistry couldn’t find a well-paying job in the pharmaceutical industry and can do better with less background coding. Not that I’m saying you should major in chemistry, but something seems wrong with your parents’ perceptions.

If you are serious about physics it will be worth your while to learn something about computing.

11

I saw a government statistic a while back (sorry, no link to the article) which indicated that 70% of the people who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2015 changed their major at least once before graduating. So if you are unsure of what major to take, rest easy because it is likely you will change your major too as you discover new things, new likes/dislikes, and see the wide array of choices before you.

As for majoring in Computer Science – don’t do it, but still hear the essence of what your parents are saying. They are concerning about your employability after graduation, and rightly so. Computers are becoming more and more a part of daily life. But there is a difference between being able to use a tool (i.e., computer) and being able to design/build the tool for others to use. As others have mentioned, take a CS course or two to become proficient at using computers, but unless after taking the course you absolutely love it, don’t worry about majoring in CS.

That said, now focus on the employability aspect of picking a major. Ideally, you want to pick something that (A) you enjoy the subject matter, (B) you are good at it, © not that many other people are good at it (so you’d beat the competition for the job), (D) there is likely to demand for those skills in the future, and (E) it is a job which cannot be easily replaced by a computer (forget about worrying about the job being shipped offshore and worry about being replaced by a computer with no health care insurance premiums.) This choice is all about economics – supply and demand – and where you wouldn’t mind trading your time, experience, and training in exchange for compensation and other benefits (e.g. vacation, insurance). Your parents seem to be focusing on (D) and (E), but if you don’t enjoy doing the job and you aren’t better than the competition, you likely won’t earn a lot.

So my advice is to pick a major/minor combination that will help you stand out, that there won’t be that many people with your combination of skills/training, and that you’d enjoy doing it. You mentioned French as a major, your parents want CS. Find a school where you can major/minor in Computational French. :slight_smile:

12

Your parents may be in an aspect of the computer world that doesn’t require a CS degree. They “learned programming” and you can, too, as a sideline in college or after.

Don’t obsess. If you do fall in love with French, eg, make sure you get a rounding of other classes that enhance your possibilities- business classes, intl relations, finance, govt, psych, etc. Polish your thinking, analytical and writing skills. get an internship or two while in school.