Girl Unsure if She Should Major in Computer Science?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>So I have two things that are getting in my way of definitely committing to majoring in computer science. One is academic and the other is social! I've wanted to major in computer science for years and I love programming but suddenly I'm not sure! </p>

<p>Academically:
I love math (everyone thinks I'm weird because of this...) but it's only certain types of math. This year I'm taking AP AB Calculus and I LOVE it and I got an A- my first term. I also love all the algebra classes I've taken in my life. I always seem to do well in those classes. Problem is I think something is wrong with my brain and I dislike and do bad in geometry classes. I took honors geometry freshman year and disliked it and got a B-. While in algebra classes I do so much better :( Would not being good at geometry but good at algebra hinder me?</p>

<p>Also, I LOVE taking physics this year. It's so interesting to me because it helps me understand the world around me. I also like how it involves math. But I took AP Chemistry last year (I'm a senior) and got a C+ for the year and by some act of god got a 3 on the test. I just could never understand what was going on. I dislike chemistry and biology - which I took freshman year. In Bio, I did well but didn't like the class. Again, should disliking chemistry and biology hinder me from majoring in computer science?</p>

<p>Socially:
This might be stupid but I'm afraid that people in my computer science classes won't take me seriously if I major in computer science. I'm a girl and I love clothes, make-up, looking presentable and things like that. But I feel like people will think I don't belong in the class with them. Like I care more about my looks than the programming? I'm not vapid or anything but I feel like people will think I am :(</p>

<p>I'm african-american and female so I'm like extremely rare in the realm of computer science. In school, when I tell people that I want to major in computer science everyone acts surprised. Like they assume just by my appearance and how I'm a basketball captain and other things that I wouldn't be the type of person to major in computer science. It bothers me that people stereotype. Basically I'm just worried that people will think less of me because of my appearance and personality.</p>

<p>Also I'm really social and love talking to people and cracking jokes and stuff like that. My friends think I'm funny but I think I'm a mess :P I love things like video games, comics, snowboarding, etc. so I feel like I'll have things to talk with people about. But, I feel like the people in my computer science classes will be anti-social and no one will talk to me! I'm so paranoid haha</p>

<p>Sorry this question is so long but these are basically all of my concerns. Thanks for answering!</p>

<p>Random Question: I took AP Computer Science and learned basic Java in the class and I'm learning ActionScript 3.0 on my own. Should I learn any other programming languages?</p>

2

<p>The math used in CS will be more in the algebra realm than the geometry realm generally, unless you go into graphics. Of course, the algebra topics in college math courses are more difficult, and you will need to do some mathematical proofs (which, in high school math, are most commonly found in geometry).</p>

<p>Of the other sciences, physics is the most likely to be important, as it may be required if you go into an engineering-based CS degree program, or may be useful if you go into computer game development. However, an engineering-based CS degree program may also require chemistry (you may want to check to see if the schools you are looking at have such a requirement and, if they do, whether they accept your 3 on the AP).</p>

<p>Here is a classic introductory CS book, with emphasis on the computer science, with less distraction from the often fiddly syntax elements of some other computer languages: [Welcome</a> to the SICP Web Site](<a href=“http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/]Welcome”>http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/)</p>

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<p>Being mediocre at biology and chemistry have little bearing on your potential in CS. Biology is little more than rote memorization anyway, and unless you plan on devising a way to design poison darts to shoot at that fat guy in your networking class who won’t shut up about WoW, I don’t think chemistry will matter much at all. </p>

<p>And I really don’t mean to sound sexist, but being a female who likes to care of herself will only help you in CS classes. Consider a packed classroom full of pudgy, anti-social gaming/comic book nerds who engage in forum flame wars during breaks, and plop an attractive, capable woman in the mix - the only negative attention you might get is a brazen pudgy nerd asking you out on a date or something. I’m sure if you’re ever in the position of needing assistance, you’ll get plenty of eager offers. </p>

<p>If you do happen across someone who snides at you in derision because he assumes you’re not capable of doing CS because you’re a girl, pay it no mind - he’s probably terrified of women and doesn’t know how to deal with it. </p>

<p>So, yeah - go for it! Why not?</p>

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<p>Apparently, some students manage being unstereotypical engineering students:
[Uncommon</a> in every way: Engineers in intercollegiate sports — UC Berkeley College of Engineering](<a href=“http://innovations.coe.berkeley.edu/vol4-issue10-dec10/athletes]Uncommon”>http://innovations.coe.berkeley.edu/vol4-issue10-dec10/athletes)</p>

5

<p>Being an african-american male and a longtime software engineer…and oh by the way, an undergraduate applied math major, I will say this…</p>

<p>1) Forget the stereotypes. If you can do the work, folks will take you seriously. They may STARE at you initially on the first day of class of your junior/senior-level Numerical Analysis or Operating Systems class, but after awhile, that goes away :-)</p>

<p>2) Being good at math and having and interest in CS is a plus because you can either major in CS or Math and let the other being your super-minor/concentration. Personally, I like the Math-route-to-CS-major because you can pick and choose your CS courses, especially if focusing on software while still doing a math major. Plus, most B.A.-versions of Math (or CS) majors will not require Chemistry. In the software industry…Math/CS = CS. Also, there is much less chance that math majors will have enrollment limits which can cause super-high admission GPA’s.</p>

<p>3) Don’t worry about Geometry too much. The more algebraic math is more important as far as CS.</p>

6

<p>Try taking the intro CS class at your school and see how you like it. </p>

<p>Try learning some python, iOS and Java. Those will be useful for getting jobs and internships in the future.</p>

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<p>However, be careful in that if CS is an impacted major requiring a high threshold for admission to the major, it may be because the CS courses are at maximum capacity, so that students in other majors like math have difficulty enrolling in the courses.</p>

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<p>If you think yourself to be awkward/different people will more than likely receive you that way. Absolutely do not focus on your differences, those are a non issue. Approach people as people and not based on a stereotype and you will be just fine.</p>

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<p>I think CS is perfect for you. Bio, chem, and geometry are irrelevant. And sure, as an african-american female, you’ll stand out. I can’t pretend to know what that will feel like, but as far as my own department goes, everyone has been really welcoming to people of all backgrounds. Give it a shot.</p>

10

<p>As far as I can tell, even if it’s a male dominated field, being female should not be awkward for you at all. </p>

<p>Being black might be. I can tell you my school has very few blacks, whenever I see a black person in one of my classes they are almost always the only one. If you are comfortable with being in a room of 150 where everyone else is White, Asian, or Jewish, then it shouldn’t be a problem. People aren’t going to go out of their way to single you out as someone who doesn’t belong or anything like that. But with the natural demographics, you are going to have many classes where you’re the only one.</p>

<p>My experience is CS people can be plenty sociable, but it might be a different sociable than you expect. It’s hard to explain but when you go in you’ll start to get what I mean. Conversation won’t be all video games, but it will be nerdy.</p>

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<p>This. A ton of CS people I know are really into card/board gaming, for example.</p>

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<p>Being a black female could only help you, especially financially. If its what you really enjoy you should do it. There are some professors here that seem to protect females in their engineering class like they’re a rare flower. So you’ve got that going for you too</p>

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<p>This is 2012. Do what you love. Be who you want to be. </p>

<p>CS is a great field, and loving math is not a hindrance, it’s a prerequisite.</p>

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<p>Two anecdotes:</p>

<p>The school I attended thirty years ago, when I was a CS undergrad, had a large international student population, and there were a disproportionate number of Asian females in the CS program. I mean about 1/3 of the class. Some of the very top students were in this group. I can tell you that these students garnered plenty of respect from fellow students and faculty.</p>

<p>My first job, at a leading-edge high-tech software startup, had quite a diverse group of employees, including quite a mix of ethnicities and nationalities. Almost all were male, but the females were not treated differently. Moreover, many in this very bright group were eccentric in one way or another and their eccentricities made them stand out far more than those who were different by virtue of race or gender.</p>

<p>Academically, you sound like a very good fit for CS: at the high school level, aptitude for calculus and physics are the best predictors of success in higher CS coursework. More so even than intro programming skill or experience. It is common for CS people to dislike chemistry and biology; no problem there.</p>

<p>Your comment about geometry is the only thing that concerns me: geometry is not important per se, but most programmers are good at geometry, as CS is a field where spatial visualization ability is key, such as visualizing abstract data structures that do not exist concretely in the world. However, I would not worry about an experience with one course – perhaps it was a bad geometry textbook or teacher. More important would be how naturally programming comes to you when you are doing your CS coursework.</p>

<p>Socially, the remedy for your anxiety is confidence. And your anxiety could be a positive thing if it motivates you to study harder than you would otherwise, and attend office hours, ask questions, participate in research and do other things that will help you develop greater proficiency. In engineering and in CS in particular, if you know your stuff, you will be respected by your peers, instructors, and employers, irrespective of your gender, ethnicity, dress, etc. Studying hard and being above average in your freshman year, which I assure you is possible, will be the means of developing this confidence. </p>

<p>No need to hide your femininity or ethnicity: as long as you don’t dress or groom in a provocative or otherwise distracting manner, and you use your grooming and fashion skills to present yourself professionally, this will earn you points with faculty, employers, and especially with non-technical people that you will encounter in the workplace, such as end users and managers. Your peers who neglect their personal hygiene and grooming will be the ones with problems, not you.</p>

<p>Being female and African-American will actually open some doors for you. All CS programs are competitive these days due to the current shortage of software professionals in the labor market, and colleges, scholarships, and employers are all wanting diversity. Engineering schools and programs tend to be heavily skewed towards white and Asian male applicants, so acceptance rates can be much higher for females. Ditto for minorities. As both female <em>and</em> African-American, you are a hot commodity in STEM programs in general, and CS in particular. These opportunities are there because people want you in the CS field, so take advantage!</p>

<p>In short, GO FOR IT! You will not regret it.</p>

15

<p>One other thought: as an African-American female in CS, there is no denying that you will stand out from the crowd. People will notice. But don’t presume that they will have a negative reaction – on the contrary, their most likely initial assumption, after subconsciously processing stereotypes, will be that you must be <em>really</em> smart, likely smarter than they are. Which could well be true.</p>

16

<p>In just about any major CS program, 20% of the folks in your class will be female. They even have their own clubs, WICS. I know here at Stony Brook, we have a very large female base in CS, that are really active, [Women</a> in Computer Science at Stony Brook University](<a href=“http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~wics]Women”>http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~wics)</p>

<p>I would strongly urge you to enter CS, based on what I read, it seems like CS would be a perfect fit for you! The point I am trying to make is there will be more than enough females.</p>

17

<p>Go for it! I am a (white female) software engineer who started out loving math… mostly algebra. Geometry isn’t my strong suit either. I never needed it. Yes, there will be differences between you and your fellow classmates. But taking care of your appearance and personal hygiene will be a PLUS in the job market and later, in your career. Engineers do have to get along in the workplace, be presentable for clients, participate in conferences… you can help to change the perception that we’re all smelly geeks. ;)</p>

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<p>These articles may be of interest in this realm:</p>

<p>[Schumpeter:</a> In praise of misfits | The Economist](<a href=“In praise of misfits”>In praise of misfits)
[The</a> Tech Industry’s Asperger Problem: Affliction Or Insult?](<a href=“http://gawker.com/5885196/the-tech-industrys-asperger-problem-affliction-or-insult]The”>http://gawker.com/5885196/the-tech-industrys-asperger-problem-affliction-or-insult)</p>

<p>However, note that many in the technical side of the computer industry are not especially eccentric or “on the spectrum”. Even the more eccentric ones are not necessarily unlikable or otherwise undesirable to be around.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the answering guys! I feel like I’ll pursue computer science and if it doesn’t work out then at least I tried :stuck_out_tongue: Also, I was wondering if as a computer scientists, do you get to talk to clients? I love talking to people and consider myself an extrovert so I would want to communicate with people. Or does talking to clients only happen when you get promoted to project manager?</p>

<p>I’ve always been the only black girl in some of my AP classes and at technology camps so I’m used to that. I remember at a tech camp I went to I beat everyone in a Call of Duty competition and everyone was like :open_mouth: I’m feeling a lot more confident now that you guys have said that as long as a prove myself everyone will respect me (hopefully)</p>

<p>And thanks for all your anecdotes from working in computer science/engineering. It was really helpful!</p>

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<p>Your social skills will be invaluable in the software field. Designing and implementing all but the smallest software systems is inherently collaborative, meaning that you would be working with other people. Moreover, in areas like user interface design and consulting, you would need to work closely with the end users or clients to make sure that the design meets their needs. </p>

<p>Social skills and communication skills are often a weak area for people who pursue this field, so strengths in these areas will give you more opportunities.</p>

<p>For example, you might be ideal for a position such as a program manager, or software development manager, which would require a CS degree and coding skills, but your focus would be on specifying product requirements and development/release schedule, and interfacing with development, testing, upper management, marketing, sales, and even the general public to guide product development and the technical aspect of marketing. Here are a couple of current job posting to give you a taste of what this type of career would entail:</p>

<p>[Redmond</a> Program Manager, Senior - Microsoft Research Job - WA, 98052](<a href=“http://www.microsoft-careers.com/job/Redmond-Program-Manager%2C-Senior-Microsoft-Research-Job-WA-98052/2344722/?feedId=315&utm_source=Indeed]Redmond”>http://www.microsoft-careers.com/job/Redmond-Program-Manager%2C-Senior-Microsoft-Research-Job-WA-98052/2344722/?feedId=315&utm_source=Indeed)</p>

<p>[Bellevue</a> Program Manager I Job - WA, 98004](<a href=“http://careers.expedia.com/job/Bellevue-Program-Manager-I-Job-WA-98004/2347448/?feedId=1434&utm_source=Indeed]Bellevue”>http://careers.expedia.com/job/Bellevue-Program-Manager-I-Job-WA-98004/2347448/?feedId=1434&utm_source=Indeed).</p>