<p>My wife’s cousin is a petite blonde with a MS CS. Initially (15 years ago) she felt she had to outperform the guys to be taken seriously, but the field has grown to a point where that is no longer so prevalent. </p>
<p>A place like RPI or Lehigh would really want to recruit a female techie. And let me know if you ever end up in one of those Microsoft jobs.</p>
<p>I’m tall so I probably won’t have the problem of literally “being looked down on”. But that’s good that the field has changed where she doesn’t feel she has to outperform the guys! And I shall let you know if I ever make it to Microsoft ;D</p>
<p>Note that there are lots of computer companies besides the same three to five big ones that everyone seems to mention.</p>
<p>Actually, if you look at some responses to articles about women in CS on Scobleizer, TechCrunch, or a few others covering that topic, you’ll find some women who still feel that they need to outperform the guys. Some situations are still like that, unfortunately. Also, don’t underestimate the (actual) effort that might need to be undertaken to accomplish some goal, e.g. if you want to create the next generation mobile OS. Gals and guys might need to outperform the market leader in such circumstances, regardless.</p>
<p>On this subject, I was thinking of a news report I saw some time ago about this woman, who founded Evite, and is now a Senior VP of SurveyMonkey. In the report, she discussed how she was able to overcome some of the challenges some women face. Personally, this type of software doesn’t interest me much – I would rather work on something like a switch, router, or transport protocol technology. However, there are women who have found success in this type of software work, and there is the opportunity for others to find success, with hard work and some luck.</p>
<p>[Selina</a> Tobaccowala | CrunchBase Profile](<a href=“http://www.crunchbase.com/person/selina-tobaccowala]Selina”>Selina Tobaccowala - Chief Digital Officer @ Openfit - Crunchbase Person Profile)</p>
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<p>Yes, this is spot-on. The founder of my first employer had very pronounced classic AS behaviors, as did several employees. I can see parallels with more recent startups such as Facebook. This is not bad, as it does take incredible focus to drive new technology. But it is important in these cases for some neurologically normal employees to be around in order to provide balance.</p>
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<p>Well, in any given job, a person with a computer science degree (who performs some software engineering-related activities) might talk to clients. However, it’s more common that they’ll be focused on those software engineering-related activities (e.g. software design, programming, QA), and that their manager would focus at least some of his or her time interfacing with other individuals (including clients). If you really want to focus at least most of your time on client-facing interaction, there are other avenues besides getting a CS degree that can facilitate this. Taking some CS classes, but pursuing, say, economics or management as an undergraduate, then pursuing an MBA or PMP afterwards, can get you eligible for product, project, or program management positions that are more client-facing. The CS classes will help your interactions with the software engineers; you’ll have an appreciation for when they say certain things require certain amounts of memory, storage, etc.</p>
<p>Thanks yagottabelieve, I’m thinking of majoring in computer science and minoring in business. Do you think that would work, too? Also, do you guys think it would be hard to major in computer science and minor in business in college?</p>
<p>Depends on the college. Minors by themselves are not all that valuable (unless being in a minor gives you more schedule priority over others for courses you want to take); you may want to just take whatever business courses of interest in your breadth/free elective space in your schedule.</p>
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<p>It’s possible. How hard it is depends upon a number of things. For example, software lab classes can be very time consuming. Since you also have an interest in business, you’ll want to make sure you have enough time to satisfy the time requirements of the business minor.</p>
<p>You are a great candidate for a major in computer science!! Geometry is not so relevant in computer science, and (to some extent) neither is most continuous mathematics. Most of the mathematics you will deal with in CS is discrete. </p>
<p>One would hope that you would not encounter any people unenlightened enough not to take you seriously as a CS student because you are an African-American female, but if you do, move forward with grace. Do not let stereotypes get in the way of your dreams! </p>
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<p>It’s a lucrative and enjoyable field. People will take you seriously in CS because you intend to be both good at it and personable. That’s a winning combination. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about geometry, but do recognize that the theory part of CS involves doing mathematical proofs. Don’t worry though, you will have a discrete math class where you will learn how to do proofs much more effectively than you learned in Geometry. </p>
<p>I agree with reading Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs to give you a flavor for real computer science. Take it slow and enjoy it. That’s free online. An easier book along the same lines is the Schemer’s Guide by Ian Ferguson. It’s a fun little book that will get you thinking like a computer scientist. You can get a used copy on Amazon for about $11.40. Finally, there is free online book “How to Think Like a Computer Scientist” that is very good also. </p>
<p>Here’s an article about women exploring CS in college -</p>
<p><a href=“Tech shift: More women in computer science classes”>http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Revamped-computer-science-classes-attracting-more-5243026.php</a></p>
<p>Thanks everyone who commented recently. I posted this last year when I was a senior but am now currently in a computer science program at college :D</p>
<p>Great to hear from you! I was just about to post encouraging you to go for it. All the best! </p>
<p>Good for you, ComixStix. Have fun and work hard.</p>