<p>I am currently undecided on what major to pursue in college. I want to go to UCLA and major in either C.S. or Applied Mathematics since I really like math and it is my strongest subject. However, I also want to have a work-study job where I can earn some money by working a couple hours a day. I hear a lot about C.S. majors being very hard and time-consuming, especially if they're in the college of engineering (which in UCLA's case it is). I figure it won't be impossible to balance a job and class/homework/projects in the C.S. major, but I would probably not get the best grades possible. I am also eying the Applied Math major offered at UCLA, and am wondering if the work-load will be just as much as C.S. or not. I feel like if I major in Applied Math I will have enough time to work and devote my time to studying and doing homework yet also be able to have a reasonable social life (since I think math majors have less time-consuming homework little to no projects when compared to a C.S. major). I am not in anyway basing my decision on what major is easier at all, since I am willing to put in the effort to excel in either major, but I feel like if job outlook for both majors is looking as good as I read it in many websites, I could major in Applied Math, have less homework/projects, time to have a job and make money, and have a more reasonable social life than that of a C.S. major. I appreciate any advice or knowledge anyone has on any of these subjects. </p>
<p>I think it can be quite short sighted to decide to do math because it leaves you more time to work and make money.
My daughter originally wanted to major in Math too but she would get her butt kicked if she did. She did well at CS classes and had 2 jobs offered. She would be able to make close to 3-figure a month if she wanted to, but she dialed down a bit. She is going to make much less than that but the real important things are side benefits that can’t be measured by money, but it’s good for her long term career. One of the professors is already served as a mentor without saying it. He said some of these kid’s resumes are lousy. He is already volunteered to help critique the resumes without any of the kids asking. They are too inexperience to know what to ask yet.</p>
<p>3-figure a month salary? As in, less than $1,000 a month? That doesn’t make sense…</p>
<p>Is $800 3-figure or 4? I might miscounted the digit? 20 hours X $10 X 4 = $800 approximately.</p>
<p>Oh, I was thinking after graduation, not as a student! That makes more sense. 3 figures a month still isn’t super informative, though - could be anywhere from $100 to $999!</p>
<p>And to the OP: it’s hard to predict how much time you’ll have free. Some classes that may eat up a ton of time for one person may be a breeze for someone else, and the amount of homework can differ dramatically from class to class even within a major. CS does tend to have a lot of projects, but I’ve found my CS homework to be more enjoyable time.</p>
<p>I would not say that being a CS major precludes you from having a social life and a job. As long as you manage your time well, it’s definitely do-able.</p>
<p>Nan, he mentioned work study in his post. Yeah I should have written high 3-figure.</p>