So I’ve been doing CS for 2 years now. In those 2 years, I’ve had a really pleasurable experience with my CS classes, getting A’s and B’s. However, I’ve already failed 2 math courses, Calc 1 and 2, both of which I had to retake to barely pass with a C.
I really like coding, but I’m only able to retake 1 more class, and I’m not confident if I’ll be able to pass the rest of my remaining higher level math.
Should I give up CS and pursue another major if I can’t handle the prerequisite math classes?
Absolutely not! While math is an important part of CS, there are many (in fact a majority of CS jobs) that require no advanced math. Just really focus on your remaining math classes, possibly even more than your CS ones, so you can get your degree.
What math classes do you have left? Many CS programs only require up to Calc 2 in the first place and then usually easier math classes like statistics, linear algebra, etc.
Consider talking to your advisor about your situation - given high grades in the courses in your major, you may be able to get an exception for the math retake if needed in the future.
It looks like I’ll have to take Calc 3, Mathematical Structures 1 and 2, and Statistics.
Calc 3 sounds a little scary, but I should be able to do it if I put in some more effort!
It’s good to hear that the math will only be a thing of the present! I was really discouraged that I’ll have to do things involving math beyond school and such.
I’ll most likely push through the remaining math courses as you suggested, and I’ll be consulting my advisor on how to best get through them.
Thank you very much for the encouragement! It was a lot of help and greatly appreciated!
It looks like Mathematical Structures = Discrete Math, which is much more applicable in actual CS work, and may actually be more familiar as a result. Other than Calc 3, I don’t think the rest of the math classes will be too challenging.
I work on a financial team at my company. I was a math major in college and took a job as a software engineer. We don’t use any math beyond basic arithmetic. Don’t worry about mathematics unless you’re trying to aim for those top-tier companies.
What about a major like Information systems or something like that? That major with several coding classes should make you reasonably employable in many IT departments.
I think your main concern is being able to finish your degree. Since you’re getting good grades in your CS classes, it will sort of balance out your bad grades in math. If you can motivate yourself to get through that, then a CS degree will be very satisfying as it is something you are passionate about, and many CS jobs won’t need that much advanced math.
I am thinking that you might want to get some tutoring in Math. It seems likely that your background is shaky. Math is an area where what you learn this week is very much based on what you learned last week and last month and last year. Thus if a tutor can strengthen your background it will help you a lot.
We all have some weakness. It sounds to me that putting in extra effort to strengthen your math skills will allow you to continue on a path which otherwise makes a lot of sense for you and which will lead to a solid career.
If you can’t handle the Math, switch majors to keep a solid GPA, but minor in CS.
Keep on coding every day. Take a Stats 101 class and code all your assignments in what ever language you want. Get on an open source project and be a contributor. Join the ACM. Have a public git repository. The only way to get better at coding is to code.
I many schools, Calc 1&2 are CS major requirements. minors can ignore the math.
How about an Info Systems major with some coding classes alongside? You can definitely get an IT job with that combo, and companies usually just care what you know and can do once you get in the door. (sorry, dup advice, guess I thought the same thing in mid-Dec that I think now!)