For those of you bright students with plans to go into the computer industry, I give a heart-felt congratulations. Computers are a very robust profession with numerous job opportunities across a vast breadth of industries. This is a field in great demand. Although I encourage anyone with technological interests to do it, there are a few words I would like to offer any young ambitious future programmer to consider.
- Computer programming does not require all that much math. What? You say? You heard me correctly. Yes, computer science degrees are math intensive and often requires at least 2 levels of calculus, but the degree is designed around one subset of programming. If you're not a math whiz, like most of us, consider a degree in information technology. This is a business degree focuses on the maintenance and enterprise development side of computers, such as database programming, systems administration, and business intelligence, for example. Business intelligence, especially is in high demand.
- Technical degrees do not need to come from an exotic university. Schools like MIT, Cal Tech, GA Tech, and Stanford are all great schools that offer amazing programs. They can certainly open doors, but are largely unnecessary. Even exotic out of state flagship schools are not necessary. The reason is because these brand name schools tend to be cost-prohibitive, especially in borderline situations. I have no problem with Stanford if they offer a good financial aid package where student loans can be kept to a minimum. If they start requiring a co-signer for extra loans to pay for their awesome programs, it may be time to look for schools elsewhere. Graduating with 150k is not worth the money for a bachelors degree. If you have the grades for these schools, focus on a less expensive school or even a scholarship. Entry level jobs are not terribly lucrative at first, so the less debt, the better.
- When you graduate, don't be afraid to expand outwards. Entry level jobs can be limited sometimes in certain areas, especially summers after college students graduate. Looking at "tech hub" cities like Dallas, TX where the cost of living is relatively low can be a great way to start a career.