For all of you CS majors out there...

[UNLTuba]

I'm thinking about changing my major to CS come next school year. I'm wondering how much previous knowledge each of you brought in to the degree. I consider myself to be way more of a techie type than 95% of the people in this world, but I've heard CS can be sort of tough if you go in blind. Let me know your experiences and stuff like that.

 

Been a "techie" for years.
Went into uni. for CS, dropped out of uni. because of CS.
I did not like programming much.
If you don't like coding, don't do CS.
Bottom line.

 

[BChild]

I went into CS in college with some programming background but I know plenty of people who are far from what you would call "techies" and they're doing very well. It will be a little difficult to go into CS without any previous computer or programming knowledge, but it's very doable.

 

[ThisIsMatt]

I just finished my second quarter of CS at CalPoly SLO. I went in with no previous knowledge (except with just general computer skills). That's more than I can say for others that have been in my class, although most of them were weeded out in the first quarter it seems. I got an A the first quarter and hopefully a B this quarter - my prof this quarter really sucked...

 

[ThisIsMatt]

dp

 

[Mday]

hmmm, not much of any previous knowledge... i took discrete math, so i know some of those concepts already...

much of what is in the introduction courses is coding some stupid things... kind of like learning how to read if you will... as well as some basic problem solving skills... like how to have a program to add 2 numbers that the user inputs... so there is some error catching, like a + 1 is not a valid addition... ;-)

anyway, the intro courses treat you like a baby... if you go into some more advanced intro course, say "honors" you're still treated like a baby.....

you really learning nothing until after the intro courses, and then, you don't really learn until you get to the electives.....

 

[Mday]

as you can see, the CS curriculum here at NYU blows chunks... undergrad...

i'm a not a math major for nothing... coding is suck... of course i am referring to the actual typing of the code ;-)

 

[br0wn]

I received my BSc in CS two years ago. When I first entered college, I didn't know
ANY programming at all (coming from third-world country).
However, my strength is problem solving and I am great at math (was
considering a Math degree, but it seems CS has more appeal to find jobs).
I didn't have any trouble at all during my undergraduate CS education
(received my degree in 3 years).

The coming summer, I will finish my MSc in CS. Then, I will go to either
Johns Hopkins or University of Virginia to get my Ph.D. in CS (vote
in "this thread" which school I should go).
You see, you don't need any previous knowledge at all to start majoring
in CS. As long as you love it and willing to work hard, you can do well
in any major (including CS).


edit: bad link

 

[qacwac]

none, but I'm just getting started. I've been started out pretty slow.

 

[Jumpem]

Going to RIT, I had zero programming experience beforehand. If you have decent teachers for the first couple CS classes it'll go alright.

 

[johneetrash]

i thought you said counterstrike :X