So… the computer science major hasn’t been going great for me. I’ve been doing well in my classes but many different things, ranging from the way classes are structured to the FAANG/Tech Bro mentality (not saying everyone has it, but it can feel a bit off-putting), has got me seriously burnt out, so much so that it combined with other life things happening led to a mental break. I’ve taken a break from classes and I’ve regained my passion for programming doing personal projects, and I’m dreading going back and losing it all over again.
I’ve spoken with my therapist about this and she agrees that I should at least try a different major. I’m currently considering the biotech major or the applied computing major at West. I’ve only recently considered the latter as it would make life much more convenient (I live like 7 minutes away from ASU west, another issue when it comes to the CS classes), with more focus on the former as I’ve figured it’s a bit more important for employment to the field if I wanted to go that route. I am also aware of the field of bioinformatics.
Obviously there’s pros and cons to each but I was wondering if anyone else had advice?
If you’re really close to the west campus id say that’s the way to go. Switch to applied, see how you like it. Might be a good change of pace and a smaller campus might make it easier to find people you vibe with in your major
@YadavN This is definitely a very valid concern. It sounds like you really do enjoy programming, but the workload is burning you out. I was a CS student at ASU, and it was not easy, so I get it. BUT you can take less credits per semester and maybe even take some summer classes to spread out your course load a bit. Do not leave CS for applied computing, as snooty as it sounds, employers will prefer a CS student over an applied computing. Ignore that whole FAANG mentality, it’s not as glamorous as people make it out to be. These FAANG companies are out doing major layoffs right now. Just focus on yourself, and what you can achieve with this degree. I don’t know what year you’re in, but if you can just make it through 3 years, senior year will be a breeze. You’ve got this!!
This is a real thing that you shouldn’t ignore. You can always make anything work with anything, but just like someone from Harvard will have an easier time finding a job than someone from ASU, so too will a CS major vs something like applied computing @Pooja7@YadavN
@minni_p I honestly have the same worries about my degree (graphic info tech fullstack dev) but I’ve put a lotttttt of research in and I honestly think its much more about your internships, side projects, and demonstrated skills than your degree title. As long as you can prove you know your stuff it doesnt matter what the specifics of your piece of paper are, at least not to most people. And even if it does, only your first employer will be looking at your degree, once you get your foot in the door it’ll be smooth sailing.
This is closer to being reflective of hiring than some of the other responses. The degree gets you past the HR filter, the tech interview (inclusive of your soft skills) gets you the job. I have hired people from all four of the majors I mentioned before and even some without degrees (it is a harder path, stay in school if you can) @Varun_Gupta
Don’t worry about the whole computer science vs software engineering vs applied computing vs information technology debate unless you are planning to go for a specialized job or one of the big four, but even they don’t care once you get some experience.
I guess at the end you’ll plan for one of the big for definitely, but for now I agree with @KarishmaMehta_2627. You just have to enter this world, gain some experience and maybe then and only then you will get some clarity about what you wanna do or pursue further