The future with a Bsc in Comp. Sci.

[dv/dt]

I'm thinking of studying computer science at university next year but currently have doubts to whether such a degree would have many career options. I perceive computer science as involving numerous hours devoted to programming. With the rapid evolution of technology, I wonder whether a computer science degree is enough to keep up with the pace of computer advancement. I have a feeling that those who study computer science will soon feel obsolete as companies hire younger undergraduates who have a good grasp of new technologies and programming languages rather than those whose knowledge is six to ten years outdated. Before I proceed any further with my choice of career, I would like the opinion of the Ubuntu community on this matter. Any input is appreciated.

dv/dt

[Lord Illidan]

Keep in mind that in an interview, a degree in Comp. Sci is quite important. It's proof that you know something. Sure, it might not help so much in the real world, but you're expected to do research and stuff.

I'm in your same position, actually, and I'd also appreciate more input on this. In Malta, the options are quite limited, I don't know about you.

[slimdog360]

Id imagine you would have to keep up your training through the years, getting certified for new technologies etc. Most employers value experience over inexperience.

[mips]

Maybe try a Comp.Sci with some B.com subjects if you can. Almost like a business analyst. Important to translate business requirements into software products.

[spd106]

The best advice I can offer is to seize the opportunity to do what you enjoy since you'll be doing it for the next few years.

Secondly make sure you are able to build work experience through placements or a gap year (sandwich course). These are attractive to employers as they prove you can hold a job out there in the real world. It's becoming increasingly difficult to get work after graduation without experience.

It doesn't really matter about the specific technologies you are taught as long as you build a sound base in programming techniques. For example once you know C then C++, C#, JAVA, etc are all very similar. No one can keep pace with all the latest changes.

[DeadEyes]

Education is important, nearly every ad for an entry/junior position will state that a degree is required. A degree is what will get you in the door.
As for being replaced by undergraduates. You'd want to be a really bad developer for that to happen. Everything useful that you learn about programming is picked up in the first two years of working and not in college, that experience will trump any new fangled languages that someone just graduated might know.
Finally IT is a constantly changing industry, when you get your degree don't think that is the end of it. You have to keep learning, it is up to you to keep up-to-date.

HTH

[DeadEyes]

It doesn't really matter about the specific technologies you are taught as long as you build a sound base in programming techniques. For example once you know C then C++, C#, JAVA, etc are all very similar. No one can keep pace with all the latest changes.

Just to add to that, from my experience. I started as a VB developer, where I worked decided to develop a new product in Java. I had a week to become a Java Developer. Once you have the basics it's no big deal keeping up with the trends.

[weatherman]

a bsc in cs in all right but don't think it will get you too far. If you're interested in cs do it and while you're in college find some topic that you find really interesting and try specializing in that direction.

[Mathiasdm]

[QUOTE=dv/dt;1703072]I'm thinking of studying computer science at university next year but currently have doubts to whether such a degree would have many career options. I perceive computer science as involving numerous hours devoted to programming. With the rapid evolution of technology, I wonder whether a computer science degree is enough to keep up with the pace of computer advancement. I have a feeling that those who study computer science will soon feel obsolete as companies hire younger undergraduates who have a good grasp of new technologies and programming languages rather than those whose knowledge is six to ten years outdated. Before I proceed any further with my choice of career, I would like the opinion of the Ubuntu community on this matter. Any input is appreciated.

dv/dt[/QUOTE
I'm in my second year of Engineering (option Computer Science). Im attempting to get a Masters Degree (Computer Science Engineering - Software engineering), which I should have at the end of my 5th year :p
When you have a BsC or a MsC, it's not so much the technologies you learn, that matter. At university, you're shown how to work, how to study, and how to acquire new knowledge.

Programming languages (most of them) are basically the same (except for some details). It's the algorithms, and the techniques you learn that matter.

[anaconda]

A Degree is just a paper. If you want to became really good in programming (or anything), then you just have to program A LOT.

I (almost) have a Masters Degree in computer science, and from the 6 years of studying a LOT has been something else than programming. Eg. lots of maths, physics, circuit-theory, field-thery, more maths, and physics, law, ergonomy, languages, math, electrical engineering, social skills, presentations etc.. and did I already remember to mention maths?

If I would only have studied the computer science part of my studies I could have done it in under a year! maybe even in 8 months. Honestly!

But if you dont have the paper, then you have to show that you can program in other ways.. eg. really good web-pages, where you tell about your programming projects, experience from linux developing, cool demos of amazing code etc..

I could have studied 8 months, then spend another 8 months to make examples.. anything that could be recarded as experience and really really good CV:s, and practise making a good professional impression ..etc...

[anaconda]

When you have a BsC or a MsC, it's not so much the technologies you learn, that matter. At university, you're shown how to work, how to study, and how to acquire new knowledge.

Or then the pointless things you have to study will destroy your motivation.. and then what?

In university there are lots of things like: you returned this work 2 hours late.. better luck next year. And at least in our uni.. some lecturers just read the coursebook aloud in the lecture..!! quite pointless.. you could read it yourself faster and with more motivation..
Or the professor needs to get some job done, and he uses the students to do it as a homework/exercise even if it hasn't got much to do with the subject of the course..

OK.. sorry for the rambling..
But I have seen people who have gone the other way round.. just get your foot to some comppany, and the "paper" doesnt matter anymore.. sure the salary is worse in the beginning, but after you have 4-5 years of experience you will be ahead of the person who started at the same time and just got his decree.. he will be new with wery litle or no experience etc..

[mustang]

I have a feeling that those who study computer science will soon feel obsolete as companies hire younger undergraduates who have a good grasp of new technologies and programming languages rather than those whose knowledge is six to ten years outdated.
dv/dt

Not so. One of the great things about programming languages is that they are mostly alike assuming you stay within the same paradigm. It is not very difficult to pick up C++ when you've learned java and vice versa.

Furthermore, it takes years for industry and academia to adopt a new language. And odds are, it'll probably be a variant of what they were using before. So I wouldn't be too much worried about this issue.

Most people in your position are usually thinking about the threat of offshoring. This should be a real concern. One of the grim realities of today is that a bachelor's in CS (or Eng) will probably not ensure long term job security. There are many in other countries who are just as skilled as you are and willing to work for half the price.

This is one of the reasons why I am pursuing a master's degree (and even possibly a PhD). You have to set yourself apart from the pack and pursuing graduate and postgraduate education is one way of doing that.

[EdThaSlayer]

Computer science sounds like a very hard topic. Seems i will be studying something other than computers in college! There are too many guys out there that know things about computers. Programming and such will probably stay a hobby for me. Anyways, good luck! oh-and a certificate that you did that course looks much better than not having a certificate!

[Lord Illidan]

Computer science sounds like a very hard topic. Seems i will be studying something other than computers in college! There are too many guys out there that know things about computers. Programming and such will probably stay a hobby for me. Anyways, good luck! oh-and a certificate that you did that course looks much better than not having a certificate!

Every topic is hard once you come down to it.. Comp. Science involves a lot of Maths, though.

[ember]

Well - computer science is kind of hard if you are not at ease with mathematics (at least in Germany). I will hopefully have completed my studies of c.s. next week and I'd say the best advice is to study c.s. if you are really interested in it. Do not care to much for career options as your studies will be hard when you like your subject in general, but nearly impossible when you dislike it.

Also you can go for specialisations like commercial information technology if you are more interested in getting more into business affairs.

And one last word, c.s. may be hard, but in the end very rewarding. And (at least in German universities) there is no need to deal with programming too much, most issues are on a theoretical level.

[dca]

The sad news is don't hope for the high-paying job right after school. That only comes if you know somebody (high up) in the biz. Degrees (I have an AS in computers from before there was such thing as a BS) are great, however, in the US a lot of companies also seem to like 'certifications' if you have no 'real-world' experience. ie: A+ certification, Network+ certification from CompTIA. Or AS-400 certification or RS-6000 certification from IBM... Novell Certified Engineer or RHCE from Red Hat. Maybe even MCSE or MCSD (Microsoft) if you were willing to sell your soul (and possibly home) to the devil...

[Kieranties]

Perhaps I can help :p

I have just finished my Bsc Hons in computer science at the university of wales, swansea (http://www.swan.ac.uk)

I started looking for jobs in febuary, basically putting my cv on monster.co.uk (http://www.monster.co.uk)

I had a job lined up before I sat my last exam.:mrgreen:

As for the degree, it was not just programming. Sure I did a variety of different languages, but we never had a core focus on one. Often, we would discuss that it may be degrading to our future. Working in the industry as a developer for a little over four months has shown me that it was a good thing not to be tied down to one specific language. Sure, I am heads and shoulders better at java and c#/.net/asp.net then any other language (and I advertise these as my main skills), but the variety that I studied (haskell, java, c#, c, maude, sql, lex, yacc, delphi, vb, python, prolog, clips...the list goes on) gave me a much wider appreciation of the basics. Also in the experience of my friends, they have found their new employers to have the same view. It is better that you can pick up the basics quickly and get to the hard stuff, then take a long time getting there, as employers like to invest in their people.

As for the rest of the degree there was a relatively large chunk dedicated to maths, cpu architecture, computing philosophy, graphics, logic and virtually every other aspects of computing. There was even a history and linux specific module.

Add to that a dissertation which took up the majority of my final year, and you have a well rounded computer science course.

Sure, programming is involved in computers, but it wasn't the core of my course. Naturally I cannot speak for other courses.
I wasn't great at maths either, but due to good programming skills I could keep my grades reasonable ;)

If you enjoy programming and want a rounded course, then why not give it a bash (no pun intended)? If not, try looking for a more suitable hands-on programming degree. There are plenty of choices in the computing degree fields

There are plenty of jobs in programming too. I get 5 or 6 mails a day for job offers at the mo!

[mips]

Computer science sounds like a very hard topic. Seems i will be studying something other than computers in college! There are too many guys out there that know things about computers. Programming and such will probably stay a hobby for me. Anyways, good luck! oh-and a certificate that you did that course looks much better than not having a certificate!

C'mon, because it is hard you quit before even trying ? So you only do things that are easy, there is something wrong with this picture.

The Eng & Sci study fields all require lots of math and then more math...

Maybe a Bachelor of Arts degree for you... It will still require studying though.

[OffHand]

I'm thinking of studying computer science at university next year but currently have doubts to whether such a degree would have many career options. I perceive computer science as involving numerous hours devoted to programming. With the rapid evolution of technology, I wonder whether a computer science degree is enough to keep up with the pace of computer advancement. I have a feeling that those who study computer science will soon feel obsolete as companies hire younger undergraduates who have a good grasp of new technologies and programming languages rather than those whose knowledge is six to ten years outdated. Before I proceed any further with my choice of career, I would like the opinion of the Ubuntu community on this matter. Any input is appreciated.

dv/dt
You are wrong, trust me. I have a bachelors degree in fine arts and it took me a hell of a lot of time to get a nice challenging IT job (starting my new job as a software tester and customer support on November 6th). I also would like to recommend to get some certificates from sun, mcse and stuff like that while you go to college. You should be able to find a nice job once your done.

[mips]

You are wrong, trust me. I have a bachelors degree in fine arts and it took me a hell of a lot of time to get a nice challenging IT job (starting my new job as a software tester and customer support on November 6th).

What is fine arts, is it computer related at all ?

[cunawarit]

As a computer science graduate I can assure you that a computer science degree is not about learning a whole load of languages and other technologies. It is about giving you a solid theoretical basis in order to facilitate your uptake of any of these languages and/or technologies.

Personally I would not hire a programmer that hasn't a computer science degree, I don't know many companies that will either. Not ones with good career opportunities anyway.

[OffHand]

What is fine arts, is it computer related at all ?

In a way... I made interactive video-installations.