To major in CS or not to major in CS

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spicycarrot
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13 Mar 2020, 2:40 am

I'd appreciate advice if any of you have any. Basically, I'm planning on majoring in CS because it's autism friendly (undecided sophomore right now). If I majored in CS I'd pursue bioinformatics, which interests me a fair bit, but to be honest CS isn't a passion of mine. If I went with my true interests I'd be majoring in biology, and I know I'd be a lot happier studying biology, because I find CS boring for the most part.

However, as many of you can probably relate to, I fear that I won't be able to find a job post-college, and that is why I'm going with the most lucrative field out there. And there's also the social anxiety aspect of it. I absolutely can't tolerate working with others. I had to take frequent 'bathroom breaks' at my restaurant job because I was panicking to the point that it was unbearable. In short, I have zero social skills (haven't had a friend in about 8 years) and severe social anxiety and I don't know what I professional job I could attain, let alone tolerate, besides a solitary programming job.

But there's still a part of me that really wants to major in biology, despite the far worse career prospects (epidemiology interests me and it's super competitive) for the sake of studying something I love. Do you guys have any thoughts/recommendations?



elbowgrease
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16 Mar 2020, 10:38 pm

Study both. It's not a bad idea to have a fall back or a diverse skill set, I think. No idea about employment afterwards, but I think that if you can handle both, and can find a way that they tie together, then it can't hurt.



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30 Mar 2020, 12:23 pm

I did CS because I figured it would be a good way to earn a living. I burned out halfway through because I was bored, lonely, and miserable. I wouldn't recommend doing a CS major unless you actually care about this discipline, and I wouldn't recommend working in tech at all; software development is thankless, soulcrushing work.


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30 Mar 2020, 1:10 pm

I would suggest you study your passion, especially if you have the desire and skills to be a top student. You only need one job. If you are good enough people will overlook your lack of social skills. If you are really good at what you do you also have the option of under-employment. Choosing a job based on favorable working conditions instead of higher pay.

The biggest difference is getting a four year degree versus something less. Why? Because that will get you past HR screening.



Aspie1
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11 Apr 2020, 10:57 am

Short answer: No!

Long answer:
I presume your CS degree will lead to an IT job. First off, IT is no longer a "geeky magician in the basement" field it was 20 years ago. People no longer respect you just for knowing stuff they don't, and therefore forgive you for not being be socially skilled. Technology is mainstream nowadays. Even non-technical people, like secretaries and assembly line workers, are somewhat familiar with operating a computer. And many people think they're computer geeks just because they know how to post on Instagram from their iPhone. So they'll see you not as a techie genius, but as a grunt who has to risk life and limb to fix their computer.

Second, most IT jobs are VERY stressful, and everything depends on the company you work on and who your boss is. A good job and a good boss will have you walking out the door with a smile each day. But those are quire rare. I've had IT jobs where I was smoking a whole pack a day, guzzling vodka straight out the bottle the minute I get home, and researching suicide methods. I was also on call 24/7, and literally had no personal life. As a result, I gained weight, slept 4 hours a night if I'm lucky, damaged my health from smoking and drinking, and nearly took my own life. All in the prime years of my life (mid to late 20's).