Ask HN: Do CS degrees set you up to be disappointed with most programming jobs?
CS professors are constantly putting down programming in their teaching. So how can this end well?
5 comments
As a long-time developer, almost everything sets you up for that because many programming jobs get to be disappointing in a few or many ways. Just like a lot of jobs in general. A few programming jobs make use of lots of CS, most are cranking out more CRUD interfaces or UI controls or setting up build systems or whatever. Set your expectations right, aim high and pick your emotional battles.
CS is just math until you write working code, don’t forget it. I don’t know those profs, get the best grade you can from them and leave their sorry selves behind.
CS is just math until you write working code, don’t forget it. I don’t know those profs, get the best grade you can from them and leave their sorry selves behind.
Programming sucks, to do well you really have to enjoy the way it sucks.
No, need to understand the abstraction level best suited both for the CS degree obtained and the environment the programming is being done in/with.
Unfortunately, most CS degrees are toolmaker theory for supporting areas of scientific endevors. For the "non-university" world, don't care unless it's clear what area of CS want to specialized in.
Typically don't control/define most of the enviroment the programming is being done in/with. Until one specializes/demos experience in a specific area, "programming" sucks because "general purpose" experience is real-world entry level.
A general CS degree hopefully will allow for figuring out what to specialized/get experience in. Although, hopefully don't pick something that's a grinding profession. aka game programmers.
Unfortunately, most CS degrees are toolmaker theory for supporting areas of scientific endevors. For the "non-university" world, don't care unless it's clear what area of CS want to specialized in.
Typically don't control/define most of the enviroment the programming is being done in/with. Until one specializes/demos experience in a specific area, "programming" sucks because "general purpose" experience is real-world entry level.
A general CS degree hopefully will allow for figuring out what to specialized/get experience in. Although, hopefully don't pick something that's a grinding profession. aka game programmers.
I feel like CS degrees must be very different everywhere else from where I go... At any rate, programming does suck, but it's fun as hell and very rewarding when you finally get the suck to work. There is a lot of stupid nonsense you have to fight with when programming, which is the suck, and if you don't enjoy fighting with it then I don't think you'll enjoy it at all.
You have just 4 years to learn the kind of math that you'll never use,
but will genuinely make you a smarter person. You have 25+ years to
learn programming, which is akin to running a cash register after five
years.