CS noob here: any advice?
CS noob here: any advice?
So I'm getting my associates this semester, technically under compsci. Can't really do much with an associates though, and I need a job in the mean time, so I've been studying CompTIA certs (A+, NET+, and soon I'll be taking a course for Sec+).
Except, I don't really know where to go from there. Like, sure I get my associates, then these certificates, and start my bachelor's, except I'm lost in the sauce about anything after that. If I'm honest, I don't even really know what I could do or what options are available to me with a CS degree. My relevant skills so far are basically none; I mean I grew up around computers and I've installed Linux mint on my daily laptop, but it's not like I know how to do much other than surface level or just above surface level stuff. I don't even really know how to code.
I guess, I'm just kinda lost. I don't really know what to do and I'd like some answers but don't even know where to start looking for them. Does anyone have any advice?
I would recommend trying coding, and see if you like it. There are a gazillion options out there to learn online. You don't need to pay anyone. Here are some examples:
- Do a micro-controller project using Arduino. This is actually C++ which is a pretty advanced language, but they only use very simple C++ features so it's still beginner friendly.
- Make a game of some kind. I'm not really a game developer so I don't know what the good options are there, but maybe something like https://phaser.io/ ? Or Pygame if you hate yourself.
- Make a web site. I've used all sorts of things for this and my favourite method at the moment is Fresh.
Anyway, try and get a taste of it and you'll probably know if you like it. If you do, definitely just work on a project in your free time. You don't need any qualifications to get a programming job, just skill. (In fact I'd say they are a bit of a red flag.)
Programming is a great career if you like it - very high pay for very little responsibility (outside game development anyway).
Thanks for these, going to look into them.
Don't focus too much on tools (languages,ide, editor, etc.)
Get strong fundamentals in math and software, code with C and a high level language like python for a couple of years and you're good on the tooling side.
Focus on your mathematics, logic and philosophy. These are what separate legendary engineers, scientists and visionaries from people who are only amazing at programming.
Remember that you are an engineer/scientist/philosopher not a cog in the machine that gets told what code to write and writes it.
I highly recommend reading the works of Feynman, Dijkstra, Turing and other greats to better see how they think and approach things.
(Maybe these aren't the direct answers to your questions, but wisdom. damn I wish someone told these stuff to me sooner)
I'll see if I can find copies of their works. Any specific recommendations?
You'd be surprised what you can do with an associates.
Just remember, you're getting technical training, but your business social training is what you'll learn in any job.
It's a common saying in the business world that we can teach most anyone the technical stuff, it's the social stuff that's hard. Negotiation, leadership, team building, partnership, risk analysis, etc.
Since you really don't know what you want to do, just go do something, anything, in the field. You'll get exposure to how it really works (vs what school teaches), so you'll have a better idea what direction to go.
Your career is anything but a straight line. It's more a river, where you'll cut some corners, and other corners you'll hit granite and flow around it. You really never know what you're going to run into.
love that last quote, pretty good.
I always thought an associates was like a mandatory pre req, that a bachelor's is the real degree you need.
What do you want to end up doing for your career? That’s a good start.
I can talk you through it some, even though I’m a college dropout (English major. Taught myself everything I know). I made it into tech and have worked at a couple of the big names, as well as some successful startups.
Thing is, I don't really know what I want for my career. I mean, I guess I could see myself building/maintaining server racks or doing IT for a company. Where did you get your start, and what do you do now?
Started at a little company in Akron Ohio. A friends friends dad needed software developers and I was unemployed trying to find work. “I want to use computers” was my main goal.
So he hired me, and I started off doing Java and some other random stuff. Worked there for ten years, and eventually got the nerve to go work out in silicon valley after my friend had been trying to talk me into joining him for years.
Worked for Square mainly in that time, while living in San Francisco. Moved jobs a couple of times because that’s the best way to get a raise.
I came back to Ohio years ago because San Francisco was ridiculously expensive and I got dispensation to be remote from one of my jobs. (Pre covid).
Now I’m a cloud infrastructure engineer at a mid stage startup making real good money. I spend my days building google cloud infrastructure.
Over the years I’ve done it all though. Racked servers, sys admin, ruby/java/.net/perl/python/etc. I even managed a team of 13 SREs for a couple years… management is not my thing. I did well, but I much prefer to be a developer.