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Katie Nelson
Katie Nelson

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What advice would you give someone thinking about a career in software?

I’m a student and consider coding as more of a hobby for me. I do enjoy it, but I’m at that stage where I have to think about what to major in for college. Is computer science something that I would want to do? It’s not an easy decision for me since my other interests that I like more might not be ones I could make a living doing.

How have you found your own careers in software have been?
Are you happy you chose it, or are you always thinking that maybe there was something else?

Any input would be appreciated.

Oldest comments (7)

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keevcodes profile image
Andrew McKeever

I actually studied Psychology at univeristy after starting in business first. I disliked business a lot so focused on something I enjoyed, hence the change to Psychology. I dont regret the decision at all, but finding jobs related to Psychology is hard and student loans are expensive so eventually I learned to program.

My advice, assuming your stuying in the U.S., would be that if you're unsure if CS is what you want to persue, minor in it and major in one of the other areas youre thinking about. You've got a good head start by not only programming, but also enjoying it and this field has some great resources for learning on your own that many other fields dont. College is a great opportunity to learn about yourself and grow yourself as an adult, but remember that it does come at a cost when it's all said and done so leave with a degree that will help you pay for that opportunity.

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katnel20 profile image
Katie Nelson

Hey Andrew,
Thanks so much for that.
Lot's of decisions ahead for me.

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mzahraei profile image
Ardalan

you make a good question I say some pro and negative things about my opinion.
What I love about programming.
As good programmers you can earn good money.
As programmers you musst to be active by lerenen you need a update and it prefect.
As programmers you can't understanding how is going the time during the job.
As programmers automatically you will be quite.
And some negative things.
every day working nearly 8 hours alone sometimes is bordering and for me is big problem sometimes I like to work as seller.
At this work you need a result but sometimes need more time and kill you it's not great.
I musst to use glasses I hate it:-)

Actually it's so important that you do something that gives you fun. Because you musst to spende time.

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Chris C

I am not a software dev. I work more in network security and have a history of hardware support skills.

That being said, I would encourage anyone like yourself looking into software to also understand the infrastructure side of things on some level.

It is important to know how the hardware that runs your software works and its limitations :)

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aarconcepcion profile image
A-Ar Andrew Concepcion

Hey, it's good to hear that you like coding. It's better to like coding first before treating it like a something you can make money from (which of course you can).

For the question about is CS really what you want to do, it's really a question you have to answer yourself.

I am really happy that I'm a developer, of course I do have other hobbies but I can't really think of myself in other jobs other than as a developer.

It's also worth nothing that, a degree is not really a requirement as a developer in most progressive companies. If I can get a developer job with decent pay in a third world country without a degree, so can you.

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esmelyn067

In my opinion, I think that computer science was my best choice!
Actually I really love it, and I've found a lot of advantages in it

I encourage you to choose that career you feel identified with, because once you start studying, you' ll never stop it, and you will find it like a part of your life!!

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katnel20 profile image
Katie Nelson

I still have some time to decide. I’ll let you know what I choose.