Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by PaulHoule 3278 days ago
It is true that enrollment in undergraduate CS is highly volatile as potential students alternate from wanting to get in on the gold rush and then they hear arguments like those from your parents, which do have the kernel of truth that computer people face a "glass ceiling" in many organizations.

CS is an unusual academic field because it is situated between math, engineering, and other things. Part of it is focused on the hardware and software prevalent on Earth today but much of the theory is universal.

If you take CS I would suggest doing a dual major with math, you probably don't need to take many additional classes.

1 comments

I was actually considering going for a degree in Mathematics instead but majoring in both seems much more appealing. Perhaps even something such as Economics and CS could also be viable?

Also, would a PhD in AI be recommended as well considering the potential it has across multiple fields?

It depends on you and your school. I carried about a semester worth of AP credits so I had an easy time taking all of the courses for both Physics and Math, the overlap between CS and Math was about the same.

As for the PhD, who knows? After four years of undergrad school you could spend 6-9 years in graduate school. A lot can happen between now and then.