<p>This is something that has been in the back of my mind for quite a while. I’m a math/CS double major and I do really well (GPA 3.8+). However…</p>
<p>I don’t like computers.</p>
<p>I don’t care about my computers specs, I like Windows cause its the cheapest, I don’t have Linux on my computer, I don’t play star/mine-craft or any other PC game, I don’t play FPS (First Person Shooter) games, I don’t go on 4chan/reddit/whatever, etc. </p>
<p>While this isn’t too abnormal for an engineer, I feel like this is kinda weird for a CS major. Now I know that not playing starcraft won’t affect my job prospects (though not playing games like that or enjoying similar things does it make it hard to relate to some other comp sci majors), but I wonder if my apathy towards computers will come back to bite me. </p>
<p>I mean, you hear stories about some college or even high school students developing an app that does xyz. I don’t even have a smartphone. Will I be able to ENJOY a computer science career if I don’t like hacking things or I’m not waiting in line for the next iPhone whatever? Can I still be GOOD at my job if I don’t like this stuff? Thoughts?</p>
<p>Also, the whole reason I got into computer science was because I thought programming was fun.</p>
<p>Yes you will…especially when sipping on that rum punch somewhere in the Caribbean or South America because you have the money to travel there multiple times a year.</p>
<p>OR</p>
<p>When you come home and turn on the evening news and the news reporter is talking about the economic crisis and high unemployment and you are listening to the 5 voice mails from recruiters or other HR reps trying to hire you.</p>
<p>I know I do…and while I do own a smartphone, it’s a 2 year old Android model which I don’t know most of the functionality. I am not a computer gamer. I could care less about an iPhone and I know that I am not some “tech enthusiast”.</p>
<p>Some people are like that, some people are not. There’s no general rule. If you like the type of work, you’ll be fine.
I know plenty of EECS people that aren’t especially obsessed with their work. I know plenty who are as well. You can be either way.
The question is, why are you interested in CS specifically?</p>
<p>You might decide to try a computer science career after college and find out that you like it fine.</p>
<p>You might try computer science and not like it, and try a different field or career.</p>
<p>You might decide upon graduation that you want to try a different field, and getting a job in a different field is certainly possible, especially since your grades are good.</p>
<p>The correlation between people’s majors and their eventual jobs is not as high as you think. I know lots of people with political science degrees, and few make their living analyzing political systems. Those who went to top schools or who did well academically all fared well (regardless of major).</p>
<p>I was just on the phone with a sociology major who had the title of chemical engineer for a while (he did take some chemistry in college). He’s now the VP/Sales for a technical company.</p>
<p>My college roommate majored in chemical engineering, but decided he didn’t want to work as an engineer. Upon graduation, he took a job in a telecom management training program (a non-technical program), hated it and quit after six months. He then took a job on Wall Street, where he worked as a trader and then a senior manager until he retired at 39.</p>
<p>Keep doing well in school, and try to do as much exploration as you can to learn about what people do in the real world. That means talking to people in your field and people in other fields that may interest you.</p>
<p>I like programming. I like being given an objective and a set of rules I can use to reach that objective. Its funny because I was helping one of my friends pick up programming and he said something similar, “they’re like puzzles.”</p>
<p>But I don’t think I would ever develop something for fun. And I am not sure how crucial a component that is to the job. </p>
<p>EDIT: I wrote more here, but Boondocks kind of answered it and I never refreshed the page after Neo posted.</p>
<p>You can easily shift between majors without losing too much time for the first 1-1.5 years. You might learn to like CS more, and you might not.
However, if you find another major you like more, you won’t even have to give up programming. Many majors these days do some pretty involved CS work. I’ve seen complex programming problems in the hard sciences, all the major engineering fields, and in straight up applied math. It’s an option you might appreciate if you like programming and CS but not obsessively so.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure most of my old-school cs professors aren’t into gaming at all either, or having the latest 8-core whatever. I myself am not into phones one iota, I’m a regular internet user but I couldn’t tell you how to use bittorrent and I don’t go on reddit or /b/.</p>
<p>Here’s the thing: nerd culture changes. It used to be all Monty Python, Starr Trek, and Hitch-Hiker’s Guide, but that’s not true anymore, much to my chagrin. Today’s nerd culture is, rather unfortunately, dominated by MMOs and superhero crap.</p>
<p>If you don’t enjoy programming or software engineering or computer science, then yes, you will not enjoy your job. But you can enjoy programming and software engineering and computer science without knowing squat about whatever is nerd du jour.</p>
<p>That said, REAL NERDS USE LINUX/UNIX. So you are a big phony!</p>
<p>TomServo “Here’s the thing: nerd culture changes. It used to be all Monty Python, Starr Trek, and Hitch-Hiker’s Guide, but that’s not true anymore, much to my chagrin. Today’s nerd culture is, rather unfortunately, dominated by MMOs and superhero crap.”</p>
<p>Today’s multi player online games are all derivative Dungeons & Dragons. The Hitchhikers Guide (Galaxy etc) was a fun series but the headier nerds delved into the Foundation Trilogy and Enders Game (they actually read that in my son’s HS - blew my mind). Star Trek was good for its time - - “I’m giving it all she’s got, Captain!” but those dilithium crystals sure looked like hippie power crystals from California. Still, you can’t beat the Borg from the Next Generation - after all, resistance is futile. :)</p>
<p>Sounds like you like the work, so you’ll be just fine. As for developing stuff for fun, give it time… you may find yourself involved in a project soon enough :)</p>