<p>with views of Computer Science.</p>
<p>Why does every one I’ve ever talked to speak of Computer Science like it’s only coding/programming?</p>
<p>Like every person I talk to when I mention Computer Science thinks it’s only writing programs and coding.</p>
<p>I partially blame some of the comp sci classes I’ve taken.</p>
<p>Why have we decided to focus solely on the coding aspect, when that alone is a small part of what Computer Science actually is?</p>
<p>Coding is probably the only application of CS in industry that most people identify. As far as many are concerned, computer programmers magically come up with efficient algorithms to solve problems without much theory behind them. Most people have never heard of the P=NP problem or automata theory, so they can’t associate those with CS. Thus, coding is pretty much all of what most people associate with CS. (My cousin wanted to be a CS major but changed his mind after the first year or so at a community college because he hates math. He looked at my AP CS book and said that it was legit CS. I gave an appropriately vague “eh…”-like response.)</p>
<p>A similar problem occurs with math. Many people think that the only thing mathematicians do is just crunch numbers all day with a computer or churn out statistical analyses because crunching numbers and stats are the only applications of math that most people really encounter after their education. A common question I’ve heard is “Why do we need mathematicians if we have super fast computers?”. This is a symptom of the general lack of math knowledge.</p>
<p>CS majors I know and even my CS teacher says that coding is roughly 5-8% of the CS world.</p>
<p>I mean there’s more to CS than the theory as well.</p>
<p>What about Systems analysis and what not?</p>
<p>Eh, I’d guess that most CS majors end up working in software development. Many people mistakenly assume that software engineering is just coding.</p>
<p>It’s because of the white people.</p>
<p>Also, the other aspects of comp sci are sort of abstract. Programming is tangible. The people you’re talking about don’t know what they don’t know about.</p>
<p>^ Not really. The most abstract we get is if you focus solely on the theoretical stuff and the algorithms.</p>
<p>You have computer architecture, artificial intelligence the idea of multiple processors. That is more tangible.</p>
<p>^ But most people have no idea about how CPU’s work or how the computer stores data in memory. All they know is that they have a harddrive and RAM which stores data and a CPU which “makes a computer go fast”. Most people know about the bots you can have a conversation with or the computers that can beat humans at chess, but still, they have no clue how they work. They just assume that it’s done with a fancy program, made with code they can see, but can’t even begin to fathom.</p>
<p>I’d say it’s because most people only get exposed to the coding aspects of CS in high school: AP Comp Sci A/AB. Aside from that, most people don’t get any other exposure unless they search for it.</p>
<p>^Many people don’t even have a CS or programming class in high school…</p>
<p>It really is sort of a self-selective field.</p>
<p>I just hate that misconception though.</p>
<p>^^ Exactly. I don’t and I don’t think any of the schools in my area do. I’m taking AP comp sci through FLVS and the entire course is programming (although they’ve attempted to tell us many times that CS isn’t about programming at all, but then immediately gone back to teaching more programming).</p>
<p>AP Computer Science A is almost entirely coding intensive.</p>
<p>To be honest, I hate AP CS. I’m only taking the exam because people seem to like AP for credit.</p>
<p>IB Computer Science is a pleasant break from coding.</p>