Is the difficulty of software development overrated?

Not everyone who majors in CS is cut out for doing actual software development. The best way to know for sure is to take some classes, and if you like them work hard to find internship opportunities. Getting a first job can be difficult without any real-world experience such as an internship provides.

I often wonder if some of the math requirements are a holdover from days long past (like when I was in college) where CS was not a stand-alone major but instead was part of the Math department at many schools (I had to double-major in CS and Math). While you do need a certain level of math, most folks I’ve worked with typically don’t need as much as is required for the degree.

As was mentioned above, to be a good software developer it takes not only knowing how to code, but having a certain ability to reason through problems and stick with it until you find solutions. Some of the best coders I know will tell you they’re not the smartest people in the room, but they can see through a problem and come up with creative solutions that others might not think of. They also research to figure things out on their own rather than relying on being taught everything they need to know. It also takes someone who wants to constantly be challenged and learning new skills, since the marketplace changes so drastically year after year.

And, if like me, you work in software development for a few years and realize it isn’t for you long-term, there are so many different careers that benefit from a coding background - software architect, systems analyst, software sales engineer - the president of my company started as a coder!