I just graduated from high school and am heading off to college to start my freshman year. I’m most likely going to go for a BA in Computer Science rather than a BS. I’m wondering if there’s anything I should practice before starting my major’s classes. I hear you only need an algebra-level math understanding to code, is that true? I ask this because I was placed in a low level math class because of a poorly made online math placement exam and I will end up taking College Algebra in my second semester of my freshman year. Should I continue taking math classes if College Algebra will be the last math I have to take for my major? Also, if I want to be a programmer/coder, where should I start? I’ve tried tutorials online but they’re beyond confusing. Are there any programs to help complete noobs with coding? If they cost money, that’s fine as long as they’re dedicated to teaching code, but I’d prefer it to be free.
To make it easy for you all, here are the questions I’d like answered:
-I’m wondering if there’s anything I should practice before starting my major’s (CS) classes.
-I hear you only need a algebra-level math understanding to code, is that true?
-Should I continue taking math classes if College Algebra will be the last math I have to take for my major (BA CS)?
-If I want to be a programmer/coder, where should I start?
-Are there any programs to help complete noobs with coding? If they cost money, that’s fine as long as they’re dedicated to teaching code, but I’d prefer it to be free.
Hi! I’m a rising senior who’s a computer science major, so I can try to help with some of your questions.
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It would be good to practice some basic programming. There are plenty of free courses / tutorials on the web.
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Well, it depends on what your programming. There are a lot of programming jobs that only require up to high school algebra, but learning more math is always good. The exciting areas of programming (machine learning, graphics, etc) tend to be math heavy.
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I don’t know what math classes your school requires for your computer science degree. Computer science majors can be somewhat math heavy though - it’s best to talk to your advisor at school / fellow CS majors to see how much math the major will require.
If you have any other questions, let me know. You can post here or send me a private message.
I do not know which college you will be attending but my son is a CS major. He has to take Cal 1/2/3, Discrete Math, Stats, Linear Algebra and 2nd upper division Math class of his choice.
It’s my state university and it’ll most likely be a BA. The only math class required seems to be College Algebra.
Based on your post, the CS program at your university does not seem to be a typical CS program since majority are very Math heavy as stated by @Luminouzz.
I just looked and the BS degree in CS only requires Calc I and II. There are, however, a lot of required CS courses for both BS and BA.
Most of CS courses have a heavy math component even though they are not technically math classes . They rely on the analytical skill taught in math classes as a basis.
@stugace I think you need to talk to someone at your school (ASU or UAz )? Most CS majors do require at least 2 calcs and many CS majors take additional classes in math.
If your school has a different slant on a BA in CS, it would be good to understand exactly what they are putting together.
Are you that far behind in math ? Are you willing to take some summer classes ? I think that would be far better than not taking college level math (no STEM person considers College Algebra college level math, BTW). There is nothing particularly bad about not having math offerings in high school or being a slow bloomer, but in college in a STEM field … odd.
It is possible you have a gift for programming and not for math … but you may also want to consider some other options for majors and/or careers.
Certainly you will not be doing any technical programming or support without college level math and you really will have no basis for logic and other math based CS concepts. Not sure if you could even consider taking that Discrete class.
@PickOne1, I’m going to UA. When I said College Algebra is the only math class I need, I meant to say it was the only math class I need to actually get into the CS major. Once they accept me as a CS major and let me start the CS classes, I’ll take the required math for CS, so more advanced math classes.
I’m definitely not behind in math nor am I weak in the field. I took and excelled at all the math courses offered in my old high school before moving to AZ. The school I went to and graduated from a few months ago only offered AP Statistics as the next level math course for me. If you know anything about that class, then you’d know that it’s far from an actual math class and screwed me over when I took my college’s math placement exam.
See if you can take Calc 1 instead of College Algebra … did you take pre-calculus ?
Or see if you can take pre-calculus instead of college algebra.
I actually snooped around UA’s website, so see what you mean. Maybe, but is is unclear if that discrete whatever class would really not imply having a calculus background.
But, I would still try to find someone this summer to talk to regarding your math track in college. Especially if your college math placement is screwed up, they may allow retakes, etc.
I think your job prospects might improve with more math skills to be honest, you don’t want to get pigeon-holed if not necessary. Summer classes might also be an option.
Best of luck !