<p>This major seems very interesting to me but I lack experience with computers. I dont know anything about programming and I have no idea if I will be good at it. Does this major require me to be amazing at computers or can I learn?? Anything else I should know about this major??</p>
<p>yeah, i had the same question as stanny! i took IB comp sci my senior year… and i got through it, but EHHH i’m not too great at programming. is this major concentrated heavily on programming?</p>
<p>im an incoming transfer student ('08) who will be majoring in symbolic systems and though I cant say as much about it as one who is currently at stanford perhaps I can add something.</p>
<p>Symbolic systems is a title that is unique to stanford but at other schools it often goes by cognative science. It is computer science/psycology/philosophy/lingustics all aimed towards the goal of understanding the mind. I think psycology is the biggest component with only maybe 200 level computer science required. This major is about understanding the mind by simulating or modeling parts of it and while this is very natural for computer science it can also be done with logic, lingustical stuctures or something else so the computer science does not have to be a major part. With so many different disiplianes feeding into it I think you can be very flexible with your courses.</p>
<p>It is not a very common major and as far as I know Stanford is that only school that offers as a independent major (not under say the psycology dept or just as a concentration). I would say that stanford is the best place for this major primarly for this reason although it is also usnews #1 in cognative psycology (with the school im coming from #2) and has unriviled comp sci, psy, and top lingistics and philosophy.</p>
<p>Also, I believe stanford’s reason for calling it symbolic systems rather than cognative science is to emphasize that they are also intrested in models and research that may arise that are not ‘realistic’ but are useful.</p>