/sci/ - Science & Math

[Anonymous No.5042658]

Freshman undergrad here. I'm a Computer Science major (>lelelel compooter science etc) and I was wondering what sort of second major would go well with CS. I don't want to sound like an overly ambitious faggot, but I'm going in with 30+ hours of AP credit so I think I could fit one in easier than all these girls here that have double majors in English/Psychology or PoliSci/Ethnic Studies. I was thinking either Math or a second Computer Science-oriented degree like CIS. Would there be a contention with hiring potential vs. something that would actually contribute to my ability to do CS?


Also, just a question on academia; when/if you get a graduate degree, does anyone actually care about your undergraduate education anymore?

[Anonymous No.5042666]

Why don't you do gender studies? I'm serious. Gender awareness becomes more and more important for employment, especially in the code monkey business.

[Anonymous No.5042700]

Seconding 5042666 here; it's a surprisingly interesting field *and* you'd be surprised how much it'll help in dealing with issues that come up all the time in CS-related fields. If you are opposed to the idea (actually, if you are, all the more reason to take it) another good recommendation is a minor or associates in some type of Econ. If your Uni offers MicroEcon I can't recommend it enough. Good luck.

[Anonymous No.5042719]

Reply-Anon #2 here again to answer some of your other questions:

Worry less about hiring potential (CS is pretty secure as is) and more about things that'll help you in your field, which is why we recommend GS and Econ. Not only do you look more attractive on a resume with something that shows how 'diverse' your fields are study of are, but says to your prospective employer that you can pull double-duty, but it can help you get a better read on what your employer wants of you via their reactions.

About academia - Yes, they do care, though sometimes you have to make them. Try to tie your undergrad studies into your graduate degree; the more you can demonstrate how your knowledge applies to your studies, your studies apply to your application, and you can work well at x where x is the job applied to, the better.

Final thought - If you're wondering why I at least don't recommend doubling up in another Computer/Maths degree, it's because it says 'crippling overspecialization' to me as an employer. There's a Heinlein quote that sums up my reaction to that.

[Anonymous No.5042725]

In terms of synergy between degrees, physics is probably the best, with physical chem/surface science up there too. Math less than you'd think. I'd add on an art minor.

Your undergraduate education continues to be important in the sense that you may have taken a bunch of networking courses, but then your graduate degree was in distributed systems, and then you want a job in networking. Your graduate degree is unlikely to relate directly to the job you end up with.

[xor No.5042771]

>>5042725

physics if you're good at math

A social study if you're truly ambitious and wanting a steady income.
Be well-rounded, right?

[Anonymous No.5042795]

Math is probably the most useful and would also be the easiest to combine with I'd imagine.

If you want something more science-y than math though look into neuroscience. It has a surprising amount of relevance to computer science seeing as how the brain is basically just the most badass processor the universe has ever seen.

[Anonymous No.5042818]

>>5042666
>>5042700
I had a friend at McGill who thought about doing that, and took a women studies class our freshman year. He said if anything it just developed his misogyny because of how annoying and bitchy they are.
He got called a rapist by another student in the class discussion because he hooked up with a girl when she was drunk (so was he), and the professor supported his antagonist or at least did nothing to defend him.

[Anonymous No.5042823]

>>5042818
Actually if I recall correctly this might have even been a hypothetical scenario, but either way.

[Anonymous No.5042847]

>>5042818

No offense, but just because you had a friend who had that happen to them has no bearings on the degree itself. I gave my opinion as an employer. Your friend got drunk and hooked up with someone - I don't care what you call it, it's not an attractive quality among employees. Also, the fact he took a class and then called it off because "they" were annoying and bitchy doesn't suggest the qualities I'm looking for.

Whether it was hypothetical or not, I'm leery of scenarios like this because honestly, I hear this story a lot 'the poor guy who is being oppressed by the villainous they, who really wanted to pay his child support but needs this job'... Then doesn't show up to work and claims that it's because he doesn't like the atmosphere. Call it a knee-jerk reaction, but it's happened too often in my (anecdotal) experience for me to overlook it.

Back to the topic at hand - yeah, art or social science would also be great, and I'd jump on a hire who had a degree in neuroscience; I imagine if you wanted to grind that out, you'd be pretty much set for life though I have heard it's very research intensive; evaluate your burn-out level before going for it.

[Anonymous No.5042873]

compE you idiot

that way you can get a job

[Anonymous No.5042876]

And one last thought before I'm off for the night - regardless of what you decide on, don't do it if you know it'll cause you to spiral out in your main degree. Though it's really good to double up, you sound like you've already got a pretty good focus going - if you find yourself trying to bite off more than you can chew, it runs the risk of running you ragged.

From the diversity of answers on this thread, you can hopefully see how a plurality of choices can be useful to you, and how best to utilize them. Take what you're interested in, and dovetail it back into CS. If you decide on something and want follow-up, please feel free to post again. And again - good luck.

[Anonymous No.5042921]

OP here, thanks for all the input guys. /sci/ is probably the most brosome of all boards.

>>5042795
>>5042847

Sadly, my uni doesn't have a neuroscience program (I didn't even know neuroscience was an undergrad major). As for a social science, would German count? I've always loved the German language and culture and is the only other language I know more than a handful of words in.

[Anonymous No.5042970]

>>5042921

So glad I checked back before crashing - Languages are in huge demand. I have at least two regular German-speaking clients, and I'm in a rural area. If you're in a city or metro, language is great. Another advantage to it is that German (and Russian, and French) are used frequently - if you are getting CS, this gives you added hirability in terms of the fact you might be asked to deal with said customers or documents. Keep the former in mind if you prefer to work solo, though.

Also, I'm pretty sure UEdmonton had a Neuro undergrad, but I could be remembering wrong. Glad we could help, bro!

[Anonymous No.5042981]

Electrical Engineering

[Deaner's Left Nut !S0ooHAHDTU No.5042997]

>freshman undergrad here
>overly ambitious faggot
>graduate degree

lol

go fuck yourself