Confusion about which field to choose

[sreejithbabu]

I am a 2nd Year undergraduate Computer student. The problem I am facing is I don't know which fields are suitable for me. I like programming a lot and networking too.
Moreover, I don't know the fields that comes under Computer Science. I am sorry, if that sounded stupid.
I wanted to continue in a field that I would like to continue.
Most of my friends, have decided their field to specialise in and they have started doing projects on it.
Please help me out.

[maceman]

Hi Sreejithbabu, nice to meet you :D
Why don't you ask your friends, they should know at least that field they've decided.

[sreejithbabu]

Hi Sreejithbabu, nice to meet you :D
Why don't you ask your friends, they should know at least that field they've decided.

Hi! Nice to meet you too.
Most of my friends have taken fields like graphics and web designing. Some of them haven't decided like. I haven't talked to ohters about it. Do you know where I could get some guide or reference to find out about it?

[Tellalca]

If you like programming and you believe that you will be good at it then I'd go for it.

A good programmer can learn about every aspects of a computer. For example a good programmer can become a web designer easily( I dont mean using PS or another design program, they have nothing to do with CS ).

I didnt understand what do you mean by network but you can be a network programmer too :)

[sreejithbabu]

If you like programming and you believe that you will be good at it then I'd go for it.

A good programmer can learn about every aspects of a computer. For example a good programmer can become a web designer easily( I dont mean using PS or another design program, they have nothing to do with CS ).

I didnt understand what do you mean by network but you can be a network programmer too :)

What do you mean by a network programmer?

[jwenting]

what the heck are you doing studying CS if you don't even know what it is?

[sreejithbabu]

what the heck are you doing studying CS if you don't even know what it is?

I am sorry. I thought I could get some help.
No problem, I will find out myself.

[finito]

Computer Science is the software Aspect of the Computer to sum it up in one line.

CS involves studying the structure, mechanization and expression of algorithms.

Its like Geometry on steroids.

[griswolf]

You might want to think about some other things than just the course work and the kind of work itself. For instance:

Some companies, and particularly if you work in the internal IT department, the job will be a lot of very urgent (probably small) problems that need to be fixed right now, not much time to think about the best way or future maintenance, though you do have a chance to gradually make things better. Some jobs, on the other hand, put a premium on getting everything exactly right, taking a lot of time for planning, lots of documentation etc. And of course, lots of jobs will be somewhere in between.

Some jobs demand that you solve the problems that are already there (technical support). Some demand that you invent good problems to solve (professor, inventor). Some will have nearly irrelevant requirements (necktie for programmer at a bank) that may or may not annoy you.

Some jobs will have a very structured schedule, some will be much looser. Some may want a lot of overtime (some of them want it always, some only during a "death march" to release).

If you enjoy the people you work with as people, then you will find you enjoy the job better. You should 'take some people to lunch' from various fields and see if you enjoy the conversation, personality type etc. Your school may have a program to help do that (mine actually paid part of the cost of a restaurant meal if I took a professional to dinner).

You should absolutely take any opportunity to work as an intern; and you should try to do it with as many different kinds of work as possible. Not only do you learn about the kinds of jobs there are, but you also get something for your resume and you get a nice extended interview with a company that you may want to work for... or not.

You will probably have quite a few jobs over the course of your career, maybe even changing quite radically (I have been a self employed building contractor, a baker and a programmer, working for hourly wages, salary; as an employee and as a contractor). The most important thing you get from your education is a sense of who you are, an understanding of how to work, and how to learn the next thing efficiently, and perhaps connections with people to help you in your later life. Your first job is important, but not as important as your ability to take the next step over and over again.