What do I need to know for a Computer Science Career?

[orionscode]

Hello all. I am 16 years old and I am a junior in highschool. I Love computers I am A+ certified I can network I know alot about Linux and windows and yes I can program in VB6, Pascal, and I am learning vb.net and C.

What I am wanting to ask is I love to program and have thought about a career in Software Engineering or Computer Science. I would rather have Software Engineering but I like them both so it don't matter. I need to now if I have to very good at math to have a career in one of these fields. I can math like algebra and geometry and stuff but when it comes to trig and calculus I dont think I can do that. I really need to know what I need because I graduate HS in 1 year and I need to know if I need to start looking into another field. I hope not because I really love to program and would like somewday to run my own programming business.

Thank yall for all of yall's help and i hope to talk to you again.

[Rashakil Fol]

If you can't learn trigonometry and calculus, I don't think you'll be able to get through a bachelor's in college, no matter what your degree is, since most require calc as part of the general education requirements. Though universities do have different definitions of what constitutes having 'learned' calculus...

Also, 'math' is not a verb.

Third, if you're good at writing interesting computer programs, then you're good at math. You might not be inclined to find it interesting, but I see the two abilities as inseperable. Trigonometry and calculus are simple relative to writing any decent piece of software, and if it doesn't seem this way, it's the fault of your teacher. Trigonometry is part of geometry, after all, and so is calculus. Your math teachers are probably making the mistake of looking at the subjects too abstractly, or by enforcing rote learning of at-first-incomprehensible things like trig identities -- as if anybody ever needed to know them in high school.

The main benefit of mathematics courses in computer science (or maybe software 'engineering') curriculums is that good mathematics classes (if you're lucky enough to be in one) teach students to attack problems from many different angles, as if it were of second nature. Also, the ability to think abstractly is an important byproduct -- but just so you know, nobody really thinks abstractly, they all fake it. The actual content of the courses is largely irrelevant, except for some particular subjects, like discrete math.

The ability to attack problems from different directions is what is important, and where you get that ability is not.

By the way,
Are you in the trig part of your curriculum right now?

[webmasts]

What is the best way to attack any math such as colllege algebra, calc and geometery?

[server_crash]

I'll have to agree with Rashakil on this one. Math is extremely important. A few years back I would have told you that math is just worthless crap you will never use, but once you get into the more strenuous classes you'll see the real importance of it. I have the first 6 chapters of calculus right now and it's really taught me a lot. You'll be able to solve programming problems more logically and easily.

[Rashakil Fol]

What is the best way to attack any math such as colllege algebra, calc and geometery?

People who do poorly in math tend to stare at problems and say "I don't know how to do this," without trying anything. People who do well in math think, "What if I try this?" where 'this' is something totally arbitrary. Problem solving is a guess-and-check game. After enough experence guessing and checking, human beings tend to become good at guessing what "this" is when dealing with similar problems, and those that do very well at it end up looking like geniouses.

The easiest way to fall behind in math classes is to go through the motions of solving a problem without deeply understanding what's going on. It's better to work harder early in the semester than late, especially in math classes. If you don't, you'll get by for a few weeks, but then you'll reach some point where you really need to understand what is going on, or you'll suffer. I fell into that trap this semester; last week I ended up having to blow off two weeks' homework assignments and about 18% of my course grade.

Things can become really difficult if you have a bad teacher, though. At that point, you could fall back on your textbook, but many math textbooks SUCK.

You should use the word 'college' more carefully online; in some places it means university; in others it means high school or middle school; and I don't know which you mean.

[vegaseat]

Too many highschool math teachers fail to inspire their students, presenting math in a dull and boring manner. If you have one of those teachers, not all is lost! Go to self-action!

Ask some of your peers, that do well in math, about what makes math interesting to them.

Go to the library and study some "fun with math" books, join a math club. Find a tutor, maybe a college kid in your neighborhood! I know all that might make you a geek, but better a geek than an oaf! Don't fall too far behind!

[ANGELMICHEAL]

what is all i need to know about computer to be a good, successful and professional expert in computer science and engineering .. I will likee um to reply me though this mail <email removed> thanks

I am Micheal........

[Netcode]

Rashakil's instance is a good one to note. If you love and know maths, then you must always try and try again until you get the solution, no matter how difficult the question may be. That's the way Computer science is in genereal.
So simply put, you need courage, strength, determination and knowledge.

[Rinata11]

I am very interested in the field of Computer Science. I don't have any degrees or experience in the field, but the field somehow fascinates me. I am very good in math, very analytical, I like numbers, solving logical problems and stuff like that. In school I was very good in algebra, but geometry gave me a heartache :( I see in the pre-requisite classes at colleges and Universities' programs, there are classes such as Calculus I & II w/Analytic Geometry © MAC 2311 & 2312 (or MAC 2281 & MAC 2282). Analytic Geometry sounds interesting, but I was never good in Geometry in grade school...so, I have NOOOO basic knowledge of it whatsoever...will I have problems studying this degree with no PRIOR major knowledge of Geometry? Also, physics I did not like, either and chemistry...but I can take them up at college...Can you, also, please, tell me if there is anything you really had to be good at at grade school to start learning Computer Science? Thanks a lot!!

[ChrisHunter]

I'd be a fool to say that math isn't extremely important in the fields your interested in. However 've recently graduated from university with a 2.1 BSC in Software and System development (second highest) and my maths isn't very good. On the other hand this is reflected by the fact that i only got a 2.1 and not a first class. it's also good to keep in mind that many companies in the field often make potential employees take math tests (in England at least).

[Rashakil Fol]

I am very interested in the field of Computer Science. I don't have any degrees or experience in the field, but the field somehow fascinates me. I am very good in math, very analytical, I like numbers, solving logical problems and stuff like that. In school I was very good in algebra, but geometry gave me a heartache :( I see in the pre-requisite classes at colleges and Universities' programs, there are classes such as Calculus I & II w/Analytic Geometry © MAC 2311 & 2312 (or MAC 2281 & MAC 2282). Analytic Geometry sounds interesting, but I was never good in Geometry in grade school...so, I have NOOOO basic knowledge of it whatsoever...will I have problems studying this degree with no PRIOR major knowledge of Geometry? Also, physics I did not like, either and chemistry...but I can take them up at college...Can you, also, please, tell me if there is anything you really had to be good at at grade school to start learning Computer Science? Thanks a lot!!

"Analytic geometry" when part of the title of a calculus course is simply referring to geometry with the use of the Cartesian coordinate system. In other words, the course is about calculus. Aspects relating to "analytic geometry" include the finding of areas of regions on the plane (whose edges are described by functions), the finding of volumes of rotationally symmetric figures (described as a rotation of a function about the x-axis or y-axis), the finding of perimeters or lengths of curves, and of course the computing of slopes of curves.

For example:

You'll be able to compute that the area between the curves y=x^2, x=5, and y=0, is 125/3.

You'll be able to compute that the slope of the tangent line to the curve y=sin(2x) at the point (a, sin(2a)) is given by the formula 2cos(2a).

With enough creativity, you could prove that the (infinitely long) region between the graphs of y=0 and y=e^(-x^2) has area equal to sqrt(pi).

None of this involves Euclidean geometry, it's algebraic in nature. For example, for none of these problems would you bother drawing a picture. If you showed your work, it would look like this:

int(0..5) x^2 dx = [x^3/3](x=0..5) = 5^3/3 - 0^3/3 = 125/3.

d/dx [sin(2x)] = d/dx [2x] cos(2x) = 2cos(2x). So.. 2cos(2a).

int(-inf..inf) e^(-x^2) dx = sqrt[int(..) e^(-x^2) dx int(..) e^(-y^2) dy] = sqrt[int(..) int(..) e^(-x^2-y^2) dx dy] = sqrt[int(0..2pi) int(0..inf) r e^(-r^2) dr dtheta] = sqrt[2pi int(0..inf) r e^(-r^2) dr] = sqrt[2pi [-e^(-r^2)/2](0..inf)] = sqrt[2pi [-e^(-inf)/2 - -e^0/2] = sqrt[2pi [-0/2 - -1/2]] = sqrt[2pi * 1/2] = sqrt(pi).

See? It's quite simple and straightforward.

[jonywags]

Don't go another field if you have interest in Computer science, To become a Software engineer or Programmer you should be strong in Mathematics. Read Calculus book and Practice so much questions as you can.
I recommended Robert Anton Wilson - Calculus 5th Edition.

[itexamstube]

i appreciated your skills and you have chosen the right line for your career,best of luck.

[rubberman]

I am a senior systems engineer for a tier-one mobile phone company. I do systems and performance engineering to support 100M+ customers world-wide. What do I look for in new hires for my team? Math skills, networking knowledge, network management protocols, Linux system programming, ability to think "outside of the box". C++ and Java are nice, but basic problem-solving skills are more important, IMHO. FWIW, a senior engineer at our company will earn today well over $100K per year, plus a performance bonus of up to 30% of their base pay.

And if you want to know why the math skills? Well, for a performance engineer, the ability to apply math to failure prediction can pay off in a major way. That is what I am working on right now, so we can analyze performance and system load trends in real time in order to determine when we will "hit the wall", and then provide the means to alleviate the incipient system failure. This means that I need people with the ability to apply differential calculus to real-time data. I had to do that at a previous position writing real-time risk analysis software for the options trading industry (stock market derivatives). That position required 3rd order differential equations to compute the "greeks" - risk factors in options/derivatives. Guess what? This is exactly what is needed in our systems for performance/failure predictive analytics.

[PrinceBabyJesus]

I am a 14years old boy and i am in Junior High School.I love computer science.there are two aspect of computer science that i fine interest in 'computer Programming and software developer' what are the main things i need.I am good in Maths and Science.

[rubberman]

At this point, find something you are passionate about that you can apply your interest in computer software development to. My grandson (now 18) is passionate about aircraft design, both fixed wing and rotary. He designs and builds remote and computer guided craft and does all of the systems programming for their control systems, incorporating wireless controls, GPS, and inertial guidance systems. If they lose contact with the base station, he has programmed them to use the GPS or inertial guidance systems to return to base and land on their own. Doing this, he has learned to program down to the kernel device driver level, as well as higher level functions. His stuff is so good that he has to get a government export license to take any of them out of the country... :-)

[transapan]

Study hard and scheduling algorithms

[RiddoKun]

I'm in a BA/BS Computer Science major and currently your going to at least have to know up to Calculus 2, linear algebra(fancy way of saying Calc 3), and Statistics. Doing some internships outside of school; your really going to need advance math. And yes in the US (at least in N/S Carolina) they do test their employees in Math and ethnics before hiring. Just know, no matter what college you go to there will ALWAYS be tutoring and 1:1 sessions with your professors.
In my honest opinion if you want to go into a programming field that doesn't require much math take Security Information Systems or Software Designing/Developing

[Rashakil Fol]

> linear algebra(fancy way of saying Calc 3)

LOL, linear algebra is not the same thing as "Calc 3".

> and Statistics.

LOL no.

> Doing some internships outside of school; your really going to need advance math.

Nope.

> And yes in the US (at least in N/S Carolina) they do test their employees in Math and ethnics before hiring

Ethnics? No. You mean ethics? Still no.

Math? Generally nope.

Programming? Yes.

[moiseskline]

I think it would help if you understood basic Math. But as far as I know while studying computer science, courses in logic and statistics are covered. I’m currently reading some California College San Diego testimonials because I’m interested in pursuing a degree in CS myself; and what I’m doing is reading the course structure of every program to see if it fits my interests and requirements- I think you should do the same when reviewing colleges and their programs.

[ThatGuyEli]

I agree with Mr.Rashakil Calc III and linear algebra classes are very different (I ended up having to take both since I double majored in CS and CIS). My advice to the question: don't sweat it kid you have another year of high school to get good and even if you don’t the amount of help you can receive at a university is quite extraordinary. As long as you’re willing to work hard and you don't have any learning disabilities you should do fine in any field in college.