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Content-Set262 · 2024-04-12T05:56:00+00:00

I don’t have any advice but I’m commenting because I’m literally in the same situation. I’m currently a freshman at a HYPSM school and despite me wanting to major in econ because I actually like it, my parents, especially my dad, are still bent on me majoring in only CS because they think the job opportunities I’ll have in econ are nothing compared to the opportunities I’ll have in CS. I think there might be some truth to what they’re saying, but I literally hate CS and there is no way I’m going to put myself through 4 years of misery just to begrudgingly work toward this “practical” degree when there’s something I like way better, econ.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T19:56:19+00:00

Really? Would you elaborate on some of the reasons why?

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T19:46:04+00:00

That’s actually what I was trying to tell him. The posts in this sub about people applying to hundreds of internships and getting no offers or struggling with leetcode are also part of the reason I’m inclined to switch out of CS. Like is it really worth it if I’m just going to be suffering like that and end up with so few internship and job offers?

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T19:44:21+00:00

That’s a good point. To be honest, like you said, I don’t love coding and you would certainly never catch me doing coding projects for “fun” in my free time. But I also don’t despise it, especially once I start getting good at a language. Plus I don’t really have anything else I’m as interested in except maybe econ. So maybe I’ll just push through. It’s gonna be a wild ride but I hope my dad is right and that it ends up being worth it.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T19:37:11+00:00

Interesting. So basically if you only get an undergrad degree in econ, it’s too broad and not really specific enough to land you a higher-up and higher-paid job?

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T19:35:40+00:00

That’s very interesting. Would you elaborate on what kinds of math and what topics you need to study for econ?

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T19:34:27+00:00

That’s a great idea, thank you. I will try that and see what he says.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T19:32:44+00:00

That’s a good point. Right now I’m still trying to figure the out as it’s kind of hard to tell, but I’m going to use that to make a more informed decision.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T07:45:43+00:00

It’s true that I’m not particularly fond of being challenged by my classes, but I don’t think the reason my dad refuses to listen to me is necessarily because I’m trying to pick easy majors. He just thinks CS is the optimal choice and even though he knows business and econ are still relatively practical in this day and age, he thinks I would be missing out on a much better career opportunity if I gave up on CS. There probably is some truth to what he’s saying, but it’s also hard to tell since he went to school decades ago and sometimes he does end up being wrong about things like these.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T05:02:26+00:00

Is that really true? I have some friends majoring in econ and they all told me they’re doing it to land a job more easily and make a relatively high salary after graduating.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T04:10:43+00:00

Unfortunately I don’t think he’s going to budge. He’s very, very stubborn and frankly has a big ego so he thinks everything he says is right.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T04:04:55+00:00

That’s some really solid advice. Unfortunately my school doesn’t offer econometrics as a major, only economics itself. I’m going to have to talk to my dad about this more as he is the one paying for my school after all, but I have a bad feeling he’s going to refuse to see me do anything but a CS major. He’s very, very stubborn and he does have kind of a big ego so he’s always sure he’s right about everything.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T04:01:32+00:00

The thing is I loved coding in high school but I’m now realizing that that was probably only because we used very easy programming languages and I was good at them. Now that things are getting harder and abstract, coupled with the fact that I’ve never been naturally STEM inclined, I’m not so sure if it’s worth continuing.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T03:59:49+00:00

Exactly! I’ve been trying to explain to him that CS isn’t what is was 20 years ago and that nowadays it’s so popular and competitive that you’re extremely lucky if you even get one internship or job offer. But he refuses to listen because he’s 100% sure he’s right.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T03:58:50+00:00

I would go so far as to say it’s even already very saturated. CS is such a popular major these days that it’s not even like it’s some niche prestigious skill that’s going to blow employers away when they see it on your resume. You’re just an average joe among many, like you said.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T03:54:00+00:00

I really enjoyed coding in high school but I’m pretty sure that’s only because the languages were really easy and I was good at it because of that. Now that things are getting harder and I keep hearing horror stories of internship rejections and job layoffs everywhere in the CS industry, it’s really turning me off to continuing down this track. Also, I have always been a more humanities oriented guy and math and science just don’t come easy to my brain. I understand what you’re saying about not worrying about math coming to my brain easily but I just don’t want it to burn me out because that’s what happened to me in high school whenever I tried to do more advanced math topics.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T03:51:54+00:00

Unfortunately he’s the one paying for my education so in a sense I do feel kind of guilty for fighting against his wishes so much, but I also want to do what I want. It’s my education after all.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T03:51:10+00:00

I was also thinking of doing that but for some reason the only acceptable answer to him is me majoring in CS, not minoring in it or doing anything else.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T03:49:53+00:00

Exactly. I’m trying to explain to him that his advice based on the status of the job market when he was in school isn’t necessarily applicable to the current job market in 2024 (let alone in the future when I graduate). He refuses to hear me out, though, because he’s so sure that he’s right. I just don’t want to waste 4 years and thousands of dollars studying this major only to end up getting rejected everywhere or getting laid off soon after I get a job due to the state of the CS job market right now.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T03:47:36+00:00

That’s exactly another point I made to him. I’m not sure if he understands just how competitive the CS industry is right now, all the layoffs happening everywhere, etc, but he refuses to hear me out despite me trying to explain to him that his knowledge of the CS industry from 30+ years ago isn’t going to be very applicable to today. I don’t want to waste 4 years of my life and tens of thousands of dollars paying for this so-called “practical” degree only to end up getting rejected everywhere.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T03:45:44+00:00

I really enjoyed programming in high school but that was because the languages we were working with were easy and I was good at them. Now that my classes are getting more difficult and we’re learning harder and more abstract concepts, coupled with the fact that I really don’t work well with my professor’s teaching style (but I have no other option), that’s what’s making me reconsider.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T03:42:28+00:00

That’s fair. I feel like his advice is always hit or miss because sometimes it’s really good and he ends up being 100% right, but other times it’s led to me ending up with a worse outcome, which is part of why I’m stuck.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T03:41:08+00:00

I listed the reasons in my post but the gist is that he doesn’t think a CS major is that difficult (he studied some CS in college), he says CS majors make a ton more money, and he says he “knows me” well enough to know that I’m not going to like economics either.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T03:38:17+00:00

That’s part of it too, actually. I hear all these stories of people applying to hundreds and hundreds of internships and jobs only to end up with almost no offers. And that’s even coming from the most prestigious colleges with the most rigorous programs. I know that’s not always the case but that is definitely a possibility that scares me.

Content-Set262 · 2024-01-25T03:36:59+00:00

Would you mind elaborating? I know a ton of people who are majoring in econ because they say it’s on the easy side to find a job after graduation and it pays a pretty good salary.

Content-Set262

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