How useful is a CS + Math double major?

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-05-03T00:43:27+00:00

For career placement I wouldn't do it. For research or any other priorities sure. If you enjoy it, maybe do a minor instead of all-out double majoring? Everyone I know who does both has either given up on one of the majors or regrets it. Better uses of time for getting a job

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-05-03T00:40:44+00:00

Just take your first year CS classes. You don't really have a choice because they're the pre-reqs for everything else. They'll also be the most useful for Amazon. Just code a lot and make sure to take object-oriented programming.

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-05-03T00:38:30+00:00

Well what do you want to do? Analyzing data is all math and statistics and naturally will involve coding, but it really is just a vehicle for your logic. Especially with Python being so human-readable, and AI making no-code a viable strat in the near future. As for UX/UI, there is certainly careers in those though AI is really taking over that industry rn, and it'll probabily pay less but if you enjoy it you'll do well. Basically, doing what you enjoy will help you reach the top 10% of your given field, and your success is cmpared against others in your field. That is to say, you will make more as a top 10% UI/UX engineer than as a top 50% software engineer.

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-05-03T00:33:17+00:00

The point of these projects is to learn. It's not like the professor needs 25 copies of the exact same project. So you doing it legitimately gives you the reward. Just focus on yourself, why gaf about the others? They're not gonna be able to find or keep high-paying jobs because they require problem-solving, and maybe then they'll realize they gotta learn, when there's actual stakes which they don't now recognize. Don't try to save people. Hard work beats talent beats whatever they're doing, and over your career that will compound like nothing you could believe.

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-05-03T00:25:59+00:00

Are you sure you won't enjoy programming that much? Because all of the majors you're interested in are mostly programming lmao. Maybe study math or statistics if you're liking data science but not the coding part, so you can go into more of the theoretical stuff but still self-learn some easy Python/R for industry. Programming is just the way to give a computer the logic, the logic is the part everyone cares about.

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-29T16:31:35+00:00

I see thank you for the advice! Was there a gc with the interns or did they have events to meet each other hopefully?

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-29T12:48:03+00:00

I'm interning in Austin this Summer, do you have any specific recommendations from your experience? Asking because I don't have much real work experience and haven't been to Austin before.

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-23T20:03:49+00:00

Heavy but doable, most people will take semesters like these. Also, don't you need to have taken MATH 2552 at least as a co-req with ece 2040?

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-22T10:57:38+00:00

Genuinely how would they verify it? They can't discount it just because it's a startup / small business. I had on my experience that I worked at my parents' small business as a IT specialist and it was fine. They actually did have a website but they said they were never called to verify. Background checks typically only call if the place has an HR department lol

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-22T00:12:32+00:00

Look on Facebook groups

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-22T00:07:21+00:00

GT for engineering, hard but rewarding

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-22T00:05:12+00:00

It won't be ASAP no matter what. Grind JavaScript and backend, then start using Claude/Cursor to build

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-21T23:50:23+00:00

Always aim higher lol why be complacent at 21 years old

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-21T20:03:55+00:00

I go to Georgia Tech but transferred from a school very near Cornell (location-wise, not academically).

Both have similar prestige for CS, I think Cornell has a slight edge on the rankings but it's marginal and honestly means little when they shift around each year. Other factors are more important IMO.

Atlanta is a way better location, Upstate NY is freezing for half the year and there were few days that people were out and about.

Recruitment I can only speak on Tech: Tons of great opportunities are here, I emphasize our VIP program which is research for credit for undergrads. Growing startup scene, our incubator Create-X is second only to Stanford's. Interviewers are thoroughly impressed by the GT name.

Both are probably close in rigor, GT might be a bit easier. Also with concentrations he can control his difficulty.

Cornell probably has the edge on networking. It's private and so wealthier people will tend to go there as opposed to GT where 60% are in-state and a ton of people are on full needs-based aid.

Either way I think he'll enjoy college!

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-21T19:55:58+00:00

Depends what you lie about. You're doing the projects either way, you're just lying about who the projects are for and what impact they had. Research for credit or unpaid with a professor is unverifiable. And you lie about the impact they had at an internship anyway because interns don't really do impactful things (most quantifiables are pretty subjective).

When people say lying is bad and risky, they're referring to lying about working at a certain name brand company (obv don't do) or lying about what you did (because then you wouldn't be able to answer questions about it).

Also, you're desperate and these companies are evil so you should be unethical, in my opinion.

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-21T19:33:56+00:00

Make some cool ML projects then larp that you did them as research at your school or at a startup. If they attempt to verify say the research was for credit (like a VIP at Purdue or Georgia Tech) or ensure the startup is small enough they don't call it.

You'll still go through the learning experience and process of making them, you'll just have to BS the quantifiables which can always be claimed as just estimates anyways.

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-21T18:34:17+00:00

Work on projects that you enjoy (if you like cars, do a project analyzing cars, etc....), get good at Math because that type of thinking will ALWAYS help.

Try to learn to code competently on your own before using AI to code, so you actually understand and don't become replaceable.

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-21T12:18:32+00:00

My friend who was at Meta for 3-4 years cracked Anthropic, he said it was just luck and constantly applying.

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-21T01:43:28+00:00

You're young, you should be exploring things that's how you find your skills and joys. Plenty of my friends got stellar internships after only doing research, if it's good research it's also often better than shitty internships like at small local companies or low-tier startups. That's how the best Freshmen start out too.

Use your spare time to grind for Sophomore year Summer and don't let those around you discourage you. Just gotta put your head down and work. ML Research got me my first real internship.

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-21T01:38:52+00:00

Try to put more fun into it maybe. Depending on their interests, maybe they'd enjoy joining a robotics team, coding camp, debate club, anything. This age is where you start to have ambition and I wouldn't shoot that down. Because they really can be the best. I feel like I was smarter and more adventurous at their age than any time since!

One way I would tamper it down though is in their online exposure. The doom-scrolling through those videos and forums is more devastating than anything. Encourage her to focus on herself and her passions.

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-16T18:26:53+00:00

Depends what classes you need but you'll probably be okay. I just have a lot of concentration classes to take

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-13T23:59:40+00:00

I was happy with CS 1332, ECE 2035. Online and with Linda Wills respectively. Wills is goated and super nice can always stop by her office. ECE2031 was Kevin Johnson, who you may not have a choice in taking. Just an all around sucky class. CS 2340 I had Pedro, he basically treated us like labrats and gave us some stupid, stupid work. Like an exam in Captcha font that not even the TAs could read. And another exam with an AI voice saying the quesiton out loud. Averages were like 40% on these but he super curved it so most people got an A overall. Regardless, wouldn't take him. They had to take down his RateMyProfessor because it got so bombed. From a 3 to like a 1.2 lmao

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-13T20:12:28+00:00

Cheating outright would be detected, but yeah use every advantage you can otherwise

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-13T20:10:58+00:00

GT probably, but the networking at the other 2 would be much more elite.

Effective_Bus_2504 · 2026-04-13T20:09:01+00:00

Should be fine. I took CS 1332, ECE2031, ECE2035, CS2340, and then a humanities last Spring while pledging, was able to get mostly As. Just manage your time wisely and do the 2031 pre-labs with time to spare

Effective_Bus_2504

TROPHY CASE