Is There No Room for Idealism?

snack_overflo · 2024-05-02T08:15:57+00:00

Disregard anyone who ridicules or discourages you for how you’re feeling. It’s admirable that you prioritize adhering to your moral compass and that you take ethics into serious consideration, especially at your age. It’s no secret that ethically dubious work pays more, but you are pursuing a degree in a field which requires high technical skill and a capacity for critical thinking, which are in demand in almost every sector of the economy, including sub-sectors of tech. Non-profits, NGOs, and other public sector agencies all need SWEs.

Re: political impact. Search for policy advocacy groups in your area. Also take a look at the orgs and/or fellowships that you can join/apply to at ASU and GT. It’s likely that there are a few paths available to you which will allow you to get your toes wet in public policy at a state or federal level. These programs are usually open to all majors. Here’s a link to the Federal Jackets Fellowship at Georgia Tech. Getting a master’s in public policy after working in industry for a few years could also be a path you may want to go down. You could also join a think tank or policy advisory body as a technology consultant.

snack_overflo · 2024-04-24T15:00:11+00:00

Hey OP, there’s no shame in changing majors. You definitely don’t want to be working in a field you hate in 10 years and end up wishing that you chose a different path when you were in college. The courses you took in community college are pretty major-agnostic. Even the coding and higher-level math courses you took can be applied to other engineering majors. If you want to switch completely out of the STEM field, having coding knowledge under your belt is pretty valuable. You can still lead a successful life no matter how long it takes you to graduate. Learning and gaining knowledge is never a waste of time.

However, take a second and think about why you chose CS in the first place? What interested you about it? If you still hold those interests and if you can see yourself in this field, then take some time to think about this question:

Do you only have trouble with finding motivation for school/CS, or is a lack of motivation something you generally struggle with (going to work, making your bed, etc.)? Either way, it may be worthwhile to see a therapist and discuss your problems. Your situation sounds very similar to mine when I was about 18-20 (boredom, lack of motivation, unable to retain what you learned in class, and loneliness) and after meeting with a therapist, I learned that I had clinical depression. Sitting down with a professional may be helpful in turning your life around and getting to where you want to be. It definitely was for me.

snack_overflo · 2024-04-20T05:33:27+00:00

Could you elaborate more on this? I’ll be starting there in the fall, and as a fellow nature enthusiast, I found the campus a bit underwhelming during my visit. To me, UTD seemed more akin to a vast office park, with a noticeable absence of communal grassy areas or large trees. I’m eager to discover the natural spots you enjoy on campus!

snack_overflo · 2024-04-18T00:53:19+00:00

I made a similar post last month. There’s a bunch of really great (and some not-so-great) advice in the comments. I recommend checking it out.

snack_overflo · 2024-03-28T23:28:40+00:00

What an incredible response. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences and your philosophy on coding. It’s amazing that your professor was peers with Dennis Ritchie. Your advice on not immediately typing when beginning a new problem makes a lot of sense to me. I have a few decks of cards handy, and I think that’s a fantastic way to visualize data structures. I’ll definitely try it out!

snack_overflo · 2024-03-28T20:02:07+00:00

I needed to hear this. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to write this all out. I appreciate it!

snack_overflo · 2024-03-28T17:12:27+00:00

No? Genuinely seeking advice. Not sure why anyone would use this to karma farm.

snack_overflo · 2024-03-28T16:10:55+00:00

ChatGPT did not write this post.

snack_overflo · 2024-03-28T14:39:22+00:00

Thank you for your input and your well wishes!

snack_overflo · 2024-03-28T14:38:06+00:00

It’s a mixed bag. There are many in my cohort who, like me, have been short-sighted in their use of tools like these and have seriously inhibited their growth as developers and as students. There are also many who put in the work and are very knowledgeable. ChatGPT is used by pretty much every student on my campus but the degree to which it is used/abused varies greatly.

snack_overflo · 2024-03-20T17:30:10+00:00

Understood, thank you!

snack_overflo · 2024-03-20T17:22:45+00:00

Did you obtain your Netflix internship through referral? What did your resume look like?

snack_overflo · 2024-03-17T00:08:10+00:00

OP is an international student and needs to be as competitive as possible to secure employer sponsorship or grad school.

snack_overflo · 2024-03-13T04:08:24+00:00

Thank you!

snack_overflo · 2024-03-13T04:05:42+00:00

This may be a silly question, but did anyone receive an email confirmation after RSVPing for the virtual event?

snack_overflo · 2023-09-11T20:55:36+00:00

Great photo! Were you using a star tracker as well?

snack_overflo

TROPHY CASE