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

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.

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

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?

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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!