You’ll find that computer science is an elective subject in most colleges, elementary schools and high schools nowadays. However, an increasing number of these educational institutions, at least at the entry level, expect all applicants, to have done an introductory course, in computer science, in order to get in. In today’s society, we depend more and more on computer technology. Whether it’s at work or in school, to socialising, having some understanding of the computer system, how to get it to do the things you want it to do, is becoming essential, for basic daily life.
With computer science, you’re taking things to the next level. So many people are interested in majoring in computer science, so they can take that knowledge and pursue a career in a lucrative position in engineering, business, health care or some other field.
If computer science is something that interests you, then it’s highly recommended, that you start to learn this stuff, as soon as possible. You should be able to do a few classes of computer science, even at your high school, and the vast majority of accredited colleges, will have both graduate and undergraduate degree programs in both programming and computer science. Whichever path you choose to go down, one thing is for sure, and that is that learning computer science is challenging, which means it will take a whole lot of study and dedication.
Below you will find a number of tips that you can and should adopt, when opting to study computer science.
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Learn Math
Math is an integral subject of computer science. If math isn’t your thing, then you’re going to find computer science very difficult. A software engineer will utilise math when working on algorithms, for example. A hardware engineer will rely on discrete math and automata theory when developing circuitry boards and other such components. A computer scientist is expected to use statistics and probabilities, which are math-based, when carrying out comparisons and measurements. Even a game programmer is expected to use math, when creating 3D graphics. If computer science is of interest to you, then you’re going to have to learn math.
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Give Yourself Enough Time to Meet Deadlines
It’s highly advisable that you complete your work, way before any deadlines, ideally a week before. Otherwise, it will wear you out, and your work, specifically your code, will not work, and you may end up failing your assignments.
When studying in the field of computer science, it’s expected that you will have to work throughout your semester, because you may need adequate time in order to grasp certain things, to discover way things aren’t working as they should. So it’s recommend you work all the way through your semester. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take breaks from time to time, it just means that you should be constantly learning, throughout the entire year. This way you can be certain you’ll get better.
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Remember To Have a Life
If you opt to take up a degree programme in computer science, you may find the task rather daunting, as you are forced to learn more than you ever have, and to study for far longer. But you should never forget to have a life. Have some fun, go out with friends, travel, and get involved in student activities.
Your studies are very important, but there are other things to life, that you should never forget about. When you take the time to go out and relax, you refresh your mind, which can increase your productivity, in turn helping you get better grades. So relax from time to time.
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Make Sure You Have a Strong Foundation
You probably already have some idea of the area of computer science that interests you most, so it can be very tempting to get stuck right in, and specialise in that area. But you should be very cautious. You don’t want to specialise in a field, only to later change your mind. In some universities, you might start off with an introduction core subject, which you can do, before deciding on what path to specialise. When you start from a broader arena, it puts you in the best position to specialise, this way you can be certain you’re choosing the best field for yourself. It also will ensure you choose a field that will give you the widest career path.
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Learn As Much As You Can
Programming is one of the most fundamental aspects of computer science. But, learning how to write, is equally as important, for success in this field. For example, when programming, you’re expected to write code, this code will need to be backed up with comments, so that other programmers can look at it and determine what it’s supposed to do. On the surface, this may seem like nothing, and for the most part it is. However, for you, it’s crucial you’re able to do your job right, which means including comments that are clear and consistent, as it will increase the value of your code, as well as make you more employable.
If you decide to go down the path of software engineering, then you will be expected to write specifications, requirements and tests plans, in addition to all you’re coding. As you get bigger and bigger in your career as a computer scientists, you may also be tasked with creating research papers, technical reports and more.
If you want to be a successful computer scientist, then you must learn to master programming, but you must also know how to write. So make sure you take adequate time to learn how to write, as you study computer science.
–AUTHOR INFO—
Uchenna Ani-Okoye is a former IT Manager who now runs his own computer support website https://www.compuchenna.co.uk.
