Comment by joss82
14 years ago
"Going into physics was the biggest mistake of my life. I should've declared CS. I still wouldn't have any women, but at least I'd be rolling in cash."
This advice should be told to all high schoolers.
Well, at least male ones.
There really is no reason to earn an undergraduate degree in physics (as I learned the hard way). It is just as easy to get into a physics graduate program with an ECE or EECS degree plus a couple semesters of upper division quantum mechanics and maybe a semester of stat mech - and you have the option of getting a decent job instead.
A couple of the best programmers I've ever met majored in physics.
While I would like to think you were talking about myself, I'm guessing you're thinking of people more along the lines of Dennis Ritchie.
Or do both! I always cringe when I meet good programmers that have no understanding of what is going on at the hardware level.
Because knowing the hardware is, of course, essential to make a well-functioning CRUD app.
If the goal of a CS course is to teach how to make a well-functioning CRUD app, I despair!
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A physics degree can get you a mid-six-figure job as a quant on Wall Street.
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Yea perfect case in point. I graduate this Friday with a physics undergrad. Class of 33, 31 males. 2 females :(
Go into chemistry, instead. Lots of nice women. [Edit: It is also a cool subject. And you'll get access to lots of ethanol.]
Looks like I did well: studied physics and chemistry, got MS in physics and astronomy. Dropped out of PhD in astronomy — was already working as a programmer. To tell the truth I still feel sorry for not getting that PhD, but on the other hand I was not going to be an astronomer anyway, so what's the point.
I don't think it would have increased how many women you get by all that much either ;-)
Aren't they brutal to the grad students working as research assistants in the lab?
Where are they not brutal to grad students? (Depends on which country we talk about, afaik.)
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