Some other potential career options include becoming a software engineer, business intelligence analyst or database administrator. Becoming a data scientist involves a major commitment of time and effort, so diving in head-first just because you think self-driving cars are cool is *not* a good reason to take the plunge. What is the difference between Computer Science and Computer Engineering? The increasing scope of computer science means you have plenty of choice in a wide variety of highly specialized areas. I guess that had dreams about me making it big in the Pharmaceuticals Industry, and constantly worried about my major providing me with a steady job. My course load that semester was probably the easiest I've had since I came to college. Now, two weeks into my internship, I can confidently say I definitely made the right decision, and I have no regrets about coming to Detroit this summer (I will probably say more about this in another post). However, although it seemed like life was going well for me, there was something that didn't feel right about life for me. Adam321 April 28, 2012, 10:00pm #1. I had always known previously that if I worked hard and studied, I could learn a lot and do well, but in the world of Computer Science, that is definitely not true. Second semester was very different for me, and was probably one of the craziest roller coaster rides I've ever been on. But at my school, it feels more like the Computer Engineering course is electrical engineering sprinkled with a few CS courses. I switched my major to Computer Science after my freshman year of college. Change of Major into and within the College of Engineering Current UCSB students in a non-engineering major, as well as students wishing to change from one engineering major to another, are welcome to apply after the satisfactory completion of a pre-defined set of coursework. The interview could not have gone better, and most of it was due to pure luck. We can think of the work of computer scientists as falling into three categories. Nuclear Engineering shares with EE a concern for electrical power >generation, automatic control, computer sciences and plasmas. I wish I could say that, but that's hardly ever the case. Unfortunately, my semester went off to a horrible start. I realized that I had never felt that way about a class so far, so I took it as a sign that maybe I could be a Computer Science major. In the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree, you will choose two Threads that will combine general computer science Even worse, after admitting to my boss that I was failing my classes and wasn't being able to put more effort on the application we were working on, he told me it would probably be better if I stopped working at the lab for a while. I still wanted something technical, so I considered a few majors. To change into another college, you should look at the website and follow the specific instructions, or contact the dean's office of the college into which you wish to be admitted. The material definitely wasn't that challenging. I also felt like I should have had a direction to pursue, and goals and ambitions. Furthermore, computer science is the only technical major that doesn’t produce more degree holders than there are jobs to absorb them. In fact, I specifically picked Berkeley for the amazing undergraduate program in the College of Chemistry. However after a month of indecision and confusion, it was time for me to go back to Berkeley for summer session C classes. I was simply doing many of those things because I thought they were the right thing. My interviewer was very interested in those, and didn't seem to mind my lack of experience in programming. Even more surprising, he offered me the chance to work on their android application, and I gratefully accepted. However, it was the culture which discouraged me. Here I was, already a sophomore in college, with almost no skills and will probably be stuck in the catch where I can't get work experience because I don't have skills or experience, but I can't gain the experience without work, the most dreaded cycle. In fact, my interviewer was interested in me mostly because of my previous work with Alivisatos' lab. Computer technologies are integral to modern life, so you’re likely to find your computer science … It always helps to learn Computer science plus whatever other field you are interested in. Now that the LEP is in place the process of adding Computer Science as a second major or degree will be the same as if you were declaring your first major. I never understood why the idea of programming and tech scared me, but it did. See Change of Major … After a lot of convincing from my boyfriend and parents, I finally decided to drop physics 7B, quit my research job, and enroll instead in CS61A. It’s too bad few of us use many data structures … The entire month, I was constantly worried, frustrated, and confused. Will the computer science minor come under the LEP gateway requirements? On the surface, I'm one of the classical representations of a stereotypical Berkeley student who was raised in the bay her entire life. CS61A was one of the most intimidating yet rewarding experiences I've had at Berkeley. I entered freshman year of college confident about being a Chemical Engineering major, and going into either pharmaceuticals or alternative energy, two things I'd always been extremely passionate about. "Computer science spans a wide range, from its theoretical and algorithmic foundations to cutting-edge developments in robotics, computer vision, intelligent systems, bioinformatics, and other exciting areas. Luckily while simultaneously struggling through the Chemistry 4 series and Physics 7 series, I did find one thing I fell in love with halfway through freshman year. As long as you choose your courses wisely, any of our undergraduate degrees can thoroughly prepare you for applying to medical school â€” and for other academic and career opportunities too.Any undergraduate science degree from McGill University in any discipline can serve as a stepping stone to a medical career. On the other hand, IT professionals focus more on using technology to support business goals while frequently interacting with others to help solve tech issues either over the phone, in person or via email. I went into the semester determined to have a good time. My dreams and ambitions seemed preset for me. "I'm a Computer Science major." Georgia Tech Computing is a Top 10 program in computing education and research. That was probably the most difficult part of my past year, with many emotional break downs, tears, and frustrations. He said that he had liked my design work and wondered if I would be willing to do graphics and design work for a lab at Lawerence Berkeley. Chemical Engineering is probably one of the majors with the most requirements, and I knew that once I made the decision to quit, there was no going back. I downloaded Creative Cloud for the first time, and absolutely fell in love with Adobe's design software. However, due to the current demand for engineering majors, students are cautioned that it is a very It’s a simple answer, really. It is really a question of gifting and you should not despair if you are one of those people. Everything went perfectly and I fell in love with Computer Science, and here I am now, living the dream with a prestigious internship at a big name tech company. I probably had some of my highest highs that semester, and some of the lowest of lows. P.S. The realization suddenly hit me that I had no network, no job experience, and close to no skills pertaining to the tech industry. If you take some computer programming classes and really love writing code then that is the best for you. If you wish to change majors out of Computer Science and into another major within the College of Natural Sciences, set up an appointment with an advisor for the major you wish to declare. Coincidentally, today I also got my major application form accepted, and I am officially a Computer Science major at UC Berkeley. However, I don't have a lot of CS related activities, so I think I would have a better chance at getting into Georgia Tech if I apply to major in something in the College of Engineering or the College of Sciences. A major is not a life sentence either. Students selecting this joint major program have two Faculty Advisers, one from NE and one from EECS. I Want to Change My Major or Choose My Major: Don't rush into a major just because everyone asks you "what is your major?" It's also never too late to discover new passions or pick up a new skill or area of interest, because you might have a life changing year the why I did and looking back, I promise you won't regret it. Of course the whole process was not as simple as I made it out to be, I still pulled late nights to study, envied some of the students who could ace tests without watching lecture, and had moments where I wanted to give up, stay in my comfort zone, and just keep doing Chemical Engineering. I grew up less than a few miles away from Apple Headquarters and went to a high school that was roughly 90% asian with mostly students of similar backgrounds. This made the most sense to me in the end, because I had already finished most of the engineering and math pre-requisites (in case I still wanted to do Industrial Engineering or Chemical Engineering or Statistics). I just always thought I wasn't smart enough to be part of such a fast paced world, and was determined to find something else I could be good at. I had finally gotten my life on track and had an opportunity to succeed and break into the technology industry, but I had taken everything and thrown it away. We offer an innovative curriculum with dedicated, world-class faculty. I had been used to the rigid requirements of 4 technicals a semester from Chemical Engineering, and switching to only 2 technicals in a semester felt like such a blessing. To my pleasant surprise, he replied by offering me an interview. He also gave me an email to contact. I can still remember trying to build my resume for a career fair and being on the verge of tears because I genuinely could not think of anything to put on it. The Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) is committed to providing an excellent education and learning environment for our students. Campus health and safety are our top priorities. During the semester, I discovered a field I didn't even know existed before coming into college: Design. It is just a concentration that proves you can focus energies and apply yourself. I ended up signing the UX Design job with General Motors first, and didn't want to renege, but I was excited because this meant I was a step closer to making my dream of becoming a designer true. I've never felt like more of a failure in my life. Instructional Continuity and working from home, Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence. Of course I ended up signing up for CS61B, once again after many "strong suggestions" from both my parents and boyfriend. Many times during that period, my mind was completely dominated by what-ifs. The field of computer science is experiencing an explosion of growth not seen before, and the number of students wishing to major in the field has reached all-time highs. One day, after coming home and opening Facebook to mindlessly surf social media and waste some time after a difficult day of classes, I got a message from a complete stranger. Reply. The EECS/NE joint major combines the traditional EE program with one in the nuclear sciences. I'm really glad I was able to overcome those two months emotionally, because right when I had no idea what to do, a stroke of good luck and opportunity presented itself to me. And ideally, computer engineering is a major which brings those two together. Of course, not everything was perfect, I still struggled in classes, I was still envious of many of my peers who had internships in the bay at prestigious companies, and I still had many moments of feeling the imposter syndrome and inadequacy. They design and implement software. Just a small comment about computer science. Although I never began a research position, I had helped a graduate student out with a few of their publications and made a few schematics for some of their research. Never underestimate your ability, as cheesy as it sounds is definitely a concept that sounds simple, yet really is important. I guess in other words, I just got fired from my first job. Also for some reason, I understood data structures very easily along with most of the other topics taught during CS61B, and my struggles seemed to shift from doing well in my classes into bigger problems. Remember, Statistics or Economics are no easy majors either. I am determined that my ability to program and my feelings of adequacy should only depend on myself. Majors like Biology, Business Management, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, English, History, Political Science … Computer science programs introduce students to different programming languages, methods for developing software applications and issues related to computer technology, such as hacking. After all, without that confidence and belief in myself, I wouldn't be able to catch up. Here's an example: Imagine you are a computer science major who has already completed four or five semesters of software development courses, and suddenly you realize that your true passion lies in the theater. Students considering a change of major to computer science must have a GPA of at least 2.75 in all computer science and math courses, and successfully completed one of CS 112 or CS 211, and one of MATH 113, MATH 114 or MATH 125, with a grade of B or better. For me, the jump from high school to college wasn't even that bad, but the jump from Chemical Engineering classes sure was! Eventually, I managed to overcoming the learning curve in Computer Science, and I began to do well on the midterms, and I actually enjoyed the projects and homework assignments. Every day felt like a whirlwind of confusion fueled by feelings of inadequacy. For the first time in my life, I felt like I wasn't on an even playing ground with the rest of the students in the class. If you like the designs, follow me on Dribbble. Yes, computer science is probably the major that would make me more money, and yes, it’s important to be proactive about your future and … Sometimes I regretted not just staying in Chemical Engineering, sometimes I wish I had picked a different major, and in crazier moments, I even wondered what life would have been like if I went to art school. At this point in the semester, I didn't think things could get worse, and I was extremely confused, lost, and disappointed in myself. Sophomore year presented an entirely different set of struggles to me, and coursework was probably the least of my struggles. Students will have to complete the gateway requirements, apply to the LEP and be reviewed. On the other hand, I had no idea what major I would even want, and I didn't want to end up as an upperclassman having taken almost every weeder class at Berkeley yet unable to declare a major. I'd gone to summer camps in high school for chemistry, gone to conferences promoting alternative energy, done research in a biochemistry lab. Needless to say my Asian parents were not happy with my sudden switch in major. It's Never too Late: How I switched majors from Chemical Engineering to Computer Science Published on June 21, 2016 June 21, 2016 • 66 Likes • 13 Comments Report this post In contrast, I had many friends, especially the girls I lived with who genuinely loved all of their classes, research, and activities. The 3 Main Ways To Decide Between Computer Science and Cybersecurity is: The kind of undergraduate cybersecurity programs surrounding your area. I felt like I should have been excited to go to class in the morning, and excited to learn about the content in my classes. I guess this was me telling myself, alright I'll give computer science a try. In contrast with the 61B material, the 61C material was much more difficult for me conceptually, and everything seemed to be going downhill. Every accomplishment, experience, and skills I had held previously seemed to vanish. I recently got into USC as a computer science major but I wanted to know the steps I would need to switch to Computer Science and Business Administration. At first, I was really worried because it was going to be taught by the notorious Paul N. Hilfinger, but back then I was too naive to know that getting Hilfingered on a project was probably the least of my struggles with Computer Science and Sophomore year. It may be harder, and it may not be as good a job, and you may have less CS/coding experience/knowledge than. Hi, Jason. A month after my Sophomore year has ended and two and half weeks into my first internship experience, I can't say I don't feel the imposter syndrome of Computer Science anymore because I definitely sometimes still do, but I can say that I really am happy and I definitely made the right decision a year ago when I enrolled in CS61A. At this point, I realize it may sound like I was coaxed into this major by my parents but, that's not entirely true. That phrase is still so hard for me to say out loud sometimes, because I don't know if part of me is still in disbelief. However, I did feel any of those things. I couldn't keep up with the work in the decal, and had to pick up a TA position for another decal to be over the 13 unit minimum. In high school, this mentality carried on, and several times, I've considered learning a bit of programming, but I've always thought that everyone was so ahead of me already, and there was no point in learning because I'd be so behind. I was already a quarter way through college, have never written a single line of code in my life, and had struggled with my MatLab class last semester. You would be an internal transfer, so you will need to talk to the Viterbi School of Engineering about their process. BA to BSc transfers must have at least one completed course from each of the four disciplines of the science profile completed Some programs may require a higher GPA or additional requirements Have at least 24 Concordia credits on record Credited courses with grades of C- or higher will transfer into the new degree/program For me, the few career fairs I attended were as successful as I hoped they would've been, and I got offered interviews from quite a few companies. And this realization hit me hard. Medical schools are interested in diverse applicants with diverse backgrounds, and they are particularly open to applications from students with non-biomedical science undergraduate degrees. I still remember my friend then telling her about my internship with General Motors, and her response was simply "I feel so sorry for you.". Many of them openly wonder why I would switch from Computer Science to a humanities major. Second semester Sophomore year was when I had a huge realization and finally began to feel like I belonged more in the world of CS. Unlike Chem 4A where I felt supported by my classmates who all struggled with me, I constantly felt I was behind everyone else in CS61A. Their opinions definitely had impact on me, but in the end, if I didn't enjoy CS61A, I wouldn't have made the decision I did. Even to this day, I'm grateful that they were always there to remind me of my potential and abilities and telling me not to give up. Thinking back, I'm still amazed how different my life has become in the short span of a year. I would ask you to stick to your major and persevere for the time being. I never thought of it as a process, nor have I thought of it as bridging an important gap between the business strategy team and the software development team in a product's lifecycle. 4 Steps to Earning a Master’s in Computer Science for Non-CS Majors 1. I was only taking 12 units of real class, and I was excited to learn iOS development with the decal, and I was hoping I could have some extra time to spend on learning design because  I had neglected design a lot the last semester. I also did my first coding challenge, and had a taste of what coding interviews were like. Not having a background in computer science shouldn’t deter you from pursuing a master’s degree in the field, Hescott says. That moment, I didn't feel ashamed, I felt proud and enraged. In fact, the tech culture was always daunting to me. However, my parents seemed to be delighted at my sudden interest in technology, and after hearing about the prestigious internship family friends had gotten at the big name tech companies, wanted to push me into technology too with hopes I would eventually get there. Eventually, after taking my first chemistry class I thought I had found something I was genuinely interested in. On a pure whim, I emailed the person a copy of my resume, my design portfolio, and my LinkedIn, not expecting much because of how little substance I had on those.