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How Good at Math Does a Programmer Need to Be? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 2 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/programming

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I'm working my way to a CS degree and am currently slogging my way through an 8-week Trig course. I barely passed College Algebra and have another Algebra and two Calculus classes ahead of me.

How much of this will I need in a programming job? And, more importantly, if I suck at Math, should I just find another career path?

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Depends on the career path. Some need only the very basics - for example in frontend development, you'll mostly use % and basic +/-.

tbh. Most of the useful programming related knowledge you'll learn at yoyr first job, not at uni.

The curriculum sometimes will force you to learn something unrelated to your career and it has multiple purposes:

People learn the fastest in the topic where they already know a lot. And the slowest where they know very little.

Learning stuff outaide of your comfort zone literally works out your brain. You learn to learn. And your thinking becomes more flexible.

You should not become somebody who is only good at one narrow singular task and a complete idiot at anything else.

You never know if it becomes useful later in life. So I suggest still trying to do your best at any topic. And studying more for the exams where you are not as proficient.

As to which career path to go for:

Don't be afraid to change midway, but make sure that you enjoy it. If you enjoy compsci, keep at it. (Or if you have student loan, put some more thought into the cost of switching).