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Graduating highschool and wanting to work as a programmer, advice? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) by [email protected] to c/programming

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I'm a junior in highschool and will be graduating next year, and the degree that makes the most sense to me is computer science. I've always loved using and tinkering with technology, and learning about it when I can.

I've taken the CS50p course as an introduction to coding, and have really enjoyed the problem solving nature of programming. I just don't know what the industry is like, and people keep saying the job market for CS majors is terrible. so I'm not 100% sure that a computer science degree would be right for me. any advice?

update: I've gotten a lot of good advice from comments and have decided to start a personal project of some sort, to test the waters and see if this is something I can do and enjoy as a hobby outside the CS50p course. thanks to everyone who responded!

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[–] FizzyOrange 5 points 3 weeks ago

Honestly I think the complaints about the job market are overblown. If you are good then there will always be a job for you somewhere.

If you've already tried programming and you enjoy it then it is a really great career. Crazy money (especially in the US) for low effort and low responsibility.

Just be aware that CS is usually a lot more theoretical than most programming. You'll be learning about things like Hoare logic and category theory. Tons of stuff you only really need in the real world if you're doing formal verification or compiler design.

Still, I kind of wish I did have that theoretical background now I am doing formal verification and compiler design! (I did a mechanical engineering degree.)

Also you don't need a CS degree to get a programming job. I did a survey of colleagues once to see what degree they had and while CS was the most common, fewer than half had one. Most had some kind of technical degree (maths, physics, etc.), but some had done humanities and one guy (who was very good!) didn't have a degree at all.

I wouldn't worry about the market. Maybe take a look at the syllabus for places you might apply to, e.g. here's the one for Cambridge. Also I guess an important question is what's the alternative? What would you do otherwise?