[HN Gopher] Reflections on my journey into computer science
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Reflections on my journey into computer science
Author : kugurerdem
Score : 42 points
Date : 2023-09-23 13:17 UTC (1 days ago)
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| hiAndrewQuinn wrote:
| This was quite a good essay. It's always fun to read someone else
| who also had a lifelong interest in programming but decided to
| major in a different subject. I did electrical engineering in my
| case - later Haskell got me good enough into abstract algebra
| that I tacked on a math minor as well. I often worry whether the
| EE degree disqualifies me in the eyes of employers from being a
| "serious" programmer.
|
| I'm mildly surprised that the Turkish university scene sounds
| tougher to break into the top university ranks of, than the
| United States's was. I wonder why that is the case.
| kugurerdem wrote:
| Thanks Andrew,
|
| > It's always fun to read someone else who also had a lifelong
| interest in programming but decided to major in a different
| subject.
|
| I feel the same way; I enjoy hearing the experiences of
| software developers who pursued different majors or didn't
| major at all. Based on my personal experience, individuals from
| such backgrounds often bring a unique and intriguing
| perspective. They also tend to be highly self-driven, perhaps
| because those who lack this self-motivation may struggle to
| sustain their careers in this rapidly evolving field.
|
| > later Haskell got me good enough into abstract algebra that I
| tacked on a math minor as well.
|
| For me, it was the other way around. My interest in pure math
| led me into learning more about Haskell and functional
| programming stuff.
|
| > I often worry whether the EE degree disqualifies me in the
| eyes of employers from being a "serious" programmer.
|
| I don't think it matters significantly. Electrical Engineering
| is so fundamental that it will actually provide you with a
| strong foundation and valuable problem-solving skills in the
| software development field. If your employer does not see the
| value in you, its their problem.
|
| > I'm mildly surprised that the Turkish university scene sounds
| tougher to break into the top university ranks of, than the
| United States's was. I wonder why that is the case.
|
| Regarding the Turkish university scene, it's interesting to
| hear that it might be tougher to secure a spot in top-ranked
| universities here compared to the United States, *but I don't
| know whether this is the case*. The central exam system in
| Turkey, leads to varying demand for different degrees. Perhaps
| a more intriguing question is why engineering programs in
| Turkey seem to have exceptionally high scores in this context,
| that is, why the people in Turkey particularly tend to choose
| engineering programs such as CS or EE degrees.
| Quikinterp wrote:
| I highly doubt you'd be taken less seriously. Your degree is
| also close and relevant to programming from my experience, even
| if it doesn't directly give you a lot of coding experience.
|
| I've worked with electrical engineers who went straight into
| programming after they graduated, and they were good. Where I'm
| from the engineering degrees always seemed a little more brutal
| than a regular comp sci degree. I notice those engineers have
| no issue learning anything new
| SkyMarshal wrote:
| _> I often worry whether the EE degree disqualifies me in the
| eyes of employers from being a "serious" programmer._
|
| If it does then that employer doesn't know what a "serious"
| programmer is, regardless what they say on their job spec. A
| serious programmer is one who knows the entire tech stack, from
| how the electrons move around in circuits, to high level
| mathematical computer science, and everything in between, and
| uses all of that knowledge to design and build more efficient,
| performant, correct, and secure systems.
| envsubst wrote:
| > I often worry whether the EE degree disqualifies me in the
| eyes of employers from being a "serious" programmer.
|
| I think degrees are an important indicator, and that thought
| would never even cross my mind unless you were 1 or 2 years out
| of school without experience. EE is one of the main degrees for
| this field.
| MaxBarraclough wrote:
| I would have titled this _Reflections on My Journey into Software
| Development_. The author is not pursuing a career in computer
| science.
| kugurerdem wrote:
| While I maintain a continuing interest in Computer Science, you
| are correct. The essay isn't explicitly focused on Computer
| Science but more specifically Software Development. I'll fix
| the title based on your recommendation.
| kugurerdem wrote:
| Just a blog essay where I reflect on my CS journey when I am now
| in my mid-developer phase.
| karan0handa wrote:
| Hey. I'm also a mathematically oriented programmer inspired by
| the likes of Dijkstra, Knuth and Gries. I looked at your sudoku
| repo and wanted to be a programmer friend and work on similar
| projects just for fun, but couldn't find a way to contact you.
| Have sent you a Twitter follow :)
| kugurerdem wrote:
| Hello! I noticed your message and responded accordingly.
|
| Also, I've taken you saying "couldn't find a way to contact
| you" to heart and decided to include an email contact address
| on my blog. Thank you! :)
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