What is the best course of action here?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the participant's concerns regarding their college major and career path, specifically focusing on the choice between Electrical Engineering (EE) and Computer Science (CS). The participant expresses a desire for a versatile degree that leads to a six-figure salary, while also grappling with past academic performance and parental expectations.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • The participant is considering a degree in EE due to its perceived versatility and lower competition, despite acknowledging its difficulty.
  • Some participants question the assumption that EE will have less competition, suggesting that difficulty does not equate to a lack of applicants.
  • There is a concern about the participant's past academic performance and whether they can maintain motivation moving forward.
  • Some participants challenge the idea that a software development career does not require a formal degree, questioning the feasibility of achieving a six-figure salary without one.
  • The participant is contemplating a dual approach of pursuing EE while taking some CS courses to keep options open for a software development career.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the participant's ability to transition to CS if EE does not work out, based on their academic history.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the competitiveness of EE versus CS, the implications of past academic performance on future success, and the necessity of a degree for a career in software development. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

Participants raise questions about the participant's motivations and assumptions regarding job markets, educational value, and career outcomes, but these remain unaddressed in terms of definitive conclusions.

ambitionz
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I'm at a point in life where, I really need to make the right decision. I want to make my parents proud. I've screwed up in college several times due to laziness and I feel bad that I'm making my parents spend so much money to send me to college. So, I would really appreciate it if you guys took the time to read this post and try your best to answer.

Cliffs
-I want a degree that is very versatile
-I want to make six figures ( It'll make my parents proud. They want me to achieve this salary as well)
-CS appears to be a generic degree and I fear that there is too much competition
-EE appears to be versatile and I doubt there's competition b/c it's very hard
-I want do software development but I learned that a software engineering/comp sci degree is not required
-I considered doing comp sci alone b/c it won't take as long to finish as EE
-I have a cousin who is an IT manager and another cousin whose husband is a software developer.
-I also considered doing EE and taking a few comp sci courses so that I can potentially be a software developer and if that doesn't work, I'll have EE to fall back on
- I'm a sophomore in college. My Gpa is 2.56 b/c I was being lazy initially but I will put in serious work.
-Please give me feedback.
 
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ambitionz said:
Cliffs
-I want a degree that is very versatile
-I want to make six figures ( It'll make my parents proud. They want me to achieve this salary as well)
-Please give me feedback.

So if you decide you want to be a school teacher, which pays five figures, your parents will not be proud of you?
 
ambitionz said:
I'm at a point in life where, I really need to make the right decision. I want to make my parents proud. I've screwed up in college several times due to laziness and I feel bad that I'm making my parents spend so much money to send me to college. So, I would really appreciate it if you guys took the time to read this post and try your best to answer.

Cliffs
-I want a degree that is very versatile
-I want to make six figures ( It'll make my parents proud. They want me to achieve this salary as well)
-CS appears to be a generic degree and I fear that there is too much competition
-EE appears to be versatile and I doubt there's competition b/c it's very hard
-I want do software development but I learned that a software engineering/comp sci degree is not required
-I considered doing comp sci alone b/c it won't take as long to finish as EE
-I have a cousin who is an IT manager and another cousin whose husband is a software developer.
-I also considered doing EE and taking a few comp sci courses so that I can potentially be a software developer and if that doesn't work, I'll have EE to fall back on
- I'm a sophomore in college. My Gpa is 2.56 b/c I was being lazy initially but I will put in serious work.
-Please give me feedback.

My initial vote would be for this option:

"-I also considered doing EE and taking a few comp sci courses so that I can potentially be a software developer and if that doesn't work, I'll have EE to fall back on"
 
EE appears to be versatile and I doubt there's competition b/c it's very hard

there's your answer. No pain, no gain.

My opinion - Berkeman hit it.
 
Why were you lazy in the past?

What has changed to make you think you won't be lazy in the future?

If you had to pay for your own education, would you value it more?

You think that because EE is very hard it won't be very competitive? Really?

Do you think it is more likely there are multiple jobs for every applicant or multiple applicants for every job?

If you were an IT manager and had to choose between applicants with bachelor's or master's degrees and someone without a degree, who would you choose?

If you try EE and it doesn't work out and then decide to try comp sci just because you've taken a few classes, based on a resume like that, I'd be very surprised if you'd be invited to an interview.

You want to do software development and have heard that a software engineering or a comp sci degree is not required? Do you think software developers without a degree are likely to earn six figures, especially with a history of laziness?
 
Last edited:

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