If you're looking for a legitimate job that you're going to stick with, then I'd say Electrical Engineering is a good choice for a degree (I'm assuming that it's an undergraduate degree). You get paid well, and if that's a job you're going to be a vet in, your pay gets very nice $100,000+, and the jobs are relatively stable.
Since you said that your main job is going to be as a comedian, I'm not sure. Usually, you get degrees to prepare yourself for whatever career you're looking forward to, and you might even want a master's degree if you want to be reasonably prepared for a job. I'm sorry if I come across as harsh or rude (I don't mean to ^\\\^), but because you don't really need a degree of any kind for comedy, and since whatever degree you get is mostly just for satisfying your parents, getting a degree at this point seems just to be a waste of your money and your parents' money.
It's important to base your education around the job that you want, because (as my dad always told me) you'll definitely regret it if you get a degree just to do it, and you don't have much interest in that field. If what you're interested in is really computers, then I'd say Electrical Engineering is the way to go, but you'll really have to like it.
About Computer Science: Comp Sci is more programming and high-level languages. Computer engineers are more likely to work on low-level languages and have to worry about architectures and stuff. The Comp Sci majors don't learn a lot of C (a programming language, for the uninitiated) and about hardware too much, but Computer Engineering majors do.
Undergraduate business isn't really the most ufeful degree. If you want to be an entrepreneur, you can just start without training (or just take accounting classes at a CC), and if u want to do anything else, you have to relearn everything during your MBA.
I just transferred OUT of a specialized video game design program after realizing a few things.
A. The program gave you background in all aspects of game design ie. Programming, Graphics, Storyline. But gave you no expertise that you can't obtain from a specialized course ie. Computer Science, 3D modelling etc.
B. The industry is hard as fuck to get into. And if you don't you don't have a 'useful' degree to fall back on and apply to the same concepts you know but in a different field.
On June 23 2010 04:06 Inkarnate wrote: B. The industry is hard as fuck to get into. And if you don't you don't have a 'useful' degree to fall back on and apply to the same concepts you know but in a different field.
Is it really?
I have a lot of friends in the videogame industry, and most of them came from networking with the Bemani scene. Some came from networking in the fighting game scene. And a few came from working as a low level tester at Square-Enix.
I wouldn't even call it networking since I wasn't actively looking for videogame contacts, we just played the same games.
I can only imagine how easy it would be if you attended E3, GDC, worked on projects over the internet, worked on modding, had an actual portfolio, etc.
Oh and some of these people I've met don't even have college degrees, many worked their way up from localization projects and actively studied Japanese.
And it's not even the industry I'm in, I work as a government engineer. =)
Just get a Specialization in Computer Science degree if you aren't sure what you want to do, that way you won't risk backing yourself into a corner (like with a specialized video game stream).
I'm entering my final year of my Comp Sci degree in the fall, so here's my take (I have been working as a full time software dev for the past year and a bit so I have a good amount of work experience too):
The first year or so is boring. Really boring... but it has it's purpose. The fundamentals you learn will apply for the rest or your life.
The non-CS courses you have to take (maths mostly) are there to make sure you at least have some rudimentary problem solving skills. Just power through them, you should be able to cut back later if you want. They should rarely get used in your other courses unless you specifically take something like Numeric Methods (fun courses actually ).
Even if you think the CS courses you take are useless, pay attention and work at them. Not only for the grades, but for the principles you will learn. I hate VHDL with a fiery passion, but even when working with it in a hardware class I learned things that apply to other languages and programming in general. Specifically with VHDL, the importance of good documentation and planning before you dive in and start writing code. And again, it will improve your problem solving skills (IMO, the most important thing for a programmer to have).
A lot of people who love computers hate Comp Sci. But I find it extremely rewarding. If you can power through the boring first year or 2, you may find you truly come to enjoy it.
On June 23 2010 04:06 Inkarnate wrote: I just transferred OUT of a specialized video game design program after realizing a few things. A. The program gave you background in all aspects of game design ie. Programming, Graphics, Storyline. But gave you no expertise that you can't obtain from a specialized course ie. Computer Science, 3D modelling etc.
B. The industry is hard as fuck to get into. And if you don't you don't have a 'useful' degree to fall back on and apply to the same concepts you know but in a different field.
My $.02 on video game design programs.
that sounds like it might just be a problem with the program you were taking? at my school (georgia tech) you have a lot of options to be able to learn more about different aspects of specialization. Ultimately though the classes only teach you so much and it's up to you to start learning and gaining experience by yourself (working your own projects on your own time).
monion, do you still want to be a comedian? if so it sounds like you should just transfer back to your old school and finish up there, and then start your path to comedianism.
if you want to get into videogames, what do you want to do? programming, design, production?
Also, for such specific/important/detailed college questions, you guys would probably be better off asking on a forum dedicated to academics, for obvious reasons.
I'm not saying our TL community is stupid, but because most TLers are too focused on stuff like progaming and korean pop, it's not likely that much of the TL community is intensely focused on higher education and *that* studious. Try College Confidential or something, and register an account just to ask your question.
why don't you study something that facilitates comedy, something that puts you into study of people or society. English, Mass Comm, Sociology.... some social science or liberal art.
You won't refine any people skills studying CS... you'll probably lose some.
If your MBTI personality type (yeah, for what it's worth...) is not INTJ, you should seriously reconsider computer science. Especially reconsider if you're not a J. The correct personality type or something close to it seems to be a necessary but not sufficient condition for liking computer science. Liking computers or video games does not equate to liking computer science.
At least, that's what people tell me. For the record, I'm an INTJ electrical engineering grad student, and I'm pretty sure that I would not have liked CS. I'm not saying it's a bad field or anything, just that a lot of people naturally get weeded out because it turns out that it was not the right thing for them.
On June 23 2010 04:06 Inkarnate wrote: I just transferred OUT of a specialized video game design program after realizing a few things. A. The program gave you background in all aspects of game design ie. Programming, Graphics, Storyline. But gave you no expertise that you can't obtain from a specialized course ie. Computer Science, 3D modelling etc.
B. The industry is hard as fuck to get into. And if you don't you don't have a 'useful' degree to fall back on and apply to the same concepts you know but in a different field.
My $.02 on video game design programs.
that sounds like it might just be a problem with the program you were taking? at my school (georgia tech) you have a lot of options to be able to learn more about different aspects of specialization. Ultimately though the classes only teach you so much and it's up to you to start learning and gaining experience by yourself (working your own projects on your own time).
monion, do you still want to be a comedian? if so it sounds like you should just transfer back to your old school and finish up there, and then start your path to comedianism.
if you want to get into videogames, what do you want to do? programming, design, production?
well ya but I'd like to keep if more of a hobby, something I do on the side, rather than the focus of my career, cuz it's so wishy washy
I'd like to do either programming or design, but I don't know if A&M supplements that kind of thing or if i'd have to go somewhere else like ITT tech or something X_X
On June 23 2010 03:05 Chill wrote: Can't you go back to North Texas and finish your business degree? That seems like the best option here.
mmm I dont wanna leave
i havent taken enough business classes to make it so I'm so deep on that track that I cant get out, and i wasnt really that dedicated to that major to begin with, I just kinda picked it after dropping the "get famous quick" strategy
that probably would be the best idea, to go to another business school, but my family's here and my friends, so I'd just rather not leave. which sounds dumb when I say it like that
Yea I read your details. I guess I inferred your OP as more of a "How should I move forward in life?" post and not the "What should I study?" post that it is. Sorry
You've got to ask yourself: What are you good at, what do you like and what do you want to be good at? You mention CS, but do you know what that entails? Go to your uni's website and find a course list for their CS degree and see if you see yourself doing well in them. CS is funny like that, I know a lot of really smart people who get a glazed look and start to drool when trying to do 'computer stuff', and likewise people I wouldn't have guessed would be good at anything take to it like a natural.
I guess what I'm saying is, don't just pick something because it seems like a good idea. Actually try to determine if it IS a good idea before you waste another year of your life (This is coming from experience).
EPT
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