What types of jobs are the best for college students who plan on double majoring?
I am asking this question because I am currently a double major in the fields that my high school specialize in. I plan on majoring in Computer Science and Software Engineering. I am a very busy person as it is, and I'll need a solid source of income when I get into college. #funding #engineering #computerscience #software-engineering
4 answers
Daniel’s Answer
So, I did a comp sci + comp eng (and then also got an EE degree as well). I would not recommend it - pick one and focus on that. Just Comp Sci itself will probably be the most versatile. Having multiple degrees did not help me, and delayed graduation by like 3-4 semesters. Combined with work, I had literally zero time to do anything besides homework and work (no time to even do your normal "studying" and reading textbooks).
Strongly, strongly recommend just picking one and doing that if you're gonna be working during Uni. (And me being biased, I'll say pick Comp Sci). Hell even if you aren't going to be working during Uni, still just pick one, and then if you want an increased load just finish early and do a master's in the same amount of time you could get two undergrad degrees. That will help you a lot more in the long run.
Also big +1 to Peter's suggestion of summer employment. If fishing isn't your cup of tea, if you are working towards a comp sci degree and learn programming reasonably early, you can get a summer internship at a big tech company which also pays embarrassingly well (literally >$20k for 3 months**). Beats the hell out of the $12/hr or whatever I made during Uni lol. I think at one point I landed a pseudo internship/co-op/thing at a local defense contractor that paid $20/hr which was awesome, but even after accounting for inflation it's like less than half of what big tech pays their interns.
A big tech internship during the summer also vastly increases your employment prospects upon graduation (where the embarrassingly large $20k/summer turns into a $150k/year starting total comp if you're lucky, which I still maintain is total lunacy lol).
** I mean don't bank assuming there's a 100% chance you'll land it, because those internships are obviously very competitive (when I was in undergrad I figured it was impossible and didn't even bother applying - don't do that either! Apply to many companies for internships and take the interviews seriously)
Callie Stroud
Callie’s Answer
Best of Luck! - Callie -
Ken’s Answer
First, there are two things on which I would like to comment. It might not be necessary to carry a double major and the best way to handle the costs is to start out a a community college which has lower tuition and the opportunity for coop and internships by which you can earn and learn. You may be able to major in one area and minor in the other to accomplish your goal. An education expense, as any other business investment should be made in a prudent manner with the least outlay of money to help insure the greatest return on the investment. From my experience in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I have found the following steps to be very important.
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Peter’s Answer
Aaron:
Let me start by stating the obvious. Computer Science and Software Engineering are two closely related fields. It may well turn out that you can incorporate both fields in a single major. I suggest this because your intentions for college, a double major plus "a solid source of income when I get into college" are contradictory. By its nature a double major involves intense and challenging course work due to the need to fulfill the requirements of two different majors. Your desire for a steady income while in college implies that you intend to work to pay for much of your college expenses, an admirable goal. But you will have only very limited time for a paying job, given the demands of a double major. Either that or you will need to spend extra (expensive) years attending college on a decelerated course schedule.
During college I was able to work 16-20 hours each week and maintain generally decent college grades with my single major. I recommend that you don't try to work any greater number of weekly hours. During summer breaks you can, of course, work longer hours. One job to consider, if you can get it, is to get hired onto an Alaskan salmon fishing boat. The hours are brutal, but you can make a great deal of money over a 2-3 month summer season.
Peter recommends the following next steps: