Ralph
What majors or classes should I take for using programming, and in what circumstances can I use those skills with the subjects I am passionate in?
I'm very interested in the programming side computers and have already started with websites such as CodeSchool. However, I want to know if there are specific jobs where I can blend programming with others things that I like such as games, biology, or even mathematics. #computer-science #science #computer #mathematics
2 answers
Jesse Johnson
Jesse’s Answer
There are many jobs that require both programming and knowledge of some other subject, but the specifics depend on the subject.
Since you mention biology, I would suggest looking into Bioinformatics, which is about developing software to solve problems in biology. This is an area where the number of jobs is growing. (A lot of healthcare-related companies hire in this area.) For something like this, I would recommend taking a lot of biology courses, while continuing to study programming/computer science.
If you want to work on programming that involves intense math, two options to think about would be data science and mathematical finance. Taking math and statistics classes will help with both of these areas, and some colleges have majors specifically for one or the other.
For working on games, you might want to think about some psychology courses. Math courses (particularly linear algebra) can also come in handy for things like computer graphics.
Thomas Stockx
Thomas’s Answer
Hi Ralph,
Programming can be applicable in a lot of different areas. In fact, being able to program is probably going to be a plus in a lot of different sectors.
You mention games, biology and mathematics. I'm going for the obvious choice here, have you ever thought about a job in the video game industry? Most game companies require their programmers to be proficient in not only code, but also logic and mathematics. Even better, you get to work on awesome games, sounds great, right?
There are a lot of different courses and majors available in regards to games programming, so you could take a look there.
On the other hand, there are also people who like to keep their hobbies and profession separate. Since you also mention biology, there is a field called bioinformatics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioinformatics) which combines IT and biology in really interesting ways.
In the end, it's your choice on what exactly you want to do later in your professional career. But even if you don't end up in programming as a job, it's always going to be an extremely useful skill.