What do I need to know to become a computer scientist?

Hey Jessie!

Computer Science is a broad field of study and not just related a single job - I majored in Computer Science in college, and now work as a Software Engineer at Airbnb where I work on our Android app. Both of my roommates in college also majored in Computer Science but they do significantly different work than me - one of them works in a lab at Washington University that is helping NASA figure out ways to control robots in space, and the other works at a lab in UC Berkeley and is figuring out better ways to let computers understand the contents of a photo. Others in my class are working on even more diverse projects and interest areas.

The common thread to all of these is working with computer systems to solve human problems. To succeed in this major you need to develop what we call "computational thinking" - basically you have to be good at breaking down real world problems (ranging from ones like controlling the Mars Rover to letting millions of people book accommodations for their vacation) into smaller problems that can then be solved with the help of computers.

All this might sound daunting and scary, but really all it comes down to is being able to think logically and methodically! Anyone can do it! If you decide to go to college for this major, you can expect to take some classes in math, and a whole bunch of classes where you analyze existing computer systems (like the internet, the inside of your computer, and so on).

Hi Jessie! Thanks for the question! I have a Computer Science degree and went from programming to security. I think the first and most important answer would be to take the most challenging classes that your school offers. For me that was International Baccalaureate, AP, and honors classes. The computer science field is more than just Math and science, it also requires you to be able to communicate well with your boss and customers, so even though those advanced English classes don’t sound like fun it’s 100% worth it. In all my jobs my ability to communicate well and think through a problem has been my most important skill, and I couldn’t have done that without struggling through classes like Theory of Knowledge (yes my High School really offered that!) and English AP.

There’s a lot of other things that will eventually be important, but that will mainly be based on what you decide to do within Computer Science. So the next step will be figuring out what that is, and what additional skills (above the basics) you'll need.

Hi Jesse,

Computer science is an interesting field in a lot of different ways. It's a great career, I'm glad you are looking into it. I studied computer science and have worked in the field since I finished school.

Many computer scientists start by learning programming. Python is a good programming to learn first. How to Think Like a Computer Scientist: Learning with Python 3 is a good book to start with i if you want to learn about computer science and programming. https://buildmedia.readthedocs.org/media/pdf/howtothink/latest/howtothink.pdf . Python is free and you can download it from https://www.python.org/downloads/.

You will also need to know some college level math, including calculus and linear algebra. It helps to know statistics, too. If you don't know those subjects now, that is not a problem. You can learn them while your learn computer science. The Khan Academy is an online resource with video tutorials on math from early education to college math. https://www.khanacademy.org/math

One of the best thing s about computer science is that can help solve many problems. I worked for many years using computer science to help understand infectious diseases. There are many other things you could do, especially if you are interested in other areas.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy learning about computer science.