5 things I wish I knew before studying Computer Science 👩🏻💻
Summary
TLDRIn this insightful video, Magdalen, a final year Computer Science and Entrepreneurship student at the University of Otago, shares five key takeaways she wishes she knew before her CS journey. She clarifies common misconceptions about the theoretical nature of a CS degree, emphasizes the importance of learning industry tools independently, and stresses the need for problem-solving, perseverance, and practice in programming. Magdalen also advises building a portfolio early and explores diverse career paths beyond software engineering, encouraging students to tailor their education to their interests and aspirations.
Takeaways
- 😊 Computer science degrees are mostly theoretical, focusing on core concepts like data structures, algorithms, computer architecture, networking, and databases.
- 🖥️ Practical skills like web and app development are often not covered in core computer science courses and may require additional elective papers or self-learning.
- 📚 University curriculums usually teach fundamental programming languages (e.g., Python, Java, C), but industry tools and technologies (e.g., React, Express, Docker) often need to be learned independently.
- 🔍 Effective problem-solving in programming involves visualizing solutions, breaking down problems, and communicating ideas before coding.
- 🔧 Debugging is a significant part of programming and helps improve skills, with manual debugging (e.g., using print statements) being particularly beneficial.
- 💪 The three P's of programming for improvement are Problem Solving, Perseverance, and Practice.
- 📂 Building a portfolio from the first year is crucial, as it showcases initiative, passion, and practical skills to potential employers.
- 🌐 Online resources and free tools are invaluable for learning new technologies and applying them to personal projects.
- 🎨 A computer science degree opens up various career paths beyond software engineering, such as UX/UI design, product management, solutions architecture, and technical consulting.
- 📊 Researching different roles and gaining experience through internships or shadowing can help tailor your studies and career path to your interests.
Q & A
What is the common misconception about computer science degrees according to Magdalen?
-The common misconception is that computer science degrees teach students how to make websites and apps, while in reality, most degrees are very theoretical and focus on the fundamentals of computer science such as data structures, algorithms, computer architecture, networking, and databases.
What does Magdalen suggest for students who want to learn web development if their computer science curriculum does not cover it?
-Magdalen suggests that students should check if their university offers elective courses in web development or app development. If not, the best option is to learn through online resources.
What are some industry skills and tools that Magdalen found were not covered in her university's computer science curriculum?
-Magdalen found that tools and technologies like React, Express, .NET Core, and Docker, which are commonly listed in job descriptions, were not covered in her university's curriculum.
What does Magdalen believe is the essence of learning industry skills on one's own?
-The essence of learning industry skills on one's own, according to Magdalen, is to have a strong foundation in computer science and programming concepts, and to be able to effectively use Google and YouTube to solve problems and learn new tools.
What are the 'Three P's of Programming' that Magdalen suggests for improving programming skills?
-The 'Three P's of Programming' suggested by Magdalen are Problem Solving, Perseverance, and Practice.
Why does Magdalen recommend starting to build a portfolio from the first year of studying computer science?
-Magdalen recommends starting a portfolio from the first year because it allows students to apply theoretical knowledge to practical projects, learn tools and technologies from free resources, and demonstrate passion and initiative to potential employers during internships.
What is one way Magdalen suggests to test and improve one's computer science fundamentals?
-Magdalen suggests using platforms like Hacker Rank and LeetCode to test and improve one's computer science fundamentals through problem-solving exercises.
What are some alternative career paths to being a software engineer that Magdalen mentions for computer science graduates?
-Some alternative career paths mentioned by Magdalen include UX/UI designer, product manager, solutions architect, and technical consultant.
How does Magdalen suggest researching different career paths in the tech industry?
-Magdalen suggests researching different career paths by shadowing people in those fields, talking to professionals, or even better, by doing internships to gain hands-on experience.
What advice does Magdalen give for computer science students regarding their choice of elective courses based on their career interests?
-Magdalen advises computer science students to choose elective courses that align with their career interests, such as design courses for those interested in UX/UI design or business courses for those interested in product management.
What is the main takeaway from Magdalen's video for students considering studying computer science?
-The main takeaway is that computer science degrees are theoretical and provide a strong foundation in fundamentals, but students should be proactive in learning practical skills, building a portfolio, and exploring various career paths beyond software engineering.
Outlines
🎓 Introduction and Key Insights for CS Students
Magdalen, a final-year student at the University of Otago, shares her excitement about her upcoming graduation in December. She reflects on her computer science and entrepreneurship journey, offering five key insights she wishes she had known before studying computer science. Her first insight is the misconception about learning practical skills like website and app development, which are often not part of the core curriculum. Instead, computer science degrees focus on theoretical fundamentals such as data structures, algorithms, and computer architecture. She advises prospective students to check their university's core papers and seek additional courses or online resources for practical skills.
📚 Industry Skills vs. Academic Learning
Magdalen discusses her second realization: the gap between academic learning and industry skills. She was surprised to find that tools and technologies used in the industry, such as React, Express, and Docker, were not covered in her university curriculum. Instead, she learned programming fundamentals in Python, Java, and C, with some exposure to AWS in an elective course. She emphasizes that a strong foundation in computer science concepts enables students to learn industry-relevant skills independently through projects and online resources like YouTube and Google. Effective problem-solving and self-learning are crucial for bridging this gap.
🧩 The Three P's of Programming
Magdalen introduces her personal framework for improving programming skills, which she calls the 'Three P's': Problem Solving, Perseverance, and Practice. She explains that problem-solving involves visualizing and planning solutions before coding. Perseverance is essential because programming often involves extensive debugging, which can be frustrating but is a valuable learning process. Practice, she says, is key to becoming proficient in programming. She recommends using platforms like HackerRank and LeetCode to strengthen computer science fundamentals and gain experience in tackling various coding challenges.
📁 Building a Portfolio Early On
Magdalen reflects on her fourth insight: the importance of building a portfolio from the first year of university. She regrets not starting personal projects earlier, as she initially felt inexperienced. She advises students to leverage online resources to learn new tools and technologies and apply them to projects. A strong portfolio demonstrates passion and initiative to potential employers and can be a significant advantage when applying for internships and jobs. She stresses that theoretical knowledge from university should be complemented with practical experience gained through self-directed projects.
🔍 Exploring Diverse Career Paths in CS
Magdalen's final insight is that a computer science degree opens up diverse career opportunities beyond software engineering. She highlights alternative roles such as UX/UI design, product management, solutions architecture, and technical consulting. She encourages students to research and explore different career paths by shadowing professionals, networking, and pursuing internships in various fields. Additionally, she suggests tailoring university coursework to align with specific career interests, such as taking design classes for UX/UI or business classes for product management. Magdalen concludes by inviting viewers to share their own experiences and suggestions for future video topics.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Computer Science Degree
💡Theoretical vs. Practical Learning
💡Core Papers
💡Industry Skills
💡Problem Solving
💡Perseverance
💡Practice
💡Portfolio
💡Career Paths
💡Internships
Highlights
Magdalen introduces herself as a final year computer science and entrepreneurship student at the University of Otago.
She recently completed her last exam and is looking forward to her graduation in December.
Magdalen shares five things she wishes she knew before studying computer science.
First point: Computer science degrees are very theoretical and don't typically cover hands-on skills like web and app development.
Magdalen advises checking the core papers of your computer science degree and supplementing with web development or app development papers if needed.
Second point: University does not teach the specific tools and technologies used in the industry.
She learned programming languages like Python, Java, and C in university but had to learn industry tools like React, Docker, and AWS on her own.
Magdalen emphasizes the importance of having a strong foundation in computer science fundamentals to learn industry skills independently.
Third point: The three P's of programming – Problem solving, Perseverance, and Practice – are essential for improving programming skills.
She suggests visualizing solutions, communicating them to friends, and using manual debugging methods like print statements.
Fourth point: Building a portfolio from the first year is crucial to show initiative and passion to potential employers.
She recommends utilizing free online resources to learn tools and technologies and applying them to personal projects.
Fifth point: Being a software engineer is not the only career path for computer science graduates.
Magdalen highlights other career options such as UX/UI design, product management, solutions architecture, and technical consulting.
She advises researching different roles, shadowing professionals, and considering internships to find the right career path.
Transcripts
hi friends i hope you're doing well my
name is magdalen and i'm a final year
student at the university of otago
studying computer science and
entrepreneurship i actually just had my
last exam last week so if everything
goes well i'll be having my graduation
in december so i'm really excited for
that
so seeing as i'm practically done with
my degree i thought why not share five
things that i wish i knew before
studying computer science so the first
thing that i wish i knew was that i
wouldn't be learning how to make
websites and apps as part of my computer
science degree i feel like it's very
common for people to assume that you'll
be learning how to do all these hands-on
things as part of a cs degree but in
reality
most computer science degrees are very
theoretical the core papers that make up
a computer science degree are usually
things like data structures and
algorithms computer architecture
networking databases all those kinds of
things so it's very very much the
fundamentals of computer science they're
very theoretical they're very conceptual
but this being said it definitely varies
between universities and for my
university otago university at least
they did offer some web development
papers but they weren't actually part of
the core cs papers so yeah if you want
to learn how to make websites and apps
definitely check out what are the actual
court papers that make up your computer
science degree and then if they don't
cover it then see if your uni offers
papers in web development or app
development and if they don't then your
best bet is to learn online the second
thing that i wish i knew was that i
wouldn't actually be learning or the
skills and tools used in the industry
so when i started applying for
internships my second year i would
always see the job descriptions list
tools and technologies that i wasn't
familiar with like react
express
dot net core docker
i was really really confused so when i
saw these i was like wait
how on earth am i supposed to know all
these because in uni what i learned was
python java and c and only in my final
year did i learn aws because i took an
elective cloud computing paper and so
here's what i learned in your cs degree
you learn the fundamentals of cs and
programming concepts and this should
then give you a strong enough foundation
to learn those industry skills on your
own by doing projects and when you get
stuck what you would do is to consult
youtube and google i do that a lot so
yeah the real essence of it is you need
to be able to know how to effectively
google and youtube your way out of
problems
drop a like or comment if you relay and
if you agree to this the third thing
that i wish i knew was to use the three
p's of programming to get better at it
so this is something that i came up with
and it's problem solving perseverance
and practice now at its core programming
requires good problem solving skills you
need to be able to visualize how to
solve the problem and then execute on it
now this is a skill that can definitely
be learnt so don't worry if you feel
like you're not that good at it because
personally i'm also still working on the
skill from my experience what really
helps is to first draw out a solution or
how i'm going to approach a problem or
try to communicate it to a friend and
then only i would go into my editor and
actually code out a solution
because i feel like at the end of the
day if you don't know what you're
actually trying to do and you just start
coding immediately you're not really
going to get anywhere because you don't
have a big picture in mind and at the
end of the day the programming language
is just a means to solve the problem the
next one is perseverance somebody once
said that programming is 90 debugging
and 10
writing bugs
i think it's very true because sometimes
when you try to fix a bug you get more
bugs and it just never ends and you can
find yourself just sitting there at your
computer for hours
that's me
but debugging can really help you to
improve your programming skills
especially if you do it manually like
using print statements because it forces
you to actually understand the behavior
of your code and finally practice as
with all things you'll naturally get
better at programming the more you do it
you start to become more familiar with
all the bugs and problems and you get
better at solving them some good sites
to really test your cs fundamentals are
hacker rank and leak code
the fourth thing is that i wish i built
up my portfolio from first year i only
started to learn how to code when i
started my cs degree at university so i
thought that i was such a move and i
didn't have any experience of my own to
actually do any projects i also thought
that i would wait until i was in second
year or third year when i had more
knowledge to actually do them but if i
could go back in time i would have
started doing projects from first year
because honestly as i mentioned
previously you learn very theoretical
and conceptual things in your cs classes
your best friend as a cs student is the
internet because you'll be learning all
these tools and technologies from all
these free resources and then you'll be
able to apply them to your projects and
also when you start applying for
internships it's always great to show
your interviewer that you have your own
portfolio of projects with different
skills it shows that you have true
passion and that you also have the
initiative to do work outside of uni
the last thing that i wish i knew was
that being a software engineer isn't the
only career path while being a software
engineer is the most common career path
that you could take with a cs degree
there are also a lot of other great
options that you could consider like
being a ux ui designer a product manager
a solutions architect technical
consultant
so yeah it really pays to do your
research and to see which one you like
the most
some ways that you can research them are
by shadowing people or talking to people
who are working in these fields or even
better by doing internships in them once
you have an idea of which role you're
more likely to be interested in it's
also a good idea to see if your
university offers any papers that are
more inclined towards that field for
example if you're into ux ui design you
could take some design papers if you're
into product management you could take
some business papers so it's really up
to you to carve out your own career path
so those are five things that i wish i
knew before studying computer science i
definitely have no regrets choosing this
as my major because it's very fulfilling
and also the opportunities after
graduation are endless if you're a cs
major then please comment down below
what you wish you knew before studying
cs or if you resonated with any of these
and if you're considering on studying cs
then let me know in the google form in
the descriptions what kinds of videos
you'd like to see from me my next video
will be on advice for cs students so
please stay tuned for that lastly don't
forget to subscribe to my channel if you
want to see more content like this and
don't forget to like comment and share
if you found this video helpful i'll see
you in the next one bye
[Music]
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