Inspired by this thread:http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=115241
I am a college student, and I am within months of receiving my Bachelor’s degree in computer science. This means that I am withins months of having to get a real job, which is the problem. I can hear it now: “But there are plenty of jobs for people with computer science degrees!”.
Problem #1: I hate programming. Before you ask, I didn’t hate it when I started college. I gradually grew to hate it as the degree program wore on. So, any programming job is absolutely out.
Problem #2: I’ve grown to like the job I have now, which will become unavailable when I graduate. I work at the help desk of the computer center of the school. Basically, this means I web-surf from a comfy chair and wait for people to ask me questions. Sometimes they do, but sometimes I’m left alone for hours. I have not been able to locate a “real” (read: exists outside a university) job like that. I could give phone support (like for AOL) a try, but the high turnover rates scare me. Who am I to think I can hack a job that grizzled professionals quit after mere months?
Problem #3: The only thing I’ve really learned from school is how to pass a class. Oh, sure, I can program better now then I could 4 years ago (see #1). And I can understand more of the industry talk. But the only things I’ve really learned have to do with how to pass tests and how to know which profs to take classes from.
I don’t have a problem with real work, I’m just hoping that somebody will be able to suggest some job i might actually like. If not, then I’ll try for some sort of office work (secretary, receptionist) just for the paycheck and regular hours. Any ideas are welcome.
I’m in the same uni boat as you. I hate my Computer Science Degree but I guess I’m going to stick it out till I finish (I have another 18 months (I hope!)).
I’m planning on going back to uni and doing another degree (although I understand uni is much more expensive in the states). Why don’t you travel for a while? You might figure out what you really want to do.
My father started off in Geophysics, travelling around Australia inspecting mines. In a matter of years and through minor career moves he ended up in funds management (admittedly he did a lot of courses in between).
I got a bachelor’s degree in German lit and a master’s in library science. While I really did plan to become a librarian, as it happened, my first job was subject indexing for a database producer, and while there I discovered within myself a knack for computer based problem solving. After only two years I switched to programming and the rest is history. Well, my history anyway.
Though I’m well established in the field I’m planning on going back for a BS in CS.
So…is there any chance you could go in the opposite direction? I don’t mean you should become a librarian, necessarily, but something else you could ease into with your CS knowledge? What would it take for you to ease into, say, engineering? You probably took a lot of the same math that an engineering major would have taken (slight WAG on my part).
Of course, if the idea of being a university librarian appeals to you at all, you’d be in crazy demand, because you’d have the technical bachelor’s degree under your belt; such are in short supply within the profession. You’d have to go back to school for a year or two to get an MLS, however.
Oh right… I knew I forgot something (It was late when I posted the OP, please forbive my oversight)
I don’t really have any stories, as I’ve lived a pretty boring life (unless you want me to get mushy and tell the story of how I met my husband).
I read extensivley - anything I can get my hands on (that’s how I ended up here), but mostly fantasy. I’m not a fan of non-fiction.
Jewelry-making is another hobby of mine, but I average only about 7 or 8 pieces a year.
Travelling for a while is pretty much out since I’m married. He’s going to be in school longer than me.
Becoming a librarian sounds interesting, but upon doing a little research it seems that there are no schools in my state that would offer an MLS. sigh I will file that idea away for possible use later, though. Of course, I don’t know anything about the actual job, it just sounds interesting.
Still not a lot to go on. A lot of us (but hardly all) have lead relatively boring lives. And I read, too.
So tell us about a day in your life. Not any old day, rather one that you remember in particular. And of course, yes, better yet that you tell us about two.
(It was late when I posted the OP, please forbive my oversight)