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Hardware or Software Major?

fa1uzure asks: "Recently, there have been many articles on Slashdot about the lack of people enrolling in IT courses in post-secondary, as well as the need for more people in these areas. Being a Computer Science student, this is great news for me, meaning I may be in demand in the future. But CS at WLU is essentially a software-only course, as it is in many other universities around the world. In most of these articles, it generally says that the IT industry is loosing the new graduates, but it does not specify which area of IT is most at risk. As I move into my second year, I would like to know, are hardware people going to be far more in demand than the software people, or would software still be a better choice than a hardware-centred degree? I could easily transfer to a hardware oriented program but would like to know in which direction the future is moving before I make any choices."

17 of 574 comments (clear)

  1. A koan... by Tackhead · · Score: 4, Funny
    > "Hardware or Software Major?"

    A koan: If your answer isn't "yes", the answer is "neither". If your answer is "yes", the answer is "mu".

  2. The obvious.... by Zeebs · · Score: 1, Funny

    Given how technology tends to develop I'd say that your best bet to make sure you'll be right on the bleeding edge, or at least not left behind in your future career, go into porn.

    --

    Happy Noodle Boy says "F###ing doughnut! Mock me? You fried cyclops!!"
    1. Re:The obvious.... by fembots · · Score: 4, Funny

      You are not addressing his question, did you mean hard- or soft-core?

  3. Classes to take by pcraven · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...it generally says that the IT industry is loosing the new graduates

    I'd recommend you take an English course instead.

  4. Re:What's in demand? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yeah, don't worry about demand, spend thousands of dollars majoring the history of ancient china, or journalism or something. Just don't complain when you can't get a job.

  5. You want fries with that? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Please.

    Software guys get to run the register. Hardware guys are stuck on the fryer.

  6. You will be replaced by screwthemoderators · · Score: 1, Funny

    Even if you move to India, in the future, both hardware and software will be done by robots. Go into automotive technology, so you can learn to service our future mechanical overlords.

  7. If you really want to have a future in computers.. by nganju · · Score: 5, Funny


    You should major in Hindi.

    --
    There are 2 kinds of people in this world. Those that can keep their train of thought,
  8. Re:What's in demand? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    The way it's supposed to work is you go home at night and stay up having sex and maybe drinking. Then you're ready to get back to your technical joys the next day.

  9. Re:There are 3 things to consider in a degree... by thuh+Freak · · Score: 4, Funny

    but what i really love is rolling around in gobs of cash!

    --
    I wish that I was a catfish.
  10. I call bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I graduated with an ECE degree in 98. I make $95k now, and have had little problems finding work. Sure you got outsourcing but all that has done is prevented people with English degrees from getting $80k a year as "Web Architects"

    There is no doubt that people just starting out now have it hard compared to how things were a few years ago. But going into philosophy and the arts changes the question from "Will I have a job?" to "Do you want fries with that?"

  11. The future? by anonymous_wombat · · Score: 2, Funny
    ...but would like to know in which direction the future is moving before I make any choices.

    I am thinking about being a stockbroker, and knowing what will happen in the future would also benefit my career.

  12. Re:What's in demand? by dustinbarbour · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can attest to this. I'm graduating with a degree in CS in two weeks. What ahve I learned over the passed 4 years? Only that I enjoy computers as a hobby, but they frustrate the shit out of me otherwise.

  13. Re:Wrong criteria by fm6 · · Score: 3, Funny
    You should just do what you enjoy.
    Relatively few schools will let you major in "partying" these days.
  14. VERY TRUE! by nametaken · · Score: 3, Funny


    I used to love tinkering with PCs. I love building them, fixing them, streamlining the OS, finding helpful new stuff to use... the whole 9.

    Then you start doing systems admin somewhere and when you get home at the end of the night you don't want to SEE a computer. You just want a beer and your bed.

    Now if only I could find a job in drinking and sleeping.

    1. Re:VERY TRUE! by Glonoinha · · Score: 5, Funny

      Be happy you aren't a gynocologist.

      --
      Glonoinha the MebiByte Slayer
  15. Re:Agreed. by fr1kk · · Score: 2, Funny

    At University of Cincinnati, there are three degrees. EE, CS, and CE. I'm CE - Computer Engineering. Its a great program because I get split right down the center. Last quarter, for example, EE's specialized course was network analysis (circuits), CS was data structures, and I got stuck with BOTH! They each got an elective and I got an anal raping.

    Its a great time though, you learn to like anal play.

    --
    sig: Playfully doing something difficult, whether useful or not