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Choosing Careers in Technology?
Salandarin asks: "Until recently, I was convinced that my destiny involved a degree in CS, stemming from my love of video games. I've really enjoyed what I've found so far, and I enjoy the art of programming and the study of algorithms. However, from what I'm told, more advanced study requires a strong knowledge of mathematics. Mathematics, much like the hard sciences, are not my interest. Although I'm not ready to abandon CS just yet, I'm starting to examine other options. I enjoy the world of technology more than any other, and as such I would really like to stay here, no matter what field I choose. I am specifically curious about jobs that involve some form of journalism, writing, and/or communication, but I'm open to everything at this point. What other careers are available in technology, for a person like me?"
I was never very good at math, never really took any chemistry or biology, but did get into physics and electronics a bit. However, I was insanely into computers. Since then I've done lots of work programming, system and network administration, and all sorts of other computer-related work. A decade ago I started a technology company that has allowed me to challenge myself in so many different ways ever since.
I do not doubt the parent poster's success with computers and business, but it doesn't sound like he's ever done computer science.
Look at it this way, do you need a lot of math to work on cars? Well, it depends.
If you want to maintain and repair cars, you might need a little math--metric to english unit conversions, gear ratios, that sort of stuff--but not too much. For the computer world, that's kinda like being a sys or network admin. (Not the best analogy, but go with it.)
If you want to build cars, again you could probably get away with basic math. Certainly there are skills much more important to a career building cars. That's kinda like being a programmer. Most of the folks in this thread saying forget the math are programmers. What they do may be challenging, and they may be very good at it, but it ain't science--computer, rocket, or other.
The original question was in regards to computer science. In my analogy, car science isn't building cars nor maintaining cars, it's designing cars. And you better believe that takes a math or two. I'm talking designing wind tunnel experiments, crunching data from crash tests, space-age materials, all that jazz.
The guys doing car science use a lot math. Same goes for the guys doing computer science.
I don't mean to turn anyone off to looking into a CS degree. I just want to put responses from programmers into the proper perspective. Programming is not computer science.
That said, math is a big world. Most folks who have gone up to taking calc have no idea what real math is. Most high school math tracks (at least in my limited experience) focus everyone to calculus as some holy grail of mathematics. And it really isn't that big a deal, especially for computer science.
I picked up an undergrad major in math just taking another math course whenever I had room in my schedule and am in my first year of going back to school for a grad degree in CS with a math concentration, and my calc days pretty much ended in high school after the AP test. Linear algebra, abstract algebra, Galois theory, discrete math. Calc was fun, but 9th grade algebra has been more useful for me than 12th grade calc.
Now, if you took calc and worked hard and got extra tutoring and really focused and snuck out with a D+, CS may not be the best path through college. But if you took calc, shuffled through with a B, coulda done better but you just weren't interested, well than that really doesn't come consideration one way or another for picking CS as major. IMHO.