I agree!! I can't say whether CS programs include "rubbish" or not, but I would say that Math majors are "thinkers" by nature. And speaking as a former Math teacher, Math programs tend to focus on developing problem solving skills rather than just finding solutions to specific problems. That way those general skills can be applied to a wider variety of disciplines. I switched from a Physics major to a Math major (10 years ago) because "Math is the language of Science", and I am interested in all kinds of scientific pursuits. Nowadays, computers are the main tools of the mathematician, so it's a nice fit. Not to mention the fact that all that logical training turns our brains into mini-computers, so it's easier for us to figure out how to program the darn things!
Shameless self-promotion:
Unfortunately for me, when I got my degree, I couldn't find anywhere to put my Math skills to use, so I went back for a Master's and got into teaching. That was boring, so I got a programming certificate and jumped into IT. I landed at the bottom, in Customer Service (ouch!!). I ditched that a few months ago and have been looking for a programming position ever since. That's hard to come by these days, especially with very little "real" (non-academic) programming experience. To me, the perfect job would be in exactly this type of scientific research environment. I could care less about some company's bottom line or keeping shareholders happy. I don't want to ship buggy garbage just to meet some deadline. I want to write nice code, work with smart people, learn something cool, and maybe make an important contribution to humanity in the process. If the person who posted the original message is reading this, feel free to write me at: c_marino@onebox.com.
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I agree!! I can't say whether CS programs include "rubbish" or not, but I would say that Math majors are "thinkers" by nature. And speaking as a former Math teacher, Math programs tend to focus on developing problem solving skills rather than just finding solutions to specific problems. That way those general skills can be applied to a wider variety of disciplines. I switched from a Physics major to a Math major (10 years ago) because "Math is the language of Science", and I am interested in all kinds of scientific pursuits. Nowadays, computers are the main tools of the mathematician, so it's a nice fit. Not to mention the fact that all that logical training turns our brains into mini-computers, so it's easier for us to figure out how to program the darn things!
Shameless self-promotion:
Unfortunately for me, when I got my degree, I couldn't find anywhere to put my Math skills to use, so I went back for a Master's and got into teaching. That was boring, so I got a programming certificate and jumped into IT. I landed at the bottom, in Customer Service (ouch!!). I ditched that a few months ago and have been looking for a programming position ever since. That's hard to come by these days, especially with very little "real" (non-academic) programming experience. To me, the perfect job would be in exactly this type of scientific research environment. I could care less about some company's bottom line or keeping shareholders happy. I don't want to ship buggy garbage just to meet some deadline. I want to write nice code, work with smart people, learn something cool, and maybe make an important contribution to humanity in the process. If the person who posted the original message is reading this, feel free to write me at: c_marino@onebox.com.