1st -- you're not going to be a computer scientist. You'll be a software developer, unless you're going to a research university with a Phd.
I worked for a major robotics company while in school. After graduation I thought I'd try my hand at developing other software. I returned to robotics about two years ago after a few years away. I've never found any other software development that affords the same level of challenge, excitement, and personal reward. Besides, I get to spend at least 10-15 hours of my week testing on things (away from a desk).
The real problem is that employers prefer it this way. I recently started searching for my first job since graduating (I was already well employed in software during school) and I haven't had many problems with recruiters. It may be the market I'm in, but all I had to do to arrange several interviews was post a resume on Monster and wait for the head hunters to knock on my door. Maybe more of you should be involved in technologies that are more difficult to find highly skilled workers in. Just having the word "embedded" in your resume makes you much more valuable than ASP/PHP/MSCE/BLAH/BLAH/BLAH.
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1st -- you're not going to be a computer scientist. You'll be a software developer, unless you're going to a research university with a Phd. I worked for a major robotics company while in school. After graduation I thought I'd try my hand at developing other software. I returned to robotics about two years ago after a few years away. I've never found any other software development that affords the same level of challenge, excitement, and personal reward. Besides, I get to spend at least 10-15 hours of my week testing on things (away from a desk).
Dr. Strangelove. They're japanese. Think Ghost in the Shell.
The real problem is that employers prefer it this way. I recently started searching for my first job since graduating (I was already well employed in software during school) and I haven't had many problems with recruiters. It may be the market I'm in, but all I had to do to arrange several interviews was post a resume on Monster and wait for the head hunters to knock on my door. Maybe more of you should be involved in technologies that are more difficult to find highly skilled workers in. Just having the word "embedded" in your resume makes you much more valuable than ASP/PHP/MSCE/BLAH/BLAH/BLAH.
Lets just all try to remember...some pigs are created more equal. A guy like this is most definitely the MOST equal guy around.
I would start with embedded.com at http://www.embedded.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleI D=163700590
Some BSD variants and uCos weren't included, but it's still a great survey of the embedded OS space.