Becoming A Computer Science Major

What Do First Year Computer Science Majors Learn?

Do you love to play on your smartphone? Do you enjoy social media and new forms of technology? If so, you may want to consider becoming a computer science major. As a computer science major, you will learn a number of skills that can help you to land a job in Silicon Valley or with other top-paying employers. If you're unsure about what computer science students do, below is a review of some of the material first year majors will learn.

Computer Programming

Take the introductory course offered by your university to find out if you want to pursue a computer science degree. Most universities will teach students basic computer programming skills in their introductory courses. These skills allow you to create databases and develop web applications.

Your First Year

After taking the right computer programming, mathematics, and science courses, you will know how to access technical resources, document programs, understand web-based information, evaluate the quality of programming, understand how apps are developed, and possibly how to build your own app. The goal for computer science majors is to learn how to solve problems by using technology. While students will not be able to do everything during their first year, they will learn a great deal. This will help them get ready for subsequent years where they build websites, design apps, and program new software. Just about every business will need to hire a computer science major at some point, and those pursuing this field will have a bevy of career options to choose from.

Computer hardware: Stockvault

Skills You Need

While some people take a course in high school to learn about computer science, the courses held at universities are different. You may have a slight advantage if you take a high school course, as most students come in with relatively little experience. You will need to have excellent problem-solving skills, an ability to work in a team, and strong communication skills. You need to rely on other people to help with coding and other things, meaning that you must be able to work well with others.

Preparing Yourself

Once you sign up for a course in computer science, you need to prepare yourself for a few of the things you will encounter. Some people like to work alone on their projects. When you are school, you will need to work as a team for the most part, and after graduation, you can choose to work on your own if you want, where you don't have to work with other programmers.

To complete a degree in computer science, you not only need to have a passion for programming and computers, but you should also be prepared to take a lot of math courses. Sitting in class and learning from lectures can help, but one of the best things you can do is acquire some hands-on experience in the field. Look for internships and other opportunities so you can advance your skills and become marketable to employers after graduation.

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Jared Franklin writes on computer science, software, gadgets, gadget accessories such as the kensington ipad keyboard case, gizmos, the tech business and other assorted topics.

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Computer Science Majors and Alan Turing

Alan Turing is almost universally recognized as the inventor of computer science. This is based on his conception of both algorithms and computations via his signature invention, the Turing Machine. His influence in the computer sciences field is still widely felt and recognized today. In fact, computer science as it exists today may not have come about at all without the contributions of Alan Turing.



Turing's Mathematical Beginnings


Turing was always exceptionally adept at mathematics. He was known in school for being able to easily solve complex mathematical equations with ease. He was also very interested in science and proved equally talented in that area. He followed Albert Einstein's work closely and even added to it with some of his own highly evolved questioning.



The Turing Machine and Computational Numbers


His association with computer science began in 1936. He was 24-years-old at the time. It was then that he began working on computational numbers. He did so through the publication of an academic paper on the subject and applied computational numbers to the Entscheidungs problem. This paper laid the foundations of the Turing Machine that came later and was famous for being one of the first machines to be able to compute numbers and algorithms. Turing machines could decipher the logic of any algorithm using the computational numbers theory as a foundation.



Two years after delving into computational numbers, Turing obtained his Ph.D. degree from Princeton. His dissertation discussed the theory of relative computing. He went back to Britain and used his work with the Turing machine and his conceptions on relative computing to help the British government break German codes during WWII.



However, code breaking was not his only activity at this time. He also found time to design a machine called the Bombe that allowed the British to break German codes more swiftly. The U.S. Navy also made use of the Bombe for code breaking. This invention proved instrumental in many British and U.S. victories against the Germans during WWII.



Computer Circuit Board: Stockvault

Artificial Intelligence and Alan Turing


After the war, Turing began teaching and doing research at Manchester University. He wrote a paper on the problem of artificial intelligence in 1950. This was long before most people ever conceived of such things. The paper focused on the problem of the development of computers that could think and act on their own at the level of human intelligence. To combat the potential problem of artificial intelligence run amok, Turing proposed that computers be built with intelligence at the level of a small child and then be trained and educated so that the machines did not become dangerous. The famous Turing Test was derived from this paper. It is a test to measure the intelligence of a machine.



Turing's Continuing Influence on Computer Science Today


Though Turing sadly died while still at the peak of his career; his legend lives on. The Turing Award was conceived and named after him in 1966. It is awarded annually to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the field of the computer science. It is a prestigious award and is the world's way of honoring the man who laid the foundations of the computer-based society we live in today.

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Stephen Normandy is a computer junkie who often writes on computer science, laptops, laptop accessories, gadgets and other related subjects; laptop owners may want to view the kensington laptop lock by visiting kensington.com.

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