Should I even bother with getting a career in IT/Computer Science? (1 Viewer)

[pigas]

I'm in year 11 this year and am considering in the future to maybe study something computer related like programming since I like web design and programming (however currently I am not very good at it, but still learning!)

The problem is I am horrible at maths (only subject I ever failed), plus I didn't even pick maths or any computer related subjects. Should I probably not consider computer related studies, since if I do try I will probably fail/not meet the qualifications? I don't know what to do. T_T Am I wasting my time even thinking about it?

 

[Praxiis]

I've copied much of this from my post in another thread:

Generally when speaking about computing degrees there's two options; Computer Science related degrees (Software/Hardware Engineering) and Information Technology related degrees. Now, Computer Science is a very maths and logic based degree and in your case would probably best be avoided. IT however, covers a broad range of skills that don't require any advanced mathematical ability - from Systems and Network Administration or Mobile Application Programming to Business Management/Marketing, Web Design/Development, Games Design/Production, Systems Design/Database management, and Video Editing/Sound Mixing/Animation.

In my opinion, IT is a great degree to get into because it provides you with a broad range of skills that make you employable in a broad variety of positions in various industries. The IT industry is only getting bigger and bigger with each passing year with new jobs being created in major corporations and new startups alike.

The best advice I can give you is don't let maths stop you from chasing your dream career. I'm in my second year of a Bachelor of Information Technology now and I dropped General Maths halfway through Year12 - it isn't for everyone, just don't let it discourage you

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

[MrBrightside]

I'm a second year IT student.

> I can confidently say there is little or no maths in all subjects. (Most have no relation to maths what so ever, such as business/IT type subjects - the only maths I've come across is basically division by 2 and doubling numbers e.g. 1,2,4,8,16,32,64,128,256,512,1024,2048,4096,8192 and a bit of addition and subtraction for binary/hexadecimal conversions which you do in IPT/SDD, nothing hard about it).
> I still don't have good web design skills (Not coming from a web design background), although I have made friends who are superb at web design and are willing to help out people.
> Uni taught me how to basically build a site with HTML and CSS (the very basic foundations of any website).
> I got 40% in my maths 2 unit (advanced) Year 12 trials (barely had time to study for it, due to all my subjects being crammed within the first week of the shit exam block). I still managed to get 82/100 (band 5) in the HSC for it (because I tried hard through Year 12, and continuously got 60-80% in assessments - I wasn't the best, but I didn't trump out entirely.
> I now get paid to go to uni and have had an internship.
> I love programming.
> Job prospects in IT are significantly good and growing at an exponential rate at the moment in Australia when compared to other industries such as Game Development. (It does tend to fluctuate, but IT will always be required no matter which country you go to). Don't see outsourcing as a threat, that rumour has been around since the 1960s and look, we're still going today. Big banks and firms are willing to fork out 75-100k on IT professionals every year.
> I have spoken to Googlers from the Sydney Campus.

If you love what you do, then go for it!

I should note, Computer Science has significantly more maths than a pure IT degree. However, check the course structure at various unis, as some IT courses do have more maths than others. I know the UTS ones have relatively no dedicated maths subjects at all, whereas UNSW, USyd, Macquarie and I think UoW all have some form of dedicated maths subjects in their IT degrees. I'd be more than happy to walk you through them.

 

[Lolsmith]

I'm a second year IT student.

> I can confidently say there is little or no maths in all subjects. (Most have no relation to maths what so ever, such as business/IT type subjects - the only maths I've come across is basically division by 2 and doubling numbers e.g. 1,2,4,8,16,32,64,128,256,512,1024,2048,4096,8192 and a bit of addition and subtraction for binary/hexadecimal conversions which you do in IPT/SDD, nothing hard about it).
> I still don't have good web design skills (Not coming from a web design background), although I have made friends who are superb at web design and are willing to help out people.
> Uni taught me how to basically build a site with HTML and CSS (the very basic foundations of any website).
> I got 40% in my maths 2 unit (advanced) Year 12 trials (barely had time to study for it, due to all my subjects being crammed within the first week of the shit exam block). I still managed to get 82/100 (band 5) in the HSC for it (because I tried hard through Year 12, and continuously got 60-80% in assessments - I wasn't the best, but I didn't trump out entirely.
> I now get paid to go to uni and have had an internship.
> I love programming.
> Job prospects in IT are significantly good and growing at an exponential rate at the moment in Australia when compared to other industries such as Game Development. (It does tend to fluctuate, but IT will always be required no matter which country you go to). Don't see outsourcing as a threat, that rumour has been around since the 1960s and look, we're still going today. Big banks and firms are willing to fork out 75-100k on IT professionals every year.
> I have spoken to Googlers from the Sydney Campus.

If you love what you do, then go for it!

This is good advice OP, I recommend you listen to it (I'm a Software Engo student @ UNSW)

 

[pigas]

Thanks so much everyone. I wasn't really sure about the main differences between IT and computer science however I had been interested in certain things under both categories. Your information has really helped me and now I think I feel more confident in making a decision in what I could possibly do.

 

[MrBrightside]

Thanks so much everyone. I wasn't really sure about the main differences between IT and computer science however I had been interested in certain things under both categories. Your information has really helped me and now I think I feel more confident in making a decision in what I could possibly do.

There's also electives in IT courses (as long as you don't do a double degree or double major). These electives allow you to do more "Computer Science" based subjects. It obviously won't give you the overall in-depth knowledge of a CS degree, but hopefully it will introduce you to topics you didn't know about before.

In my course I get 4 electives. The normal IT course at UTS goes for 4 years and gives you a choice of 8 electives or (4 electives and a sub major) or another major iirc.

 

[Chazure]

All good advice above.

To add one more point, l would still urge you to keep trying with maths in the case that you want to try CS/SE and choose a specific path like IT too quickly. Maths enables you think in logical ways no other subject in high school can really capture.

I would say to consider enrolling in some level of math and give it your best shot (at least for the first month or so), go to Khan Academy, get a tutor, ask your teacher.

If l remember correctly, you have a period in Year 11 where you still have the flexibility to pick and drop some subjects.

I didn't attempt the highest maths l could of back then and still slightly regret it.

Good luck, senior high school is awesome (in some ways, better than uni)