Current Events > leaning towards dropping out of school

(+) Yeah! (+)

so im doing really well this semester, passing both of my classes with flying colors. i'm gonna finish off this semester just because i will most likely get A's in both classes.

so i think i could graduate and do well academically, but i kinda realized that im actually really shit with computers, its insane how much i dont know considering im a CS major

its 100% possible to have a degree in something you know nothing about, and that scares the fuck out of me. i do think the education system in the US is 100% exploitable so that you can graduate without actually learning shit. and given my lazy nature, i could see myself not learning a damn thing, and it would be my own fault. >_>

So you're doing well but wanna drop out because you're doing well?

WTF

What don't you know about computers that you think you should?

Homeless_Waifu posted...

So you're doing well but wanna drop out because you're doing well?

WTF

its possible to get good grades without learning very much in the proccess

although to be fair, one of those classes is calculus, and i am giving it my all and learning a lot

Do you have a plan for if you leave? I mean, do you think you will work more on getting better with computers by doing so?

What kind of job would you like? Have you considered the complications that can come from not graduating? (Less jobs available, less pay etc)

I mean, if you have a good plan, it's not school has to be in it, but if you don't, it's probably a bad move to just quit. Even if you feel like you learn nothing, which is also something you can do something about, you will get a diploma or something at the end of it, which is highly valuable at the job market

How many credits you need to graduate ? If its low, you might as well finish it.

do it

ruin your life

pojr posted...

its possible to get good grades without learning very much in the proccess

although to be fair, one of those classes is calculus, and i am giving it my all and learning a lot

If you are just taking calculus, then you probably really havent taken any cs classes outside of some basic Java coding class.

Only 2 classes a semester?

naw man tough it out

AloneIBreak posted...

What don't you know about computers that you think you should?

ok time for the direct cause of this topic lol

my phone is rooted, and i asked an acquaintance about upgrading to the newest version of android. in the process, he quickly found out i dont know what a bootloader is, the difference between the boot image and bootloader image, and basically anything about how to root a device lmao. he basically said in the nicest way possible that maybe i shouldnt be doing this. im actually kinda glad he said that to me, because it was a wake up call.

How much more you have?

Watch some Linus Tech Tips vids on building PCs

Chrknu posted...

Do you have a plan for if you leave? I mean, do you think you will work more on getting better with computers by doing so?

What kind of job would you like? Have you considered the complications that can come from not graduating? (Less jobs available, less pay etc)

I mean, if you have a good plan, it's not school has to be in it, but if you don't, it's probably a bad move to just quit. Even if you feel like you learn nothing, which is also something you can do something about, you will get a diploma or something at the end of it, which is highly valuable at the job market

you make an excellent point. i dont have any plan if i quit. more than likely, i'm gonna stay in school and keep going (might as well, ive already spent a shit ton of money), but i feel like im wasting my time

kage_53 posted...

How many credits you need to graduate ? If its low, you might as well finish it.

i dont know the exact numbers, but:

• im going part time
• i had to take a bunch of "lesser" classes in order to make it to where i am
• this is my third semester, but i technically hacven't completed 1 semester. it will be completed when i finish off this semester. then i'll be 1/4 the way there lmao.

kage_53 posted...

If you are just taking calculus, then you probably really havent taken any cs classes outside of some basic Java coding class.

ive only taken one computer class so far, python. learned a lot about coding in python, but none of the outside stuff, like how computers work or anything. the professor wanted us to read the fundamentals of computers, but i never did. he never went over it or anything in class, he just expected us to read it on out own time.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

lol he kinda is an asshole. but i saw where he was coming from.

so the thing is, i've actually rooted many devices. but i've done it by following steps A through Z. i can follow steps, but i dont actually know what im doing when i complete those steps. anyone can type "fastboot flash boot_a boot.img" in terminal, but doesn't mean they understand what it means or why they're doing it. that's where I'm at. i'm afraid my entire CS degree is gonna be based on "not knowing what something means" lol.

i respect you for being a CS major though. it's hard shit.

TC- Don't listen to your friend. Listen to yourself. Is this a field that you want to be in and want to learn more about? Then keep with it. Don't let people like him discourage you. Everyone learns at their own rate and you'll get there if that's what you want to do.

If you don't actually enjoy learning about what you're doing and don't think this is a good fit for you, then maybe it's not for you. But don't make that decision based on what this other guy says.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

fair. i'm trying, but there's so much to understand and it confuses the fuck out of me. that's one reason i perhaps should stay in school, because i love being able to ping questions off my professor.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

its very similar to software on a computer. like with computers, there are partitions, operating systems, partitions, etc. rooting your device tests all of that. it just has so many similarities to a desktop computer, which i also happen to know shit about lol. if i can't do one thing, it makes me question whether i can do the other.

AlCalavicci posted...

TC- Don't listen to your friend. Listen to yourself. Is this a field that you want to be in and want to learn more about? Then keep with it. Don't let people like him discourage you. Everyone learns at their own rate and you'll get there if that's what you want to do.

If you don't actually enjoy learning about what you're doing and don't think this is a good fit for you, then maybe it's not for you. But don't make that decision based on what this other guy says.

i think computer science is alright. more specifically i enjoy coding. sometimes i wonder if this is really what i want to do, because i occasionally dont want to learn shit. but part of the reason i keep doing it is because im 30 years old now. i have to do something.

As someone who has been doing IT related shit for over a decade, nobody expects you to know what you're doing just because you have a cs degree.

There's also a ton of people without degrees that know a fuckton too. All the CS degree means is that you have a pulse and and IQ above 100 and that is all anyone is gonna care about that will hire you that isn't already looking for a special skill on top of your CS degree(coding, networking, trouble shooting whatever the case may be).

It used to be like "oh well this person is good with computers" but not really anymore the bar is low. I've seen someone with an associate's degree that did not know how to reseat ram in a desktop computer. CompTIA A+ is actually a lot more useful.

yemmy posted...

As someone who has been doing IT related shit for over a decade, nobody expects you to know what you're doing just because you have a cs degree.

There's also a ton of people without degrees that know a fuckton too. All the CS degree means is that you have a pulse and and IQ above 100 and that is all anyone is gonna care about that will hire you that isn't already looking for a special skill on top of your CS degree(coding, networking, trouble shooting whatever the case may be).

It used to be like "oh well this person is good with computers" but not really anymore the bar is low. I've seen someone with an associate's degree that did not know how to reseat ram in a desktop computer. CompTIA A+ is actually a lot more useful.

this is EXACTLY what im talking about, people who bypassed the US education system and got degrees without learning shit

im in school for the accountability, because i know im more likely to get the work done if someone is on my ass. getting a CompTIA A+ certification or that google IT certification is nice, but that's putting all the responsibility on YOU to learn all the shit on your own. i'll admit im lazy >_>

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

yeah you're right about this. well put.

https://www.verywellmind.com/imposter-syndrome-and-social-anxiety-disorder-4156469

I wouldn't take too much stock in what your friend is telling you. You've earned your place at your school, you've done the work and you've earned your grades through your own hard work and diligence. You're not expected to know every little thing right at the get go. You've said it yourself, you're still technically in the middle of your first semester. Don't beat yourself up over the things you don't know because in time you'll learn it anyways. It's normal to learn that you don't know anything at all as you expand your knowledge set.

I say go for it, I dropped out of school 3 times

well-excuse-me posted...

Only 2 classes a semester?

yeah. i have to. i work full time, and im taking calculus. i know for a fact i wouldnt be able to go to school full time and work full time, otherwise i would.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

yeah i havent made it far enough to know if its for me or not

is it weird that CS isn't really a hobby to me? thats why i question if i really want to do it. but i do enjoy coding, and im 30 now, i have to do something at this point, because i dont know what else i would rather do.

A_Good_Boy posted...

https://www.verywellmind.com/imposter-syndrome-and-social-anxiety-disorder-4156469

I wouldn't take too much stock in what your friend is telling you. You've earned your place at your school, you've done the work and you've earned your grades through your own hard work and diligence. You're not expected to know every little thing right at the get go. You've said it yourself, you're still technically in the middle of your first semester. Don't beat yourself up over the things you don't know because in time you'll learn it anyways. It's normal to learn that you don't know anything at all as you expand your knowledge set.

that was a very fitting link lol. i never know if im being too hard on myself, or what im feeling is actually the reality. thats a shitty situation, you know?

Your friend's a douche, you will be fine if you want to persue it.

just wanted to say thanks for the help guys! im definitely going to stay in school. i definitely overreacted a bit, although i did make good points about potentially not learning anything from school...i just have to not let that happen. i have to take school seriously, like i have been so far.

also, i did upgrade my phone to android 13 and still rooted. fuck that guy lol, although i still dont know what im doing.

Just get the degree. It can only help you >_>

pojr posted...

i dont know the exact numbers, but:

im going part time
i had to take a bunch of "lesser" classes in order to make it to where i am
this is my third semester, but i technically hacven't completed 1 semester. it will be completed when i finish off this semester. then i'll be 1/4 the way there lmao.

Just quit now, you're going to take like 12+ years to finish something that should be done in 2 or 4; you're not even motivated and it shows.

Rooting a phone has nothing to do with your typical job prospects after obtaining a CS degree. It's like when someone goes "Oh, you know computers? Could you fix my printer?" It's irrelevant.

pojr posted...

ok time for the direct cause of this topic lol

my phone is rooted, and i asked an acquaintance about upgrading to the newest version of android. in the process, he quickly found out i dont know what a bootloader is, the difference between the boot image and bootloader image, and basically anything about how to root a device lmao. he basically said in the nicest way possible that maybe i shouldnt be doing this. im actually kinda glad he said that to me, because it was a wake up call.

this knowledge isnt useful in real life. Dont worry about it

As a CS major who is in the industry, who has trained junior developers, hired them, etc. I also don't know shit about computers. I just know a few things about how to tell them to do certain things. CS is a huge and complicated field now, and nobody knows about every field of cs anymore. When I hire a junior dev, I expect them to be able to walk, talk, feed themselves, shit, and learn. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

Also as a CS major,
P

i think you're under the impression that education makes humans into wizards
school is about learning. people who are professionals are just people who learned a lot about a subject. learned so much about it that they're the go-to on the subject.
no one's gonna know everything. no one's gonna read everything. grades determine who passes and who doesn't, not magic.

if you like it. stick with it. if you don't like it, find something you like (math?). it's your first year, plenty of time to change. do something you already know a lot about, maybe whatever you like to read on wikipedia articles all the time or find yourself talking about to people. that's your go-to.

I think it's possible that ADHD impacts long term memory and I just can't remember half of what I actually learned at High School. But maybe that's also because ADHD put me in the "special" monitored class of misfit kids idea they had where all I had to do was do my homework, so it was like study hall with a social worker.

But then again, I barely remember what I remember from some subjects I wasted loan money on for college either, and I kind of flunked a career pathway program.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

iv>

TC your friend is an asshole

It sounds like you're doing well in college. Imo the important thing is to get that piece of paper with the degree on it, then you can do what you want. You won't have to do a CS job if you don't want to

tc, how much is your schooling costing you though? What do you plan on doing if you don't finish your degree, work wise?

1. Imposter Syndrome is a very real thing. Not necessarily saying you're suffering from it, but I think you'd agree there are at least a few signs or symptoms. It might not be a bad idea to talk to a therapist, even if it's only for a couple of sessions, just to get some more meaningful insight into your personal situation. And at the very least, even if it's not imposter syndrome, you can learn some tools to help deal with self-doubt when it crops up.

2. Knowing how to do computer science stuff with a PC does not mean you automatically have (or need) the same level of understanding about phones. I've never needed to jailbreak my PC. And I wouldn't even know where to begin trying to do it to my phone. But I've got a little coding experience and I'm still the resident tech support for basically all of my family and friends.

3. The concept of "computer science" is so goddamn broad and all-encompassing that you can absolutely be CS major and get a CS degree while not knowing the first thing about 90% of what a computer does. Follow your passion, whether that means continuing with the degree, dropping out to pursue something more fulfilling, or just simply continuing your education but switching majors. That's what I did. Started in CS, ended up graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics.

I will say one thing I've learned in my experience. It's better to fail than to give up. If you fail, you know the outcome and you can grow and change and move forward. If you give up, you don't know what could've happened and you've already convinced yourself it's ok to just quit when you struggle. And that bar for when something is "too hard" has a nasty tendency to keep getting lower each time.

DKBananaSlamma posted...

Just get the degree. It can only help you >_>

this, even if you end up doing nothing with it on average people with a 4 year college degree vs only high school diploma earn around $20k more per year. There are alot of higher paying jobs that will take you if you have any type of degree, so as long as you are doing fine with your classes which is sounds like you are then you are good.

p

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

ive been doing a poor job keeping tabs with you lately, are you a nurse now? thought i remember seeing you in one of those blue shirts.

hope you're happy with that you're doing, but if you're still curious about CS, just remember not to listen to the asshole that told you to give up. i certainly didn't. but it's hard not to, i see where you're coming from. i just want 1 person to tell me "you can do it".

warlock7735 posted...

As a CS major who is in the industry, who has trained junior developers, hired them, etc. I also don't know shit about computers. I just know a few things about how to tell them to do certain things. CS is a huge and complicated field now, and nobody knows about every field of cs anymore. When I hire a junior dev, I expect them to be able to walk, talk, feed themselves, shit, and learn. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

Also as a CS major,
P

im glad you said this. CS is a very general degree but you can do a lot of shit with it. what exactly is your expertise then?

Sexypwnstar posted...

Just quit now, you're going to take like 12+ years to finish something that should be done in 2 or 4; you're not even motivated and it shows.

jokes on you, i upgraded my phone to android 13 even when you told me to give up

pojr posted...

im glad you said this. CS is a very general degree but you can do a lot of shit with it. what exactly is your expertise then?

In college, I spent my whole time thinking I was going to work in embedded systems or low level programming. I got a student job in web programming and didn't know a thing about it. Over that year I got really good at it, and ended up getting a job right out of college that rocketed me into mid level and I basically haven't looked back. My specific specialty is in dotnet core web apis with a react or angular front end, but I have experience in a variety of frameworks

p