Monday Major Madness: Computer Science

Each Monday, we highlight a certain major here at UA. Regardless of the particular major's sanity or lack thereof, we like to call it Monday Major Madness...

In today's installment of Monday Major Madness, Honors College student Blake Bassett talks about his experience as a Computer Science major. 

Why did you choose your major?
I’ve always had a knack for problem solving, a love of working with computers, and a bit of mathematical skill. And those attributes are the main components of success in and enjoyment of Computer Science, really. I’d never written a line of code before I arrived at UA, but I soon found programming to be an outlet of creative expression that was unique to the medium. There’s an elegance to well-written code, a simplicity that belies the complex underpinnings that permeate the discipline.

What are your career plans?
I’m currently undecided on where to go after college. I’ll be continuing my collegiate education until I obtain a Master’s degree, but after that is unplanned. I do enjoy web development, and there is always growth and exciting progress in that industry, but mobile application development is very needed at this point in time as well.

What has been your favorite class (required by your major) so far?
Oh, what to choose. I’m currently taking CS 495, which, this semester, has been Android application development. In CS 403, Programming Languages, we actually had to implement our own language, which really reveals a lot about why languages are made the way they are. Finally, CS 438, Networking, is an in-depth exploration of the technology that supports the Internet and the communication networks between computers in general.

How many hours per week do you spend working on major-related activities?
It depends on how quick you are at programming. Since a lot of work is given in project form, front-loading your work can result in a week of heavy programming and then relatively easy weeks later. However, there are classes that are theory-based, which require the same homework/study schedule as mostly any other major. The technical nature of the discipline means that you may have to spend quite a while on a concept before you grasp it fully, so that can take a good chunk of time.

Any additional information?
As I noted before, you don’t have to have any programming experience when you start learning Computer Science, so don’t let that deter you. The CS department is currently starting freshman out learning Python, which is a great language for programmers with no prior experience to be able to write some working code quickly, and experiment.

It’s most important to remember, even when you have a project deadline looming and your code just won’t work the way you think it should, that programming is fun. It’s this intricate series of puzzles, and if you don’t like how the pieces work, you can make new pieces!