Why Study Computer Science?
Many fields have been transformed by applications of computing technology that you can learn to build:
- Medicine: enhanced diagnostics, epidemic tracking, medical record systems
- Apparel design: automated pattern drafting, virtual clothing design
- Sports: workout motivator, motion capture training, computer science in sports
- Robotics: emotional dancing robots for autism, military mule
- International development: communication tool, election tracking, disaster management
- Music: Auto-Tune in rap, search by humming
- Games: smart toy blocks, art, business and science of video games, army training
- Literature: digitizing books
No matter what your interests are, your knowledge of basic programming will open doors.
Although you won't have to make career decisions for a few years, the courses you take now can give you a head start. As this table from the College Board (the organization that does SAT® and AP®) shows, lots of jobs will be available to those with computing skills:
Occupations with the Most Job Openings: Bachelor's Degree
| Occupation | Total Job Openings 2008–2018 |
|---|---|
| Elementary school teachers, except special education | 597,000 |
| Accountants and auditors | 498,000 |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education | 412,000 |
| Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education | 251,000 |
| Computer systems analysts | 223,000 |
| Computer software engineers, applications | 218,000 |
| Network systems and data communications analysts | 208,000 |
| Computer software engineers, systems software | 153,000 |
| Construction managers | 138,000 |
| Market research analysts | 137,000 |