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What types of jobs are the best for college students who plan on double majoring?

I am asking this question because I am currently a double major in the fields that my high school specialize in. I plan on majoring in Computer Science and Software Engineering. I am a very busy person as it is, and I'll need a solid source of income when I get into college. #funding #engineering #computerscience #software-engineering

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Daniel’s Answer

So, I did a comp sci + comp eng (and then also got an EE degree as well). I would not recommend it - pick one and focus on that. Just Comp Sci itself will probably be the most versatile. Having multiple degrees did not help me, and delayed graduation by like 3-4 semesters. Combined with work, I had literally zero time to do anything besides homework and work (no time to even do your normal "studying" and reading textbooks).


Strongly, strongly recommend just picking one and doing that if you're gonna be working during Uni. (And me being biased, I'll say pick Comp Sci). Hell even if you aren't going to be working during Uni, still just pick one, and then if you want an increased load just finish early and do a master's in the same amount of time you could get two undergrad degrees. That will help you a lot more in the long run.


Also big +1 to Peter's suggestion of summer employment. If fishing isn't your cup of tea, if you are working towards a comp sci degree and learn programming reasonably early, you can get a summer internship at a big tech company which also pays embarrassingly well (literally >$20k for 3 months**). Beats the hell out of the $12/hr or whatever I made during Uni lol. I think at one point I landed a pseudo internship/co-op/thing at a local defense contractor that paid $20/hr which was awesome, but even after accounting for inflation it's like less than half of what big tech pays their interns.


A big tech internship during the summer also vastly increases your employment prospects upon graduation (where the embarrassingly large $20k/summer turns into a $150k/year starting total comp if you're lucky, which I still maintain is total lunacy lol).



** I mean don't bank assuming there's a 100% chance you'll land it, because those internships are obviously very competitive (when I was in undergrad I figured it was impossible and didn't even bother applying - don't do that either! Apply to many companies for internships and take the interviews seriously)

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Callie’s Answer

Non-Commisioned Security. Depending on the type of site your placed at, there is often a lot of 'down time' for studies and homework.
Best of Luck! - Callie -
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Ken’s Answer

First, there are two things on which I would like to comment. It might not be necessary to carry a double major and the best way to handle the costs is to start out a a community college which has lower tuition and the opportunity for coop and internships by which you can earn and learn. You may be able to major in one area and minor in the other to accomplish your goal. An education expense, as any other business investment should be made in a prudent manner with the least outlay of money to help insure the greatest return on the investment. From my experience in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I have found the following steps to be very important.

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college to which you might be considering who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. This would also give you an opportunity to inquire about employment and internship opportunities. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. This again would give you an oppportunity to inquire about employment and internship opportunites. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
Here are some good ideas about balancing life in college: ## ## https://www.unigo.com/in-college/college-experience/creating-a-workschool-balance-a-college-student-perspective ## ## http://www.mycollegesuccessstory.com/academic-success-tools/college-life-balance.html ## ## http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/000241/ ##
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Peter’s Answer

Aaron:

Let me start by stating the obvious. Computer Science and Software Engineering are two closely related fields. It may well turn out that you can incorporate both fields in a single major. I suggest this because your intentions for college, a double major plus "a solid source of income when I get into college" are contradictory. By its nature a double major involves intense and challenging course work due to the need to fulfill the requirements of two different majors. Your desire for a steady income while in college implies that you intend to work to pay for much of your college expenses, an admirable goal. But you will have only very limited time for a paying job, given the demands of a double major. Either that or you will need to spend extra (expensive) years attending college on a decelerated course schedule.

During college I was able to work 16-20 hours each week and maintain generally decent college grades with my single major. I recommend that you don't try to work any greater number of weekly hours. During summer breaks you can, of course, work longer hours. One job to consider, if you can get it, is to get hired onto an Alaskan salmon fishing boat. The hours are brutal, but you can make a great deal of money over a 2-3 month summer season.

Peter recommends the following next steps:

Talk over your plans with your high school counselor.
Research computer-oriented colleges. Call potential computer departments and ask about the ability to combine computer science with
Contact (or better yet visit) Fisherman Terminal about a salmon boat job. This is the home port of the Alaskan Fishing Fleet and lies a few miles NW of Downtown Seattle.
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