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what is it like being a computer scientist?

how long did it take to become a computer scientist

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Jackie’s Answer

I'm not sure if I can call myself a computer scientist, but I am a software engineer. Unsure if that's what you meant. I did not major in Computer Science (CS) in college (I was actually Pre-Med) but I became interested in robotics and autonomous driving midway through my junior year of college. I got a Master's in mechanical engineering while taking a bunch of robotics-related courses, which had a pretty big emphasis on coding and that's what kickstarted my software career. After a few software-related internships (one was developing software, another was software verification) and my first job as a software integration engineer, I was able to land my first job as a software engineer. It took me about three years post college to gain relevant software experience to land a software engineering job without a CS degree.

It's pretty awesome working as a software engineer! Granted, I work within the field of robotics and autonomous systems which has been my passion for quite some time, which helps a lot with making it not feel like a job or chore. I spend most of my time attending client meetings, designing and developing new features for these clients, and creating documentation for these features. Given the shorter life cycle of software development, the gratification that comes with creating something new comes fairly frequently and keeps me happy!
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Fred’s Answer

How long does it take?
There is no criteria for when someone is a computer scientist. A degree might be a determining factor, but I've worked as a developer for over 20 years and do not have a degree (in CS at least). A job might be a factor, but does that mean if I get laid off I lose that designation? You could call yourself a computer scientist today. Nobody is going to arrest you. Now, you may not be a very good one, but you could call yourself that.

What's it like?
It depends on many things. Where you work, what you do, who your boss is, what the culture is like...I've had great jobs with bad bosses, and bad jobs with great bosses. There are times I can't wait to go to work, and times I want to do anything but...
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Wilson’s Answer

A bachelor's degree in Computer Science may take between 4 to 6 years depending on the classes that you're given and the pace you go through.

I wasn't able to complete Computer Science as I had 3 years on it. I switched to Computer Information Systems with 2 1/2 years left of classes.
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Helen’s Answer

Computer scientist is a really broad subject and you can learn anything from how computers are built to how AI/ machine learning works. It is very important that you find your passion and focus in something specific in the field of computer science then you can better plan your career goals for the future. Degrees are usually 4 years. If you find your passion you can pursue a PHD or Masters in this but this can be quite rare.
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