# An irritating misonception: Good at math? Go for computer science.



## InfiniteBlaze (Jan 27, 2011)

Since high school, I've yet to get less than an B+ in any math class I've taken and the B+ was only in algebra II because my teacher sucked. I didn't have many problems in calculus either , which is apparently the bane of most college students (though I had to ask my professor to clarify a couple things). It's safe to say that I'm pretty good at math.

But when I took a programming class I couldn't do anything right to save my life. I questioned my intelligence to the point where I contemplated suicide.

I probably should have did some more research about the difficulty computer science but everyone said computer science is good for people who are good at math, so I didn't worry about it too much, which is why I believe that this misconception is a contributing factor to me wasting a decent chunk of my first year of college.

Why do so many people believe this? There are even people who are the inverse of me who are good at programming but fail their math classes (something I wish I realized this before I let myself get so depressed over being terrible at programming).


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## Tensor (Mar 9, 2013)

Programming is primarily logic, and since lower-level math classes are mostly recipe-based rather than logic-based, success in one doesn't guarantee success in the other. You'll often use math as a means to some end, but I think the largest leap getting into programming is learning to think through a process step by step, then translating that into routines the computer can understand and carry out.


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## InfiniteBlaze (Jan 27, 2011)

Tensor said:


> Programming is primarily logic, and since lower-level math classes are mostly recipe-based rather than logic-based, success in one doesn't guarantee success in the other. You'll often use math as a means to some end, but I think the largest leap getting into programming is learning to think through a process step by step, then translating that into routines the computer can understand and carry out.


Interesting. What would you consider low level math and what would you consider high level math?


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## mezzoforte (May 16, 2010)

Yeah, there hasn't been much math in my computer science classes so far. Just basic algebra. It really is more about logic I think. But for my major I have to take up to Engineering Calculus II, Discrete Math, Linear and Vector Algebra, and Probability and Statistics for Engineers.

I've always loved foreign languages and been good at writing and translating in other languages. I was always at the top of my class for Spanish in high school and found learning Japanese on my own pretty easy and interesting. So maybe that has some kind of connection? C++ just seems like another language for me.


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## Remnant of Dawn (Feb 22, 2012)

I haven't taken any advanced programming courses yet, but so far I kind of agree. I guess the mindset you would need is kind of similar-you need to be a logical thinker for CS just like you do for math, but your ability to program is probably not dependent overmuch upon your success in a math course. 

I've kind of always just figured out that, on a deeper level, CS involves more math than on the surface. I mean looking at some of the higher-numbered CS courses at my school, they all seem to require at least linear algebra if not some higher math as a prerequisite. Just some examples of courses at my school that state linear algebra or above as a prerequisite: Machine Learning, Quantum Information Processing, Advanced Computer Graphics, Artificial Intelligence, Theory of Computing, etc, etc. I mean those all seem to be pretty advanced classes, but still. Maybe math isn't as important if you want to be a software developer, and is more important if you want to be...whatever the hell you would use all that other stuff I listed for. Maybe working in some kind of research or for the government or Google or whoever. 

Good luck!


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## Tensor (Mar 9, 2013)

InfiniteBlaze said:


> Interesting. What would you consider low level math and what would you consider high level math?


Low-level classes are those that everybody has to take (algebra, trigonometry, and, increasingly, calculus). Because they need to pass a great number of students from a variety of backgrounds, these classes are usually taught in a recipe-based approach. Here's a certain type of problem; use these steps and this formula to solve it. It's perfectly possible to complete a college mathematics sequence (even in an STEM field) without ever learning what an axiom is or what logical consequence is.

Proof-based classes are usually considered high-level and are accordingly saved for the sophomore/junior years and onward. Logic really becomes important when the student has to write proofs of his or her own in subjects like analysis, topology, or pure linear algebra.


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## InfiniteBlaze (Jan 27, 2011)

mezzoforte said:


> Yeah, there hasn't been much math in my computer science classes so far. Just basic algebra. It really is more about logic I think. But for my major I have to take up to Engineering Calculus II, Discrete Math, Linear and Vector Algebra, and Probability and Statistics for Engineers.
> 
> I've always loved foreign languages and been good at writing and translating in other languages. I was always at the top of my class for Spanish in high school and found learning Japanese on my own pretty easy and interesting. So maybe that has some kind of connection? C++ just seems like another language for me.


Funny you should compare it to a language. I actually struggled a bit with french in HS as it got a little more difficult.


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## The Silent 1 (Aug 21, 2011)

I think a lot of computer science professors simply aren't that good at teaching programming. Its not an easy thing to teach someone, not well anyways and if I hadn't already started teaching myself in high school I never would have made it past my early programming classes. There were certain early concepts that I had trouble grasping so it helped to go at my own pace. Once I had the fundamentals down, I've never really had much problem with it. I've never been all that fond of math either, but I like programming.


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## cybernaut (Jul 30, 2010)

Just coming through to say that computer science was my first major in uni+something I contemplated to do all throughout high school.I got through Col. Algebra with an A, Trig. with a B, and would have headed to Calc. afterwards.It's not the math for the most part but the CMPS classes themselves. It also does not help when you have suckish professors who expect you to know how to do everything.I'm now a junior majoring International Politcs+minoring in Spanish/Arabic.No regrets right here.


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## nullptr (Sep 21, 2012)

I don't think math is related to cs now much aside from it's beginnings in the mathematics field.
I've never been great at math myself but plan on majoring and minoring in CS and physics respectively, two applied math fields .


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## froyo (Oct 24, 2012)

Computer science is definitely not for everyone. I guess it's kind of like when people think, "Oh you're good at biology, you must be good at chemistry too!" when in reality those are quite different fields despite the occasional overlap. 

Also, yes, someone mentioned that some CS professors aren't that good. imo it's kind of hard to teach CS. Programming is basically puzzle solving, and your natural talents play a bigger role.


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## Rainbat (Jan 5, 2012)

If you're good at discrete math you'd be good at computer science.

It's more about logic than anything. You have to be able to think in _very small_ and _very detailed_ steps -- essentially you think like a computer.

I am better at programming than I am at math, but I love both.

The reason they suggest CS if you're good at math is because CS generally requires a lot of math, more-so than other IT degrees. You usually need up to Calc 3, discrete, linear algebra, and in some places even differential equations. Most CS majors could switch to a pure math major and probably already have a year of it done.


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## bchris (Oct 17, 2012)

I think a lot of the "math" you might encounter in comp. sci. will be application specific. I can't imagine why you would need to know any linear algebra or advanced calculus to write a web app that just grabs usernames or performs some trivial task. I can say though that as soon as you start exploring the world of rendering and low-level graphical applications, you'd better be able to grasp that stuff quickly


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## maninabox (Aug 23, 2012)

Math like calculus/linear algebra come in handy if you want to get into the graphics or even video game programming side of things. CS majors do have to take discrete math, which is mainly proving things. It's still math, but it's different than calculus. It's more logic based like other people have said. It really depends on what you want your specialty to be. The artificial intelligence class I took used quite a bit of statistics/probability. The database class I took used relational algebra and relational calculus (which is different than traditional calculus). CS is a lot more than just programming.

Btw, I have a B.S in electrical engineering and math, and I'm starting my M.S in CS this Fall.


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## Nono441 (May 14, 2012)

Oh, and passion is important too. If you just look at computer science and think, "yeah, why not" and aren't passionate about it, well, that's not going to work out. I find most people like that tend to drop out when they finally realize that they don't *have* to actually do CS.

It can take a while to find something you truly like


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## nullptr (Sep 21, 2012)

Nono441 said:


> Oh, and passion is important too.


By far this is most important, actually in anything you do.


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