Should I study computer science?

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Well, I graduated from a bachelor in journalism at the end of last year and it felt like an unpleasant task by the end. Mainly 'cause I felt it took time away from my literature reading and computer exploration (?).

Now I'm learning how to program on my own and I want to learn more about it until I'm ready to code the software that will make the world conquering robots run. So, is computer science a good idea or should I aim at some sort of software development bachelor?

College education in my country is free, so it's only a matter of how much time I'm willing to spend. Talking about it with friends and family is not helping me to make any decision, so I'm asking you guys

[B.Good]

Computer science is totally worth a shot. Computer science is more than just programming but you should check out some of the more theoretical classes and see if you like them (you never know until you try, after all) and, if you don't like them, concentrate more on software development if that's possible.

[merrak]

You should end up with a solid background in programming if you finish a CS degree. But as was already mentioned, the subject does go much deeper. I suppose it really depends on what you want to do with your degree.

[Webzter]

If you just want to program for some big company, then you shouldn't think for a minute that you actually need a CS degree. Your mileage may vary of course but, here in the states, I've worked with plenty of great developers who have degrees in journalism, industrial psychology, finance, etc.

If you want more schooling to be a programmer, maybe look for a terminal master's degree in software development. If you want to learn more about computational theory then pursue the CS route. (my two cents anyway)

[Tirian]

Alan Holub argued that he'd much rather train a writer to code effectively than to train a coder to write effectively. I was happy when I was a code monkey for a big company with a pure math degree, and IIRC my pay scale was based on the depth of my degree and not the discipline. (So, like Webzter says, if you do go back to school see if you can't get a M.S.)

[Jplus]

[...] until I'm ready to code the software that will make the world conquering robots run. So, is computer science a good idea or should I aim at some sort of software development bachelor?

If this is really what you want, you'll make no chance unless you get yourself a firm background in CS and AI. So I'd say: go for it!

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Okay, so I've been working on a certain video game development company for a while and I'm finally grasping what I want to do with my profesional life. So I chose to stick to software development, instead of going for the computer science approach.

Thank you guys ^o^