
You can also look into online tutorials or programming courses, such as those offered on Coursera. Review your college or university’s course catalog to see what’s offered and if you can enroll during the first or second semester of your first year. Taking an introductory computer science course may help you grasp important concepts and feel better prepared for more advanced courses once you begin your major. How to make your computer science degree more manageable 1. Fortunately, learning one language can make it easier to learn others-and you’ll notice that many professional programmers know more than one. While you may learn about Python in class, you’ll likely need to dedicate extra time to become more proficient. Let’s use Python as an example: it takes between two and six months on average to learn the fundamentals of Python, and mastering the language can take years. There are many popular programming languages in use today, but the top computer science programs in the US tend to teach Python and Java. Learning a programming languageĪs a computer science major, you’ll likely learn how to program, which means learning a new language. Let’s review two of the biggest reasons why some students find computer science hard. Part of that learning may involve a lot of practice, typically completed on your own time. Why is computer science considered such a challenging major?Įarning a computer science degree has been known to entail a more intense workload than you might experience with other majors because there are many foundational concepts about computer software, hardware, and theory to learn. In this article, we’ll review what makes computer science a challenging major, how you can prepare yourself for the unique challenges of earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science, and alternatives to consider if a four-year degree is not the best option for your needs. īut computer science has gotten a reputation for being a difficult bachelor’s degree to earn because it combines theoretical and practical subjects, and involves learning how to program.


That’s more than education majors (85,057), physical science majors (31,155), and mathematics majors (27,216). During the 2019-20 school year, US institutions awarded nearly 97,047 bachelor’s degrees in computer science, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Computer science remains a popular major, especially for students who enjoy solving complex problems.
