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A Guide To Computer Science

Computer Science is an all-encompassing term, and a subject that affects much of our daily lives; however most of us don't know very much about how a computer works. Many of us would be hard-pressed to describe what makes it go, how computers operate, and what makes our world so evolved. In the last hundred years or so, the social landscape has transferred almost entirely online. Without our smart phones, tablets and computers, many of us would be lost, unable to find the simplest information needed to go about our business. The individuals on this planet, who hold the keys of knowledge to this odd, misty realm of mathematics and engineering, hold the keys to the future.

Understanding Computer Science

To really learn about computer science, sometimes it is easiest to go back to the very early computers, which started to appear in 1945. These massive objects had mostly the same components that smart phones have now. Those four components are the input/output (or I/O), the memory, a control unit, and an arithmetic logic unit (or ALU). They, and a few other components, largely build the computer's methods of communication and its ability to store information. We enter information into the I/O, a series of instructions, called a program; the computer decodes it, executes the instructions, and stores the results. Since then the CPU or central processing unit, has become more evolved, and as a result the ALU and control unit have been able to process more information at once.

Theoretical Computer Science

Theoretical computer science is the bridge between mathematics and computers science. It includes the sub-fields of algorithms, computation, programming language theory, and coding theory. Basically, theoretical computer science deals with mathematically challenging problems. These are problems that require a computer to solve, and problems that computers cannot solve.

Applied Computer Science

Applied computer science is another umbrella term that refers to topics such as computer engineering, computer graphics, computer security, computational sciences, computer networks, concurrency, databases, and artificial intelligence. The fear of Artificial Intelligence (AI) robots someday surpassing the intelligence of humans is largely unfounded. The complexity of organic intelligence is very difficult to mimic, and the effort to do so has taught us humans how complex we truly are.

Software Engineering, which one of the most enterprising fields of today, also falls under this umbrella.

Education

Since computer science is such an all-encompassing term, it is hard to define when, where, and how much education to receive. Often times, information technology professionals only receive an associate's degree, whereas information research scientists typically obtain a doctoral degree. On the other hand, computer and information system managers tend to have a bachelor's degree. Learning about computer sciences, however, can be done at any point during a career, and can largely improve your work experience.

Resources for Students

Thanks to the advances that have already been made in the field of computer science, resources are readily available for students and individuals alike who are searching for study aids to assist them in their pursuit of knowledge. There are great resources for students and free tools to practice programing, create code, watch free lectures and learn HTML, all to prepare with before stepping into the classroom.

Careers

It has been estimated that in the near future, seventy percent of new jobs will have to do with computers. There is a huge gap in the needs and desires of businesses seeking experts in the computer science field and the education of those leaving college with unrelated degrees. Although no major will guarantee employment, majoring in computer science can definitely help anybody get their foot in the door. The computer science professionals who receive the highest pay on average are software engineers, and some of the lowest paying roles involve teaching computer science.