Information Technology (IT) is a growing exponential trend whose ramifications have brought about more change to human society in the last decade than the last century combined. According to Moore’s Law, transistors on a dense integrated circuit shrink by 50% approximately every 18 months, thereby doubling the computing power available for the same price.
Consequently, it has been forecasted that the next 10–15 years will bring about more change to the world than seen throughout the entirety of human history. In order to survive and thrive in an increasingly globalist economy that is automating nearly every single form of labor imaginable and develop the necessary problem-solving skills to master the new, often unforeseen challenges present in everyday life, it is highly recommended to pursue a degree in the field of computer science.
Living in the digital age
The exponential growth of computer power has resulted in miraculous breakthroughs in hardware and software that have radically shifted the behavior and culture of the global human population. It is singlehandedly responsible for the existence of smartphones, tablets, the Internet, and networked communications; the epitome of which can be seen through social media.
We live in a society that now consumes the vast majority of their content, whether that be news, information, entertainment, or communication, through screens; all of which are the direct result of the computer science industry.
Make the world a better place
As a result of living in the digital age, the majority of corporations are increasingly relying on software programs to deliver, acquire, and transmit data across a multitude of platforms. This trend impacts every single industry, from healthcare, banking, transportation, accounting, etc. Even objects that have existed in households for decades like refrigerators, door locks, and microwave ovens now connect to personal assistants and Wi-Fi networks.
Although technology is a term that applies to anything that extends humanity’s intelligence, capability, and reach, computer science has made the world, faster, better, and far more connected.
Well paid and rewarding
The world of IT will continue to grow eternally into the future and only continue to provide more jobs for those interested in contributing. By working at the forefront of human ingenuity, you will be granted some of the highest-paid work in the entire world that even rivals those in the medical and legal professions.
Traditionally, those that graduate four-year academic institutions with a degree in computer science will work as software developers; technology professionals whose exceptional skills in the art of programming will earn them salaries beginning at $75,000 to as much as $150,000 per year over the course of their career. However, many other roles exist as well, and yet they all offer extraordinarily valuable and rewarding work in a nearly identical manner. For example, systems and security analysts, database administrators, and network architects all earn a similar median salary of $80,000 per year.
Global opportunities
Working from a computer allows an employee to take their skills anywhere and operate even on a global scale with clients from both local and international territories. Internships, for instance, are offered far more in foreign nations than in the United States.
The Institute for Global Studies provides year-round web development opportunities for students to contribute to a major professional organization or company that operates in social services, social media, eco-tourism, or environmental conservation. Moreover, scholars have the option to select where they wish to pursue their internship and also have a say in where they will be housed. These global opportunities allow aspiring developers and technology specialists to align themselves with companies they never knew existed and find their dream job.
Transferrable IT skills
To occupy a position in one of the infinitesimal positions available for computer science majors and become an IT expert, a degree will facilitate the development of necessary problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
Furthermore, analytical skills provided from pursuing such a degree will be especially useful for specialists that work with complex algorithms and big data to create instructions and understand design patterns. These are entirely interchangeable and transferrable to nearly every profession that exists in IT.
Endless technological developments
While the world continues to advance its IT infrastructure across all major economic industries, new languages, frameworks, and development environments are being produced at unforeseen speeds which provides a constant learning opportunity for hungry developers.
For instance, Big Data is a prime disruptor for many businesses, as large organizations consume massive pools of arranged information to better serve customers and understand consumer behavior. Other examples include automated payment systems to improve and streamline financial transactions, and fitness centers assisting with tracking health and heart rates. Still, one more example includes the growing demand for better graphics and larger worlds in the video game medium.
Although gaming is primarily a realm of entertainment, it represents the largest and most successful of its kind in addition to fueling the study of new, innovative technologies that have been utilized in 3D-modeling, graphics, and procedural content generation to name several. Virtual reality technology alone is now far more than an entertainment device; from real estate firms now using head-mounted displays to allow potential homeowners to walk through every aspect of living space before purchasing to fashion retailers providing digital avatars and environments to try on clothes.
You can be creative
Unlike the neighboring field of mathematics for which there is only one answer to a problem, computer science is instead an artistic yet scientific craft that allows infinite solutions to the same problem; with the goal being how to discover and take advantage of the most efficient solution.
Computer applications can be written and developed in a multitude of manners to suit any kind of purpose or user experience imaginable. Therefore, it provides what is perhaps the greatest window of creative opportunity for a profession than any other before it and certainly any other after it; making the aspiring specialist one who is well-versed in all aspects of work.