First year of CS, thinking about dropping out

[u/[deleted]]

[u/AceLamina]

Only reason why you should continue into CS is if you love it more than you hate it, that means dealing with idiots who say programming is dead due to AI, being overworked on the job, etc

People in SWE specifically get depressed by only doing it for the money

[u/Outofmana1]

If I could start over I would go back into electrical or mechanical leaning towards robotics hardware.

[u/PhummyLW]

It only gets worse and right now your education will largely be irrelevant from what you will do as a career.

[u/XxDarkSasuke69xX → u/PhummyLW]

I don't think that's true, your education is very relevant in the career you'll have or be able to aspire to.

[u/PhummyLW → u/XxDarkSasuke69xX]

I mean more so with how much the industry is changing. 95% of the curriculum is covering things that you will be forced to offload to AI now.

[u/brilliancy]

Life is too short to do something you don't like doing. Also you would get more feedback by talking to people that have the job you want to have than us

[u/CookieInfernos]

Sounds like you want out. I stuck it out in college and graduated in 2024, job market sucked so I went to grad school. 4 months out of my Master's and still nothing. Had a meeting with a senior dev and they basically told me they do nothing now except generate design docs for Claude. That kinda made me completely disinterested in software engineering. Currently figuring out the process for joining trades to learn more about hardware and to work in-person with my hands.

I am super excited to join the trades, I work from home right now at my desk and it drives me insane. I love getting to be at home on my breaks and stuff, but being in the same room all day for work, gaming, and game dev has gotten at my mental.

If you are not happy learning programming then get out, it won't get you a job even if you stuck it out. Feels like right now software engineering is only for people who are super committed to coding, reading up on updates to AI, and other research.

[u/Available_Safe1818]

> Unfortunately, I'm not the type of person who studies a lot...But now, I'm starting to feel like this field isn't right for me.

Did you think you were learning how to make peanut butter sandwiches? How could any field be right for you if you won't study?

[u/Statertater]

Do what you like doing. I have adhd as well and i’m learning programming at the moment but going for an electronics technician cert to maybe work in government. Otherwise im gonna keep learning to get a job that allows me to work from home

[u/Indeliblerock]

Your chances to work in automotive are much higher with a traditional engineering degree than CS. That or working as a mechanic or in electrical. I did work in automotive before, but as a CS/IT grad I had been assigned to mostly dashboards rather than anything touching hardware.

[u/zomerbk]

Before withdrawing, spend a few weeks getting a realistic taste of the automotive work: talk to local mechanics about training, pay, hours, and how long it takes to build a customer base, and try a beginner course or supervised work if you can. A workshop is hands-on, but running one also means diagnosing unfamiliar problems, keeping up with new systems, and handling customers and costs. Compare the actual day-to-day work with CS, not the idea of one as studying and the other as pure practice. Also, ADHD-related study difficulties may be worth discussing with your university or a clinician; support and better structure could change how manageable CS feels. You don’t have to decide your whole career from one rough first year.

[u/theanxiousprogrammer]

Switch to engineering if you can

[u/theJacofalltrades]

I mean you could work hard and try out bootcamps like bootdev to accelerate your learning but at this point its the soft skills that really get you places

[u/hectoralpha]

I also failed to learn programming back in uni. I got my CCNA and started network engineer route. Then branched out.
Have you tried tackling your "ADHD"? There is a retired guy who was also diagnosed with ADHD but taught himself how to practice mental concentration. Later on he became so good, he was not only entirely 'healed' but went on to coach businessmen and sportsmen full time in mental concentration for success. Hes retired now for over 10 years and his schedule was full with clients anwyay. He just makes training material for free now in his spare time. I think his social handle is something like dynamicmentalfitness / t lavon lawrence.

Nowadays, education centers don't teach people how to educate themselves. They just hand people facts on a plate and tell them to swallow them up like it's exam season already....I've actaully gotten an interest in programming again after I got a job and my mental abilities developed a little. I just didn't have the patience for it back in uni which was a waste of my time.

[u/Embarrassed-Pen-2937]

If you have the means to change, then do so. CS is dying, pick up a trade like electrical, plumbing, HVAC etc...

[u/Majestic_Rhubarb_]

Hell yes … CS is constant learning every day … or it was … AI might change that

[u/MasterTouchMe]

Gonna get mixed answers here. I might throw you an unusual one though.

Focus on what you want to do, but don't drop out, even when you start working in the area you actually want, finish up your degree. Only drop out if it severely impacts your goal. Also srry I don't know your financial situation. I'm guessing since it's private, it costs money. The impirtant part here is - are your parents paying for it free of charge? ("Idm paying for your degree, don't drop out" + if your parents aren't struggling financialy I would still try to get the degree).

Degrees get mized reviews, but despite what people say it really does make a difference. Where i'm from having a degree is the difference between "a regular warehouse worker and the warehouse manager (ect.)" - it's a saying, but it's really true.