Disclaimer for those who are going to read this article: I am sorry but this is the truth.
At the same time, as I say that, this is also my opinion and I may be slightly biased (very slightly though).
Raise your hand (actually, I should say blink twice because that's how frequent this is) if you are with a group of people and one of them introduce themselves as a CS major and there is that awed silence that follows that statement.
Yes, this is for that silence. Let's talk about it.
Then again, I'm not saying CS isn't awe-inspiring or a challenging major because it is all those things but the fact of the matter is that so are all other majors.
Yes, every single one of them.
Why?
Well, firstly, each major has its own struggles and pains and getting through college is an achievement that should be praised regardless of what you major in.
Secondly, adding fuel to the already inferno of the stereotype that CS majors are the most elite and erudite of us brings subconscious insecurities to surface.
Personally speaking, I am a Linguistics Computer Science major and trust me, it is not because "I'm not smart enough" for pure Computer Science. It is because I have chosen to learn a specific gateway that mixes the study of languages with logical computation and programming. I'm not CS because I don't want to be, just like I don't want to be Math or Biology. I'm not interested in that.
And, yes, I know what you are thinking. Well obviously, that's just you. In general, the trend is that those who can't handle pure programming chose other fields to study.
This line of argument reminds me of the adage "those who can't do, teach" which is as ridiculous as the argument you are presenting.
No, those who can't do don't teach. Those who want to teach, teach and those who can't do, well, it is their capability, time commitment, and life, and frankly, it doesn't seem like any of your business.
Similarly, societal worship of CS (yes, I know it is a really practical major but let's be real, it's getting saturated) is something that is what we are raised with and thus, we reinforce it subconsciously.
The thing is sometimes, people do CS for the sole purpose of "they are capable of it" or they want to be on the receiving end of that awed silence that follows this field around like a lost puppy.
The point I'm trying to illustrate isn't that CS is a weak major or that it shouldn't have that awed silence. It deserves that awed silence but so does other majors.
So, the next time someone tells you that they are majoring in English or Psychology, actually think about how capable they must be to study that instead of just saving that thought for Computer Science.
