You want to learn computer science on your own, but you’re not sure where to begin. Don’t worry; you’ll understand exactly what to do to begin at the end of this article. Here’s a simple, step-by-step manual for learning computer science entirely on your own. with some suggestions for a different approach that can ensure you learn everything, you need to know with no room for guesswork.
Why learn Computer Science?
It’s crucial to understand your motivations before diving into the how-to of learning computer science. It appears there are many excellent reasons to enter this huge and diverse sector.
Over the next few years, there are anticipated to be over 500,000 new computer science jobs created in the US alone. That means there is a huge need for experts in this subject everywhere, not just in the United States.
Computer scientists are essential to the operation of virtually every industry and business in our rapidly technologically and globally interconnected world, and their importance will only grow in the future, ensuring their high level of job stability.
When you are qualified in this subject, you have unimaginable work opportunities, and as long as technological advancements are achieved, new and intriguing fields will continue to be developed. Perhaps you’d want to work as a software developer, which earns over $107,000 annually on average. If you enjoy working with data, you might become a data administrator and make about $96,000 per year. According to US national average salaries for machine learning engineers, you might also pursue a career in artificial intelligence and earn more than $144,000 annually.
Choosing to study computer science could lead to many new, rewarding opportunities for you.
Some Different CS Subject Areas
It will be crucial for you to study each of these subject areas as you progress along your path to becoming a computer scientist in order to gain a comprehensive education and an understanding of everything computer science. Every good computer scientist has engaged in some level of study in the following fields.
It’s a good idea to choose one or two that particularly fascinate you and go further into these fields of study so you may become an authority in that subject. Since mastering every subject is impossible, deciding on specialization is beneficial.
- Programming
- Computer Architecture
- Algorithms and Data Structures
- Mathematics for Computer Science
- Operating Systems
- Computer Networking
- Databases
- Languages and Compilers
- Distributed Systems
How to teach yourself computer science: Step-by-step guide
Step 1: Learn to Code
Coding is the first step in becoming a professional computer scientist, and it is a skill that every computer scientist must possess. Knowing how to code enables you to communicate with computers in their own language and instruct them on how to operate. Both creating brand-new computer programs and fixing problems with ones that currently exist will be possible for you. It’s an essential talent in the field of computer science.
There are numerous coding languages available. Start by learning HTML and CSS, which are the fundamentals. Then you may quickly advance to languages like Python and Java that are more sophisticated but still reasonably simple to learn. These are two really helpful programming languages for computers to be familiar with since they will provide you a firm understanding of programming fundamentals that you will need in every other language and because they are both widely utilized in the business.
Step 2: Study the details of programming
After learning to code, it’s crucial to comprehend why and how your code functions. Up till the hardware, there are many layers beneath the code.
Study the interactions between the hardware, software, compilers, and operating systems that go into making a computer in order to gain a better understanding of all the layers of the stack. A nice book to read to understand how computer systems work is The Elements of Computing Systems.
It’s a good idea to start learning about algorithms and data structures as soon as you believe you have a firm understanding of those ideas. You can develop far more effective code if you are aware of these ideas. There are many useful books and online courses available on this subject. Find a subject that best fits your preferred learning style.
Since the majority of the applications you work on will be talking with other computers either over a local network or the internet, you should also become familiar with how computer networks work.
Step 3: Choose a Specialization
Given the size and scope of the topic of study is computer science, it is exceedingly challenging to comprehend anything in depth.
Because of this, it’s wise to select a specialization that allows you to really delve into and become an authority in a particular field. As you gain knowledge, you’ll undoubtedly notice that you prefer some topics to those that interest you more.
Conclusion
Even after landing a job, a computer scientist’s education is never over. It’s critical to consistently advance your knowledge, especially in a sector that is developing at such a rapid rate. In the subject of computer science, there is always more to discover. This is what makes it such a fascinating and difficult subject to enter.