Career help.

[Avengardh]

I know I shouldn't be asking all of you this, but, I think I should anyway.

My major is computer science, but I really want to get into digital arts/web design, etc (the kind where you need some programming experience to do).

However, I am also interested in robotics; today I went to an open house at the college I will be attending in the fall, and they pretty much told me I would have to go into Mechanical Engineering for that (did mention EE though), this is my dilemma, is it worth going into ME? Will I always have to learn something new like in CS? Should I do both? Is it humanly possible to do both?
Should I just forget about it and go for my CS Major and then go into graphics?

I am intending to get a physics and math minor along with my CS Major, any comments are appreciated.

[Serotonin]

I hate that dilemma: So many interests, not enough credit points to give you those interests.
I say stick with CS major and get into digital arts. Is it possible to come back later and do robotics as extra credit points on your degree? If so, do that.
I wanted to do Recombinant DNA on top of my Bioinformatics degree, but new legislation rules that you can't do extra credit points over the 144 you need :rant:

[Elro]

Argh. I can't resist.

I am an ME major (though still a freshman), and signed up for it largely due to robotics. As such, I can't really be unbiased.

I can tell you that I find engineering to be fun on the whole. Here at my college we have a general first-year program, so one could decide between ME and EE if necessary. Not sure what colleges in your area are like, though.

Problems with engineering: workload, though I enjoy it so much that it doesn't seem like much work (usually). Also, careless errors can mess you up easily. Missing details is bad here. But I have gotten away with it so far, and actually have gotten better, to an extent. It's a really fun course overall, though.

As for CS, I don't know much about it, so I can't really comment on it. However, if you're wanting to do both.. I would imagine the combined workload would be pretty tough. Also, make sure the right minors are offered! I wanted to minor in EE, but they don't offer it here. :rant:

I'd say go with what you enjoy most. Or if you're not sure, maybe get some electives out of the way while auditing a class of each, or something along those lines. It sounded like robotics was just an afterthought, though. If it's just a passing interest, it may not be worth going through engineering for, even as a minor.

There.. Partially unbiased.

[CoHo]

My major is computer science, but I really want to get into digital arts/web design, etc (the kind where you need some programming experience to do).

Hrm... that's what I teach, the whole digital arts/web design crap to a bunch of college students... Yeah if you want to get in robotics go for it and learn web design on the side. I don't know how else to say this but, yeah, just grow a pair and fucking do it. Most college students seem to be in this haze of constant contemplation where they spent four years wandering between classes and frat parties.

To be perfectly honest you need to figure out what you want to do with your life. Find that then go fucking gangbusters on it.

I'm going to open up another bottle of wine, I have a full day of work tomorrow then in the evening I have to teach another handful of you bastards how to use wsywig editors.

Oh yeah, that reminds me. Everyone in your class is your enemy, that is, if people are better then you they will get better jobs. I'm not sure if that helps or not, but then again I don't really care all that much.

[SensEye]

Both would appear to be acceptable from an INTP personality perspective. But doing both at the same time would be too much work (very unacceptable from an INTP personality perspective). The CS major with graphics design would seem to better suit your artsy side.

Aside to CW> Remember, it's piss in the toilet, milk on the cornflakes. Not the other way around!:D

[nihilist]

However, I am also interested in robotics; today I went to an open house at the college I will be attending in the fall, and they pretty much told me I would have to go into Mechanical Engineering for that (did mention EE though), this is my dilemma, is it worth going into ME? Will I always have to learn something new like in CS? Should I do both? Is it humanly possible to do both?
Should I just forget about it and go for my CS Major and then go into graphics?

Physicists, neurologists (with specialization), mechanical/electrical engineers, and computer scientists are the researchers behind robotics. Thus, you can approach AI from a few different directions.

The CS program in your college should have a few optional junior/senior/graduate level courses in AI. Most undergrad CS programs offer 2 or 3 different concentrations like systems programming or graphics. However, if you do plan on taking AI CS classes, be fully prepared to understand and program in LISP.

[Avengardh]

Hey all, I wanted to thank you for your insight, all of it.

It made me rethink a lot of things :D.

[Hypnos]

FWIW, perhaps too late:

Accept the fact that your interests will likely change, as an INTP and an otherwise intelligent and curious person. Your activities now should be fun, but they should also prepare you for future shifts, such that your desires will be taken seriously by the powers that be. Perhaps, if you're lucky, down the road, you will be the one shaping the allocation of human resources and the arc of intellectual discourse.