And pays poorly.

Not to mention you probably have to deal with brats sometimes (all the time.)

Go for the BS in CS and minor in education, teach computer science to middle, or high schoolers. Some schools have mathematic and technology magnet programs, there you go.

Education pays very poorly, unless you specialze. There is a demand for teachers in special education, mathematics, science and technology. I'd talk to the guidance counselor, and check out what fields of study in education are available, and go from there.


Good luck, and don't worry, you are asking yourself excellent questions! It is better to do your research now, and make your descion than to rack up a boatload of college debt and be saddled with it the rest of your life.

Trying to decide whether snotty second graders are worse than stupid computer owners... lol

I think elementary education has to be a calling. If you're unsure, it's probably a sign you shouldn't.

Um... except that it's impossible to be fired as a teacher for some minor infraction. And I've known teachers who have kept jobs even after major infractions. Tenure is a wonderful little safety net... even for horrible teachers.


Coming from experience, teaching isn't just a thankless job but your biggest stress sometimes don't come from your students. I hate to say it, but there can be a lot of side dealing nonsense in school board administration. I'm not saying every school is the same because it all depends, for the most part, on your principle. You get a good one and your experience will be - more then likely - very positive. But get stuck with a bad one? Ugh.. the stories I could tell. Unforunately, I've seen this type of crap in all three levels of school - elementary, middle/junior, and high school. There are also far fewer job openings for a teacher then someone with education relating to technology.
Now there are definite pros to teaching - health insurance (though getting more expensive for less coverage due to finanical issues), tenure, decent retirement packages, the ability to further your education and your career (becoming a principle), and knowing that you are making a difference in our future. You also (at least in my state) can transfer to different school within your area if a job opens up. And the longer you are in the system, the more weight you have to throw around.

Then again.. it all depends completely on WHERE you plan on teaching. Every state is different when it comes to pay, insurance, retirement, union, practices, etc.

You will have more opportunities and make far more money - on average - in the IT field. And as someone said above, you can much more easily change careers TO teaching then FROM.

Computer specialist, i got into computers by doing teaching and teaching beginners how to use their computers, if you like repairing computers and helping out people, and pointing out what their doing wrong then thats the sort of technician thats needed not the arrogant, i know but you dont so bad luck your a moron type technician, i know ive dealt with so many of them and even worked with them. And no matter how many there are, computers are going to be around for a long time.

Teaching can be a pain, i was lucky because i taught advlts, from the aged to people with disabilities, and i didnt have a curriculum to go by, i taught people what they wanted to know and found out what they needed to know, by the time i was with them, teaching set classes is a pain and especially children, unless your very patient and really want to work with kids, id steer away from it.

@Naxos (sorry no quote, on my phone)

I shouldn't have said fired. It was more, a few teachers were heavily pressured into quitting/changing schools due to some parents appealing to the board. Also, I was under the impression that not every teacher got tenure?

pharmacy, its recession proof, everyone needs drugs

Why does everyone hate children?

I lived with my aunt for 3 years and she runs a daycare in her home, with around 20 kids. Ages ranging from 1-12. I liked doing that. Helping with homework, playing with them, etc.
It was fun. I've dealt with absolute terrors, but I think you people are exaggerating a lot. Kids aren't monsters, they're rather easy to deal with compared to teenagers.

My sister is a teacher in Missouri, and she says her number 1 headache is parents. Often parents don't put any effort into their kids and expect the teachers to parent them.
She even has one student that she needs to pick up on her way to school because his mom doesn't want to get up early to take him and if she doesn't, he doesn't go to school. Another mom demanded that she come home with her student to help him with his homework, "because thats the teacher's responsibility"



Thinking about, maybe I don't want to be a teacher. People are idiots

At least with computers their unbiased machines you can fix. Some people you just can't fix.



What I'm worried about is finding a job. I'm going to college in Anchorage, AK and its not exactly tech central. Though it is the biggest city in Alaska. CS is one of the least taken majors at the college though. With education being the second highest. I really want to live in Anchorage; Its beautiful, temps in the summer are just right, and being able to snowboard 10 months out of the year is awesome since I have two snowboard resorts less than an hour away.



I have thought about being self employed, but there are TONS of them in the area. At least thirty or forty.
I was thinking about trying to make a store that builds custom computers. You describe it, we build it. Costumers get same day fixing if anything goes wrong. No bloatware, fresh drivers installs, ready to use the first time you boot it up. That sort of thing.
I just don't know how successful I'd be. I'd have to charge a building fee, along with the part expenses, and still compete with the other stores. Theres around 5 physical computer repair stores in anchorage.

I like kids, if it's any consolation. I'm a tennis coach and I much prefer teaching kids to advlts.

You could be an IT teacher with a Computing degree, as well as an ordinary Elementary teacher I believe, at least where I'm from.

Doesn't sound like you'd make a good teacher with that attitude though haha

Careers are for svckers! WELFARE!!!!!!!!!!

Were I live you need a bachelors degree and completed a teaching program, which you don't usually get accepted unless you majored in education.
At least thats what my career guidance counselor says.

Don't teachers get paid vacation in the Summer time? Or is this a myth?

Teach Computer science.

Its a myth. Some teachers have the option of spreading their pay over twelve months, instead of ten, but they don't get paid any extra. They don't really get to much of summer "off" either, since they usually have to go to a ton of mandatory workshops, planning for the next year, meetings, recertification, etc. All of which they don't get paid for.

They only get paid for the time they're infront of the kids. Which most teachers also spend a few hours planning, grading papers, etc that they don't get paid for.


To do that I'd still have to get my masters after my BS in CS. Then I'd be teaching teens, which I rather not do.

Teach advlts.
Better yet, teach seniors.elders which would be like teaching grade school.

Well then my main reason for you to choose being a teacher goes out the window...lol

CS!!!

Go the school teacher route, that way you can be under paid and under appreciated

Join the military.

Go with the computer job, probably more opportunities and less kids screaming.

People really hate kids, don't they?

Based on the above, if the type of computer specialist career that you're thinking of entails customer service of any kind, I'd say....go with being a teacher. You could combine them...be a computer tech teacher. Yes, it won't pay as much but you'll get more time off than 2-4 weeks a year and it'll be a lot less stress. My brother's a high school math teacher (for over 20 years) and he's very content despite not being rich.

At any rate....if you don't have patience for whatever you may personally view as customer stupidity, computer service is not the (long term) job for you. Trust me.

And if you're good with them and you enjoy working with them, it's basically a dream scenerio. My brother was the same way, ended up going to the Art Institute of Chicago and after two small jobs closing up on him after a few months working, he's working for Sears Headquarters making WAY more money than a 22 year old can spend. He's a graphic design major, which might be a little different than what you're looking to get into, but the field still remains surprisingly not as competitive as you'd think and rather high paying.

Keep in mind that Computer Science is going to be very software-focused...at least every CS curriculum I'm familiar with is. That means a lot of math, logic, and programming courses with a smattering of fundamental computer architecture courses. There's little-to-no material in the system building and maintenance vein. For the most part you're not going to study computers in general. People typically focus on networking/systems, hardware engineering (in which case people usually major in Electrical Engineering), or software engineering.