Why Study Computer Science?

Computer science is the discipline that has made this entirely new way of life possible for us as a nation, world, and species. The study of computer science, like other subjects in a liberal arts education, gives us a broad and deep understanding of the fundamental concepts and principles underlying much of our world. When you go to banks what do you see? When you go to airports, what do you see representatives use to carry out flight reservations? When it is time to vote for a new president, what is used for the voting process? Your answer is computers. Computers that make it possible for multifaceted tasks to be done. There are several special aspects of computer science that make it an important and useful field of study. For example, Algorithmic Thinking, computer science focuses on the discovery and development of algorithms, or methods of solving problems that can be automated. No matter what field I work in, if I can conceptualize the solution of a problem as an algorithm, that problem can be solved with a computer. Algorithmic thinking that I learn to do in computer science is a systematic and general-purpose approach to problem solving that cuts across all of the disciplines in science, engineering, and the arts. When engineering and using artistic abilities, there also comes the idea of creating the “next big thing” for whatever purpose.

Designing and Making Things is also an interesting component of computer science. Computer science has sometimes been called the "science of the artificial.” Computer scientists design and construct descriptions (algorithms) of entirely new processes never before encountered in nature. These processes can bring into being an entirely new and intriguing artificial world. Unlike the real world of artifacts created by artists, craftsmen, and engineers, the world created by computer scientists can be entirely virtual. By learning how to design and make things in computer science, I will become a better designer and