# Balancing your interests, career aspirations, gender identity and other factors..?



## WowAmazing (Dec 15, 2010)

I just started going to school for Computer Science because I've always been good with computers and did really well in some classes I took in it. Some days I love it but at times I think of just sitting in a cubicle and coding all day and it makes me want to die. Being female, I was ashamed to admit to people I was majoring in Computer Science. My dad is a computer programmer and I find absolutely nothing wrong with it, but I just don't see it fitting in with my identity, who I want to be if that makes sense. It'd make me feel manly and although I know it isn't true the stereotypes that programmers are boring social rejects gets to me. I used to be like that but I've been changing and am very feminine and am in a relationship and have been improving myself and my personality.

The environment of a job in pharmacy really appeals to me. Physical Therapy appeals to me too along with Nursing. Pharmacy and PT are at the top because you interact with people but you're still a professional and it's something I'd be proud of telling people. I'm very feminine and it'd help me feel feminine. I don't mind it being monotonous at times, and I think it sounds challenging yet fun and yet rewarding. I didn't do so well in Chemistry in HS but I'm enrolling in Chemistry and Math next semester and where I live I'd be guaranteed a spot in first year Pharmacology (but I'd get kicked out if I failed, obviously).

I love the idea of writing my own programs and making my own websites for all my ideas. I've been making websites since I was a kid. They're simple and I haven't been able to code any programs like I've wanted to do. But realistically, I'll just become a code monkey. Plus the work environment just depresses me, I used to have a computer addiction. Plus I don't know if I'd be able to look back on my life and be satisfied with what I picked. I want to contribute to the world, give back to the community. Pharmacy seems to be the perfect combination of the two. But maybe I'd get bored of Pharmacy because I'm not as interested in Chemistry and Biology as I am Programming?

Has anybody faced a similar dilemma?


----------



## StElmosDream (May 26, 2012)

@*WowAmazing*
It is tough, I spent 12 years studying or learning about IT and Computing only to find getting a getting an A grade degree in generalised Computing (covering many things over 3 years) meant very little because I came to hate the lack of career focus, rigidity of thinking and the male dominated courses/field of pursuit.

Now my 'blank slate' focus is 'retraining' to provide learning support to students (and eventually adults with autism alone) with learning challenges, with a desire to undertake a masters in Psychology when finances permit; assuming that the statistic side of Psychology is completed I'd like to consider clinical psychology specialisms one day.

The real challenge is finding a 'job' that excites you and fits your personality (not MBTI but your heart and mind first) when its 'nice' to train in giving roles but ultimately much harder to retrain when discontent occurs... tbh coding has become so hobbyist now that only exceptionable coders knowing 3-6 languages get noticed or employed easily.


----------



## .30691 (Dec 19, 2011)

WowAmazing said:


> I just started going to school for Computer Science because I've always been good with computers and did really well in some classes I took in it. Some days I love it but at times I think of just sitting in a cubicle and coding all day and it makes me want to die.


The cubicle office thing is only usually only in development farms (usually found in india or china). You probably won't end up working in a place like that.



> Being female, I was ashamed to admit to people I was majoring in Computer Science. My dad is a computer programmer and I find absolutely nothing wrong with it, but I just don't see it fitting in with my identity, who I want to be if that makes sense.


I am the same I don't have a very geeky personality at all, I used to be afraid of the judgements people would make when I said I was a programmer. But really this comes from their lack of understanding of computers and therefore what you know/can do. When I was at school I was pulled into my form tutors office once because someone had their facebook password changed and all their profile messed up. The victim thought I (being the class geek) could be the only one capable of this.



> It'd make me feel manly and although I know it isn't true the stereotypes that programmers are boring social rejects gets to me. I used to be like that but I've been changing and am very feminine and am in a relationship and have been improving myself and my personality.


Well that's good I suppose, I also hate the stereotypes but you shouldn't let them dictate what you decide to do study/career wise.


> The environment of a job in pharmacy really appeals to me. Physical Therapy appeals to me too along with Nursing. Pharmacy and PT are at the top because you interact with people but you're still a professional and it's something I'd be proud of telling people. I'm very feminine and it'd help me feel feminine. I don't mind it being monotonous at times, and I think it sounds challenging yet fun and yet rewarding. I didn't do so well in Chemistry in HS but I'm enrolling in Chemistry and Math next semester and where I live I'd be guaranteed a spot in first year Pharmacology (but I'd get kicked out if I failed, obviously).


If thats what you wan't to do. Personally I would encourage you to do computer science just because I am sick of the lack of diversity (not only gender but also racial) in IT. I also can't stand people in IT that think they are above professionalism (Mark Zucherberg) just because they are really technical and understand some meta-physics. 



> I love the idea of writing my own programs and making my own websites for all my ideas. I've been making websites since I was a kid. They're simple and I haven't been able to code any programs like I've wanted to do. But realistically, I'll just become a code monkey. Plus the work environment just depresses me, I used to have a computer addiction. Plus I don't know if I'd be able to look back on my life and be satisfied with what I picked. I want to contribute to the world, give back to the community. Pharmacy seems to be the perfect combination of the two. But maybe I'd get bored of Pharmacy because I'm not as interested in Chemistry and Biology as I am Programming?


Evey good programmer does, that lust alone will probably make you stand out from most of your peers. When at uni I am surrounded by people who whine and complain that everything is too hard, and ask why can't it be as easy as ms word ect. Don't worry about the working enviroment 








StElmosDream said:


> @*WowAmazing*
> It is tough, I spent 12 years studying or learning about IT and Computing only to find getting a getting an A grade degree in generalised Computing (covering many things over 3 years) meant very little because I came to hate the lack of career focus, rigidity of thinking and the male dominated courses/field of pursuit.


 These are all things that concern me too, my biggest concern is how unsatisfying computer science is acidemically. If you can grasp discrete mathematics, electronics and meta-physics, everything else is just understanding how people and companies have asserted these disciplines to create their own software and hardware. There is far more to learn about regaurding what others have done with computer science than there is computer science itself.


----------



## StElmosDream (May 26, 2012)

cdesewell said:


> These are all things that concern me too, my biggest concern is how unsatisfying computer science is acidemically. If you can grasp discrete mathematics, electronics and meta-physics, everything else is just understanding how people and companies have asserted these disciplines to create their own software and hardware. There is far more to learn about regaurding what others have done with computer science than there is computer science itself.


Honestly aside from product creation (coding, websites, games etc) and mathematics in hardware or networking modules, the rest just involves pattern recognition, problem solving and strong focus on writing academically (creating an artificial 'knowledge bubble' when Harvard referencing can cover a multitude of 'insights' by itself).

I just found that study had enabled me to attempt virtually every major area of Computing/IT and became disheartened when personal experiences were at times discredited for not fitting 'grading criteria' or course content became mundane once common associations were formed between multiple modules (my dissertation for example saw me borrowing sources from 2-4 modules previously covered and vice versa).

Although many say 'people skills' can be learned in study environments, it really does vary when the workplace probably won't group together so many disimpassioned people (I can't count how many times shirkers or undisciplined people brought down group efforts), when at least employment offers the caveat of firing, performance reviews or public shaming.


----------



## hopeandpray (Dec 7, 2011)

I'm very feminine and it'd help me feel feminine. - If you are very feminine then surely you will remain so regardless of your profession. I'm going into medicine which is traditionally male dominated, most people presumed I would be a nurse but I want to be a doctor. Stereotypes are not a good reason not to pursue something you would really enjoy. 
 'I want to contribute to the world, give back to the community' Most of the pharmacists I know feel completely overqualified and under appreciated. I don't think that many of them feel like they are contributing a whole lot. I'm not saying that they don't but there is not a high job satisfaction. 
If you love programming then stick with it! I worked in a pharmacy for a couple of days and was incredibly bored even though I do have an interest in biology and chemistry.


----------



## dann (Feb 11, 2012)

hopeandpray said:


> I'm very feminine and it'd help me feel feminine. - If you are very feminine then surely you will remain so regardless of your profession. I'm going into medicine which is traditionally male dominated, most people presumed I would be a nurse but I want to be a doctor. Stereotypes are not a good reason not to pursue something you would really enjoy.
> 'I want to contribute to the world, give back to the community' Most of the pharmacists I know feel completely overqualified and under appreciated. I don't think that many of them feel like they are contributing a whole lot. I'm not saying that they don't but there is not a high job satisfaction.
> If you love programming then stick with it! I worked in a pharmacy for a couple of days and was incredibly bored even though I do have an interest in biology and chemistry.


The work environment for pharmacists is horrible and highly stressful. Also, pharmacy has very little to do with chemistry and more to do with rote memory. Despite what people say, pharmacy is a dying profession--believe me. If you're going to go through that much work, just go to medical school.

If have questions, feel free to PM me!


----------

