going to university for CS soon, but i'm seriously rethinking that decision now. not necessarily because the major itself is difficult, but i just feel like i'm not passionate enough about it to get a good job/internship + feel like i'd end up burning myself out quickly. have no idea what i want to do besides it though, i've been dabbling in programming for a few years and essentially haven't explored anything else besides some math. i'm seriously stuck and don't want to waste time enrolling into a program that i'm not at least 80% on... i just know that i want it to be STEM related and probably nothing in the medical field.

For the first year of college, many of the STEM classes have a high degree of overlap so you're not marrying yourself to CS if you start it and decide it's not for you.
Consider electrical engineering or math (stats heavy), different career paths than CSSE but they also (can have) programming if you so choose (verilog for EE and R / python for stats).
Maybe think about exactly what kind of job you'd want to land when you graduate (I know it's hard if you're 17 or 18 but one day you'll be 22 I promise), and work backward from there. You don't have to be perfect, just directionally correct.

>>33225216 (OP)
I'm a SDE at a FAANG

>feel like i'd end up burning myself out quickly.
You are right to be worried about this. FAANG pays a lot but the expectations are high. You are expected to produce, a lot. I love coding and even I am starting to understand how people burnout. Actually like 33% of the job is ops, 33% glorified config updates, and the last 33% is actually cool coding stuff.

Still, it's a useful degree to have since the ability to manipulate computers to do what you want is a universal skill at this point. I saw one of my finance friends using Excel and I realized he could automate a lot of it with simple Python scripts

You don't have to take 6 classes for 3 semesters for 3 years while working a full time retail job. You're young, you can slow down.

>>33225216 (OP)
CS Grad, been a software dev for 6 years. It's boring and stressful and the market is shrinking. If I had to start over I would be some kind of actual engineer. My current plan is to start a gourmet mushroom farm because fuck school.

>>33225354
i'm aware that it is a universal skill but how versatile is the degree? from what i've been hearing, you're basically competing with the whole population in india for an entry job with a cs degree but is it just fear mongering? would i be able to get an internship in a high paying field that isn't necessarily related but still requires programming like actuarial science?

>>33225374
i'm okay with taking it slow but i'd rather assess my options before i go into something that i'm unsure of and potentially waste money

>>33225216 (OP)
CS was a beast for me. I hate Java so much.

>>33225216 (OP)
>i feel like i'm not passionate enough about it to get a good job/internship
>i just know that i want it to be STEM related
you're fine. every first year STEM program looks the exact same. go for CS for two semesters then decide if you want to switch.

>>33225216 (OP)
Just enrolled last august and im doing my summer classes. I havent done any CS courses yet because i put them to my last 2 semesters before I transfer. The classes do overlap but I think CS is a good path. My specific CS path in university will be NSA cyber operations path and it covers a lot. I dont know if you have something like that where you are but here's everything it covers.

"programming languages, software reverse engineering, operating system theory, networking, cellular and mobile technologies, discrete math and algorithms, overview of cyber defense, security fundamental principles, vulnerabilities, legal and ethics, virtualization, cloud security, risk management and information systems, computer architecture, software security analysis, secure software development, digital forensics, systems programming, applied cryptography, user experience security, and offensive cyber operations"

I heard it was really hard but to me its worth it because of all the different areas you can dive further into.

>>33225216 (OP)
Study medicine

If you're even remotely intelligent or can be done, it's a big commitment but you are guaranteed to earn big money and the world is your oyster, plus everyone respects you and your job isn't some pointless bullshit. Unless you end up a general practitioner and just prescribe ozempic to fatties all day. Don't do that

>>33230198
unfortunately medicine is the last thing that i'd want to do... i don't care much for respect or having a positive purpose in the world, i just want something that i can tolerate. working with a lot of different people outside of an office space + going through like 5 years of schooling and then another 5 of residency is just not for me

>>33230191
that sounds extremely cool anon and i hope that you'll enjoy it once you start taking CS classes! yes, the institution that i'll be attending does have different paths, and i'd want to do either data science or hci if i continue with CS