Ivy CS Master’s program worth it?

[u/Still_Following5118]

I am halfway through my first semester at an Ivy League school for a computer science program.

The beginning was great, learning computer architecture, python, etc. However halfway through the semester we started Java and at this point I’m feeling burnt out between my full-time job at a bank and doing these courses.

But the main thing that’s exhausting me is learning these languages when at work we consistently make programs utilizing AI to build things instantly. As I plan to continue with the masters program I’m worried that what I’m learning won’t be that useful after graduation. I am young 20’s and my job pays for the masters.

I know it’s extremely early in the program but I’m just worried that the material won’t be useful as Claude as reverse engineering full video games into each other and self replicating in computers and doing all this advanced stuff.

I would love to combine my finance background and computer science because I have a passion for both, I just find it difficult to invest the time when AI is so advanced when it has only been around for a handful of years! I suppose my main concern is learning things that aren’t applicable/useful by the time I finish in 2 years.

Any insight/opinions would be great, I am excited to hear from students, earlier career, mid career, or even late career and their opinions.

[u/lhorie]

How do you plan on determining if any given code is doing what it is supposed to be doing if you don't know the language it's written in?

[u/Colfuzi0 → u/lhorie]

Is embedded systems worth getting into now that AI can code it ?

[u/lhorie → u/Colfuzi0]

Who's gonna take responsibility if a car's ABS system fails? AI or a human?

Now, is the schooling commitment worth to you? I've no idea, depends on what you want. Some people are completely fine w/ just working at Costco and there's nothing wrong with that.

[u/Colfuzi0 → u/lhorie]

I just can't decide what is more safe from AI embedded or networking i really like both i also want to teach. I guess your right but I feel that companies will be ever more pressuring and fast moving like web dev. I'm in a masters in computer engineering but I have scholarship

[u/lhorie → u/Colfuzi0]

That's like deciding careers based on what's more likely to cause carpal tunnel. There are better criteria for making career decisions, e.g. embedded leans towards hardware-adjacent spaces (e.g. automotive, defense), networking has more overlap with general tech (edge networking, for example), and they overlap in some ways (e.g. telecom)

Generally speaking, my advice is merely to pick something you can tolerate, cus the "doing what you love" thing is gonna shatter your rose colored glasses pretty quickly for any number of reasons (bad bosses, office politics, bad career growth prospects, whatever, in any sector). With the "what you can tolerate" bar, a lot of "decision factors" become meaningless, e.g. even if AI has some impact, the impact will likely be similar enough across sub-sectors and be overshadowed by other bigger concerns in your life like WLB concerns, pay scaling concerns, etc in practice.

[u/Colfuzi0 → u/lhorie]

I can tolerate both. If I'm looking for work near home it would be near NASA contractors. But I just dont know tbh I don't know what to do with my life at this point sometimes I've thought a pivot out of tech or going into academia because I really enjoy tech work

[u/lhorie → u/Colfuzi0]

Yeah definitely relatable. Lots of people feel lost coming out of school and facing the whole adulting thing. In terms of getting over the challenge of finding a job, my advice is just pick one lane and get really good at it. At the end of the day, every employer is looking for the best candidate in the pile, so you want to be on top of the list, whatever that list may be.

[u/Brambletail]

Yes. Do it

[u/Still_Following5118 → u/Brambletail]

🫡🫡🫡

[u/akrika1]

yes if ur job pays for it