Lecture 1

Introduction to Computing Discipline

CS10.1 Computer Science Fundamentals

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Faces of Computing
Careers in computing offer a variety of exciting opportunities. The stories here tell about real people we hope they will give you a sense of the excitement and motivation computing careers can give you.

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Valerie Ishida, Junior UC Berkeley

CS was a pretty natural choice for me. As a kid I was good at math, and both my parents were Computer Scientists. I spent a lot of time playing in MS Paint, and in middle school I fiddled around with Visual Basic. My parents didnt push me to like a specific subject, but I knew since I was 12 that I wanted to be a Computer Scientist. I was excited by figuring out things like why Gameshark codes were in hexadecimal, and I enjoyed number games. When I began college and took CS courses, I knew it was exactly what Id always wanted to do. Ive stayed in CS for the same reason. Thereve been plenty of tough times and disappointing results, but thats life, not disillusionment with CS. Theres always something more to CS thats interesting and exciting, and theres nowhere else Id rather be.

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Yuly Tenorio, Junior UC Berkeley

I was born and raised in Lima, Peru and came to California when I was 17. Here in the states, my first goal was to learn English, but after that I had to decide what to major in. After I took my first computer science course, Introduction to Programming, I knew I had made the right choice. From the very beginning, I loved programming and problemsolving. I realized that what I was learning had actual applications to so many real-life problems. For instance, knowing how an elevator workscoming up with the best algorithm to make it perform quickly and consistently. How does Mapquest work? How does it find the shortest path from your starting point to your destination point? How can Google search so many huge files so fast? How does your computer work? These are some of the questions that are fascinating to me. As a Junior Computer Science student, I am learning all of this and more. I am very excited to learn so many interesting things every day and to know that I can learn from all the different aspects Computer Science encompasses: Artificial intelligence (wouldnt it be cool to make a robot do your chores for you?), computer graphics (make computer graphics look like actual real people), algorithms, databases, and much more. All of this is why I am proud and happy to have chosen Computer Science.
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CS10.1 Computer Science Fundamentals

I had spent most of my non-school time interested in website design, graphics, and generally learning to use operating systems and software. After I graduated, I took jobs doing web application work. That led to more and more jobs doing programming and lower-level CS work. It wasnt until I had worked for a number of years doing this kind of work that I realized CS is really what I had wanted to do all along. I went back to school to get a Ph.D in CS.
A common misconception is that CS means sitting in front of a computer all day long. This may often be the case for programming, but CS is a large field.

Matt Jacobsen, Senior (Fall 2008 UC San Diego graduate student)

There are many applications that require CS skills that involve little or no programming. And for those programming jobs, the reason its possible to sit in front of a computer for extended periods of time is because in CS we can learn new things, achieve goals, and be creative. Every day! Its this last point that really drives me, personally. If you ask any passionate person how they can sit all day long, its because thats their outlet for being creative.
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Top 10 Reasons to Major in Computing

1.

Computing is part of everything we do!

Understanding different dimensions of computing is part of the necessary skill set for an educated person in the 21st century.

2.

Expertise in computing enables you to solve complex, challenging problems.

Computing is a discipline that offers rewarding and challenging possibilities for a wide range of people regardless of their range of interests.

3.

Computing enables you to make a positive difference in the world.

Computing drives innovation in the sciences and also in engineering, business, entertainment and education.

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Top 10 Reasons to Major in Computing

4.

Computing offers many types of lucrative careers.

Computing jobs are among the highest paid and have the highest job satisfaction.

5.

Computing jobs are here to stay, regardless of where you are located.
There actually are more computing jobs than qualified people to fill them. If you consider the expected growth in computing, its easy to see that companies simply need more talent.

6.

Expertise in computing helps you even if your primary career choice is something else.
Having a computing major will provide you with a foundation of knowledge, problem solving and logical thinking that will serve as a competitive advantage to you in your career.

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Top 10 Reasons to Major in Computing

7.

Computing offers great opportunities for true creativity and innovativeness.

The best solutions in computing exhibit high levels of elegance and beauty.

8.

Computing has space for both collaborative work and individual effort.
Computing is often about being part of a team that requires people with many different kinds of skills.

9.

Computing is an essential part of well-rounded academic preparation.

An increasing number of universities and employers see successful completion of a computer science course as a sign of academic wellroundedness.

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Top 10 Reasons to Major in Computing

10.

Future opportunities in computing are without boundaries.

Computing is one of those fields where it is almost impossible to predict what will happen next.

This is why, in computing, you cannot even begin to imagine all the ways that you can make a contribution to the field of computing and thus, make your lifes work exciting and real.

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Skills Youll Learn if You Study Computing

1. 2.

Technical computing skills. General professional skills.

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Skills Youll Learn if You Study Computing

1.

Technical computing skills.

Problem-solving ability, Practical skills such as building and using database management systems and other sophisticated software tools Programming Using existing software libraries to carry out a variety of computing tasks, such as creating a user interface Being aware of the uses to which computers are put, recognizing issues to do with security, safety, etc. Looking at innovative ways of using computers, creating tools, providing tools support, etc.

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Skills Youll Learn if You Study Computing

2.

General professional skills.

Communicating in writing, giving effective presentations and product demonstrations, and being a good negotiator (both in traditional environments and electronically) Preparing for a job search; this involves building an impressive curriculum vitae and basing this confidently on technical and other skills Being an effective team member Understanding the special requirements of a globally distributed project with participants from multiple cultures Recognizing the challenges and opportunities of keeping skills up-to-date and understand how to do so Literacy/fluency in computing; organizing all your professional information effectively
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Computing Disciplines & Majors

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Computer Engineering Computer Science Information Systems Information Technology Software Engineering

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Computer Engineering
Typically involves software and hardware and the development of systems that involve software, hardware, and communications. Study the design of digital hardware and software systems including communications systems, computers and devices that contain computers. Programming is focused on digital devices and their interfaces with users and other devices. An important area within computing engineering is the development of embedded systems. Devices such as cell phones, digital audio players, digital video recorders, alarm systems, x-ray machines, and laser surgical tools all require integration of hardware and embedded software.

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Computer Science
Currently the most popular of the computing disciplines; tends to be relatively broad and with an emphasis on the underlying science aspects. The work of computer scientists falls into 3 categories: a) designing and building software; b) developing effective ways to solve computing problems, such as storing information in databases, sending data over networks or providing new approaches to security problems; and c) devising new and better ways of using computers and addressing particular challenges in areas such as robotics, computer vision, or digital forensics

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Information Systems
Concerned with the information that computer systems can provide to aid a company, non-profit or governmental organization in defining and achieving its goals. IS professionals must understand both technical and organizational factors, and must be able to help an organization determine how information and technology-enabled business processes can provide a foundation for superior organizational performance. They serve as a bridge between the technical and management communities within an organization.

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Information Technology
It refers to the preparation of students to meet the computer technology needs of business, government, healthcare, schools, and other kinds of organizations. IT professionals possess the right combination of knowledge and practical, hands-on expertise to take care of both an organizations information technology infrastructure and the people who use it. They assume responsibility for selecting hardware and software products appropriate for an organization.They integrate those products with organizational needs and infrastructure, and install, customize and maintain those applications, thereby providing a secure and effective environment that supports the activities of the organizations computer users.

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Software Engineering
Concerned with developing and maintaining software systems that behave reliably and efficiently, are affordable to develop and maintain, and satisfy all the requirements that customers have defined for them. It integrates significant mathematics, computer science and practices whose origins are in engineering. Software engineering focuses on software development and goes beyond programming to include such things as eliciting customers requirements, and designing and testing software. SE students learn how to assess customer needs and develop usable software that meets those needs.

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