Degree Memes

Four years of algorithm analysis, data structures, and discrete mathematics just to ask if you want ketchup with that. The job market's so saturated that your resume with "proficient in 12 programming languages" is now being used to wrap burgers. Still paying off student loans with minimum wage while the CS dropout who made a silly app about cats is now worth millions. The ultimate stack overflow.

Nothing says "I understand technology" quite like thinking Computer Science is about manufacturing computers. Dad's response is the perfect encapsulation of why explaining your career to family is harder than explaining recursion to a first-year student. The classic disconnect between what non-tech people think we do ("oh, you can fix my printer!") versus the reality of crying over a missing semicolon at 2AM. The computer science factory is currently hiring - must have 10 years experience in a language that's 3 years old and be willing to work for exposure.

Ah, the classic tale of the underemployed programmer. Four years of algorithms, data structures, and all-night coding sessions just to ask "Would you like fries with that?" When your IDE is replaced by a POS terminal and your deployment environment is now the drive-thru lane. The ultimate "it works in production but not in my career" scenario. Meanwhile, Silicon Valley tech bros who can barely center a div are making six figures. The irony is rich enough to clog arteries – just like the food being served.

Finally found a practical use for that $50,000 piece of paper - a mousepad. Four years of data structures and algorithms just to create the perfect surface friction for cursor movement. The irony is that the degree probably cost more than the actual computer it's supporting. At least it's not collecting dust in a drawer like my knowledge of binary trees.