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This challenge is broken up into six weeks, which you can do at your own pace. Here are some of the highlights of what you will learn in this challenge:
Get an introduction to some of the different career paths in computer science
Learn about different ways that computer science is applied to your daily life (you might be surprised!)
Start planning for classes and activities that you can participate in to prepare you for your desired career
Gain insight on how to plan and develop computer applications
Let's get started!
Welcome to Week 1! Examples of computer science in action in the real world are all around you. Let's learn more about them! What and where are they, who makes them, and what career paths can you follow if you want to make them, too?
Prepare for action. Get yourself a notebook, folder or document on your computer, or some other place where you can write down your notes and do your reflection questions and exercises for this challenge. It's good to have a dedicated place to keep track of all this information that you'll be getting.
Learn about computing innovations. The College Board offers an AP (Advanced Placement) course called Computer Science Principles, which introduces students to computer science concepts, and helps them understand how computer science shapes the world around them. One of the key principles in the course is computing innovations, which are technologies that require a computer in some shape or capacity. Read more about some of the computing innovations that you might see in your daily life:
Fiveable Study Guide on Computing Innovations: May require a free account, using your email address. This article is part of a longer study guide for the AP Computer Science Principles course.
Khan Academy Unit on Computing Innovations: Another excerpt from a free AP Computer Science Principles study guide.
Understand what computer science is. Exactly what is computer science, anyway? Is it just programming? Check out these articles to get a better idea of what computer science really is, and what skills you need to develop when you study computer science.
What is Computer Science? A brief overview written by Codecademy, a popular site that offers free and paid courses in various computer science topics, including several different programming languages.
What is a Computer Scientist? What Exactly Do CS Majors Do? Free Code Camp, another popular site that offers free comprehensive educational materials aimed at adults (and others) who want to start computer careers, has written an article about different topics in computer science, and what computer scientists study in college. Check out the linked articles as well, covering topics such as math for computer science, binary numbers, algorithms, programming languages, and more.
Discover computer science career paths. Start learning about some of the difference careers paths that you can pursue in the computer science field.
10 Jobs for Computer Science Majors: From the College Board, this article gives you some insight into possible careers that a computer science major can open for you.
Top Careers in Computer Science: A good list of many of the different types of computer science careers. Each career description includes an overview of the duties and skillsets for that career path, as well as salary outlooks.
We recommend that you get your dedicated notebook, computer document, or other central place to write your answers to these questions and exercises.
What are some computing innovations that you use in your everyday life? Are there others you can think of that you don't necessarily see or use everyday?
How have computing innovations made your life better or easier?
Can you link some of the computing innovations you linked to some of the career paths you've read about? For instance, if there's a website that you really like or that you use often, you might realize that some of the job fields involved with making such a site might include web development and cybersecurity (to make sure that users like you can safely use that site without being exposed to viruses or having your personal information stolen).
Which computing innovations do you think you might like to learn more about, or even work on yourself, in the future?
After reading about what computer science is, has your understanding about what computer science is changed from before you read the articles?
What are some of the skills you need to study computer science? Of those skills, which of them are you strongest in, and which of them do you feel like you'd need to improve? There's always room to improve and learn more in any skill, but it's also good to get an idea of your current comfort level and expertise in those skills.
Did any of the computer science topics particularly interest you? For example, maybe you are not just interested in programming, but also in a related field like hardware development?
Which of the computer science jobs/career paths seemed most interesting to you? Why? Do you have any ideas about how you can prepare yourself for those careers?
Did you have any questions about what you've done in this week's challenge, or anything that you need more explanation about?
Welcome to Week 2! In the last week, we did a brief introduction of some career paths related to computer science. This week, our goal is to start learning more about some of those paths, and even begin doing some hands-on activities related to those careers. Our purpose is to get an initial idea of which careers we might want to explore and pursue.
Review career path overviews. Look back at the links from last week about different career paths, as well as your notes, and remind yourself about what career paths might be of interest to you.
Start learning more about specific careers. For this week, we have prepared a list of some career paths, with links to activities and information resources for each. This list will be an evolving document, so feel free to bookmark the list and check back for updates. Try out the activities linked to the career paths that you want to explore, and visit the informational resource links. The goal is for you to start getting some hands-on experience in your potential career paths, so that you can better understand what those careers entail. Here is the list.
Which career paths did you choose to explore? Why?
What did you learn about those career paths? Was there anything new or surprising that you learned?
Did you like any of the career paths more than others?
Are there other career paths that you might like to explore in the future?
Do you have any questions or other thoughts?
Welcome to Week 3! Hopefully, after last week's exploration of different roles in the computer science field, you got an idea of one or a few fields you might be interested in as a future career. Once you've identified some of your interests, the next important step is to start determining what kind of preparation you will need for the role(s). Education is a big part of that preparation. You can start preparing in high school, in college, or even if you're an adult who is looking for a career change. This week, we will look at some of the skills and education that you will need, and how to start preparing now.
Review career path overviews. Look back at the links from last week about different career paths, as well as your notes, and remind yourself about what career paths might be of interest to you.
Start learning more about specific careers. For this week, we have prepared a list of some career paths, with links to activities and information resources for each. This list will be an evolving document, so feel free to bookmark the list and check back for updates. Try out the activities linked to the career paths that you want to explore, and visit the informational resource links. The goal is for you to start getting some hands-on experience in your potential career paths, so that you can better understand what those careers entail. Here is the list.
Which career paths did you choose to explore? Why?
What did you learn about those career paths? Was there anything new or surprising that you learned?
Did you like any of the career paths more than others?
Are there other career paths that you might like to explore in the future?
Do you have any questions or other thoughts?
Welcome to Week 3! In the last week, we took a more in-depth look at several career paths. This week, our goal is to start figure out what we need to be learning in high school and before that, in order to prepare for a college education in computer science. What classes should you take, and what skills should you build to help you get into a great computer science program for college? Let's take a look!
Explore relevant AP classes. AP classes and exams are some of the strongest offerings that you can take in high school to bolster your college applications. Take a look at these links to get an idea of which ones you should take for your intended major/career, and when.
Learn about additional relevant skills. There are some skills that are helpful for a computer-related field that you don't necessarily have to take AP classes to gain. Look at the College Board's list of careers, choose the ones that interest you, and get an idea of what other skills would be helpful. For example, an avionics technician needs to know a lot of computer science adjacent skills, such as electronic equipment and computer programming, to work with aircraft systems. But in addition, the technician needs to be proficient with tools, a skill which you probably won't find in an AP class.
Check your school's course offerings. Get a list of the AP classes and other classes that your school offers, as well as the prerequisites for each of the classes.
Make an appointment with your school's guidance counselor. The guidance counselor's job is to help you prepare for your future education and opportunities, by making the right moves while you're still in school. Some students wait until late in their high school careers to visit the guidance counselor, but if you start working with the counselor now, you can make the best plan for how to get to the college you want, as well as start building a positive, proactive relationship with the counselor. Discuss the research that you've done as part of this challenge with your counselor. Remember that this relationship could also lead to a helpful letter of recommendation when it's time to apply to college!
Does your school offer the AP classes you want to take? Are there other similar classes that are not AP classes, but that cover the skills you want to gain?