Why Computer Science? As  a career for women?

• Computer Science is (in some ways) miss-named. For most people in the field, it isn't so much a "science" as a very creative design field. What most "computer scientists" do is design software. Sometimes computers are called "universal machines" -- with the right programming, they can do anything. With a CS degree, you can do anything!
• Women are often very good at it. Among other things, Computer Science requires attention to detail and when you are working with a computer it is worse than if you are working with a small child who takes everything you say literally. Computers do exactly and precisely what they are told to do. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. <grin> But if you are careful and precise and patient, then this is mostly a good thing. (Forget gender ... can you be patient, and careful, and precise? Can you solve problems and clean up messes?)
• Computer Science is not populated by geeks with no social skills and no interests outside of computers. (Can you say "stereotype"?) Most of the Computer Scientists I've worked with are fascinating people with a wide variety of interests. They tend to respect people for what they know and can do, and other factors -- gender, race, religion, etc.--  just doesn't enter into it: computers don't care about any such things and the programs you create either work or not.
  • One thing I have noticed is that there seems to be a strong correlation between music and software design. Many software developers are musicians or are highly interested in music. Perhaps there are some fundamental similarities between creating music and creating software?
  • A fair portion of software developers are also interested in Science Fiction and similar genres. Such speculative fiction is often stereotyped as "geeky". However, these genres typically focus on the future and ideas. A work of fantasy or science fiction can explore any idea at all by setting the story in a world where that idea is important. I suspect that this resonates with the openness that goes along with design software for a machine that can do anything.
• Computer Science is a field where an individual can make a difference. Software designers get to create things which make people's lives better. Safer, easier, more fun. For example, cell phones -- they're useful, and fun, and have made everyone safer -- help is just a keypress away. Cell phones are small, portable computers. And it is the software which makes them work. And when a design (for a cell phone, or a game, or for a medical system, or educational software, or ...)  is really successful, you can have an impact on thousands, or even millions of people.
• Computer Science is a field where social and communication skills are invaluable -- how can you create software to meet someone's needs if you can't communicate with them?
  • A huge part of software design is interacting with people
• Computer Science is just a good, practical choice:
  • Software development can be done anywhere, anytime.
  • It is convenient for anyone who wants to do other things with their life than just work.
  • Software can be designed working part-time.
  • Software can be designed working at home.
  • Software design pays well.
  • Job security and growth are excellent for software designers.
  • Software design has one of the highest satisfaction rates of all jobs.
  • Software design can be done by individuals, small companies, or large companies.
  • Software can be created and applied to almost any other field you find interesting.

Anyway, those are my current thoughts on why Computer Science is a good choice. Not just for women, but for anyone who can be careful and patient and precise and can who can solve problems. Especially, for anyone wants to design amazing things in the most flexible and creative medium imaginable.

I'd be very interested in any comments regarding the ideas on this page, particularly other reasons I may have omitted, or better ways to express the reasons I provided. Contact me at: skg@dsu.edu