Computer Science
Myths and Facts

Dr. Ronald I. Greenberg
Loyola University Chicago

Myth: Not for women.
Fact: Women have been among the famous pioneers of computing and continue to make important contributions. One such pioneer is Grace Hopper who developed the first compiler for a computer programming language.

Myth: Good only for geeks who want to sit in a corner and code.
Fact: People skills and communications skills are highly valued. Also valued is knowledge about application domains (for example, biology!, business, graphic arts, criminal justice, ...)

Myth: Good only for people with no other life.
Fact: Computer scientists have many diverse interests just like other people. In particular, the potential to incorporate teleworking into a computing career can help one combine career and family.

Myth: All the computing jobs are going overseas (offshoring)
Fact: Computing-related professions dominate the list of fastest-growing, highest-paying occupations in the United States.

See also http://www.cs.luc.edu/~rig/cscareers/cscareers.html and http://www.cs.luc.edu/~rig/cscareers/morelinks.html