STUDENT OUTLOOK -- Socrates Cruz

What’s up with majoring in computer science theses days? I’ll tell you

what’s up: It’s conformity, it’s a trend, it’s stylin’, everybody’s doing

it; you should too.

Hop onto the bandwagon.

As the new millennium commences, pursuing a college major that deals

with computer technology has become a fad. “When I was your age, I had to

walk seven miles to school uphill both ways.” Yup, those were the good

ol’ days when college meant a place of diversified learning.

Today, though, nine out of 10 people I ask say they’re majoring in

computer science. Why? “It’s a hot field on the market.” Sure it’s a hot

field; money, dinero, clinkety-clink in the pocket.

Our highly money-oriented consumer society has created a scenario

where adolescents are being pushed into careers where monetary success

outbids personal happiness.

Now please, don’t get me wrong. I’m sure there are many people who are

genuinely interested in, inclined toward and possibly even passionate

about careers in computer science -- I’m also well aware of the fact

that, very likely, the main reason why people pursue higher education is

for the monetary security.

But what I’m concerned about is that many people decide to pursue

careers simply because of what the market indicates. Whatever happened to

dreaming of becoming an astronaut and being shot up to the moon, or of

being a fireman and bringing down kitty cats from high trees?

Sure, the field’s hot and the pay’s great, but what about doing

something you will feel happy doing?

Thomas Edison said of himself, “I never did a day’s work in my life.

It was all fun.” Our generation must once again realize that vocations

are career paths that we should feel passionate about. In the long run,

money won’t matter, but a sense of personal fulfillment will.

You want to be a lawyer? Great. An accountant, a doctor, a teacher? No

problem. We must remember that an artisan potter in Italy is also capable

of leading a happy life.

We grew up dreaming of vocations we felt passionate about. Mechanic,

vet, sculptor, “That’s what I wanna be when I grow up.”

But now we find that “hot fields” and profit have replaced those

dreams of happiness.

Just remember that no matter how banal it may sound, there are some

things money just can’t buy. So pursue a career you feel passionate

about; one that will make you happy regardless of how much dough flows

in.

And if that career happens to be computer science, so much the better.

* SOCRATES CRUZ is a senior at Costa Mesa High School, where he is the

8 Penny Review editor at the school newspaper, the Hitching Post.