Sometimes it is difficult to know exactly what motivates kids to make the choices that they do, even when it comes to important life decisions such what to do with the rest of their lives. I remember at one point my niece’s life ambition was to be a fire truck. Granted, she was only three years old, but we were worried for a while.
One thing we do know, however, is that students are seriously misinformed about career opportunities in computer science and information technology. The media coverage of the dot bombs and the concerns over outsourcing have convinced many students (and perhaps more importantly their parents) that a computer science education is a fast trip to a professional life as a cab driver.
There is no denying that the cyclical and volatile job market and the national economy continuously reshape the kind and number of jobs that are and will be available. There is also no denying that many families, especially those in Silicon Valley, have been devestated when jobs have moved away or disappeared altogether. No one needs to tell me what this is like. Five generations of my family have worked in the auto industry.
But the fact remains, and this is supported by every economic prognostication we have, that computing is and continues to be one of the best possible areas for a fulfilling and lucrative career. And please, we are not talking here about life in Dilbert-land churning out code. We are talking about being part of every scientific breakthrough that is going to happen in the next century. We are talking about solving real-world problems using the combinatorial and computational sciences. We are talking about an opportunity to do something important, to make a difference.
Whether your students are motivated by the dollar or by the desire to change the world, help them see the connection between your computer science classroom and the world that awaits them. The opportunities are there for those willing get the kind of education they need to succeed.