What classes I should take in high school if i want to be a computer programmer/engineer?

Question

I am entering tenth grade after this summer

Answer 1

Math (computer does the work, but you need to know the formulas and methodologies)
English Composition (for all those dang reports)
Computer Science

There's really nothing else at the high school level that will seriously help you in becoming a programmer.

Answer 2

Computer Science and Computer Engineering are pretty different fields when you get to college. To keep your options open to either, go strong with math and science, whatever you can take. If you're serious about computer engineering, a rigorous study of calculus will come in handy, but it's pretty typical to take it your first year of college. For CS, if your school doesn't offer CS directly, linear algebra (vectors, matrices, etc.), trig, and geometry make a great foundation for graphics programming, and anything logic or discrete math related will help. Physics is great, too, but it's even better if you take the versions of physics with calculus involved (i.e. college physics for engineers). I personally think that studying foreign languages exercises the same part of your brain that picks up computer languages, but your mileage may vary.

Find a way to tinker with programming at home. The craze now is making widgets and gadgets - you can make a simple one pretty quickly and thousands of people will download it. I recommend yahoo's from experience, but I'm sure google gadgets and the osx and vista versions are all good too. Tinkering on your own now will help you remember there is some fun parts of programming when you're stuck on some homework problem three or four years from now.

Answer 3

I assume you’ll be pursuing higher studies in computer science? Treat it as if you are applying as an engineer. You’ll want to take an accelerated study path in math and science. You should be pursuing the most difficult classes in the math area and focus on the physics area in science. Generally speaking, you all round want to take difficult courses. The mentality of a programmer and engineer is to take up challenges, and if you take wimpy courses, universities are going to assume you really aren’t cut out to be one.

Obviously, take up the CS courses offered in your school. If they are non-existent or useless for programming, look for CS courses in a community college or nearby university. The more accredit the university, the better that CS course is going to look. Generally speaking, CS courses in high school are pretty pathetic, and the universities are aware of this. If an AP (or international equivalent) course in CS is offered take it, or take the exam directly.

Try to pursue programming outside of class. Thing of programming as a magic show. The actual program code is the sleight of hand. The real work is critical thinking and analysis. Being able to think is something that can’t really be taught. It has to be learnt. By pursuing it yourself, you’ll gain the experience and practice you need to make the cut as a computer engineer.

Answer 4

Honestly, you should probably speak with a college advisor/counselor. They will tell you all the classes you need and they help you set a schedule. You can do the typical 4 year program or even 2 or less year programs. Your best shot is to call and speak with someone.

Answer 5

Talk with a counselor at your school. Different schools offer different classes. Also remember that these classes will likely be your electives.
Overall, the best thing to do is keeping your grades up.

Answer 6

Computer Science classes.

Answer 7

High school? I don't know what they offer where *you* are, but I' glad I concentrated on Algebra and other maths! Logic helps!

Answer 8

Im going there too! You should take web page design in buissiness education.

Answer 9

I would speak wit a guidance counsellor. If there are any programming languages that's what you need to take.

Answer 10

yah go to computer science class and then go to UCI, my bro did that and now hes working for yahoo.