Introduction to Computer Science and its Branches (Streams)

In this world full of industries, a technological -driven mind is the prime necessity to set yourself apart from the crowd. In this process of creating a technology driven world which knows how to function according to the needs of the industries computers are a must. 

 

This is the reason, there is a study of computers and a science of it which helps the students of this era know everything about those machines that run this entire world.

 

Alfred Aho once said- “Computer Science is a science of abstraction -creating the right model for a problem and devising the appropriate mechanizable techniques to solve it.”

 

 

Computer Science - The science of computers

 

Computer science is the study of computers and its applications. It provides the students the liberty to know everything about this world through softwares and their applications. 

• It is the deep study of those machines and their softwares that basically runs this world. 

• It is the study of computer algorithms and the languages that program the machines. 

• It is the study of data structures and networking and the establishment of networks in computers. 

 

It is not just the study of software and languages, it liberates students and opens in front of them a path of 5, from which they can choose any of them to proceed further. 

 

These paths are;

 

• Information Technology

• Computer Engineering

• Software Engineering

• Computer Science and Engineering

• Information System

 

Almost all the career paths mentioned here, for the ones who are interested in these bunch of machines with complex structures, have one thing in common,” i.e. engineering. 

 

There are streams in engineering that start from the basics of computer science and lead the students to the very top of it. The designed course structures are a plus point as they don’t focus on just one thing. 

 

Streams

 

1. Computer science and engineering: It is one such stream. It allows the students to start from the very basics of computers. It is the study of the science of computers, i.e. computer science with the architecture of it with; 

 

• The main programming languages, 

• An introduction to computer circuits, and  

• A mastery in computer algorithms that run the whole process of this science of computers. 

 

Having its origin from mathematics and electrical engineering, computer science and engineering is the study of computation of not only the software but also the hardware of computers. It helps the students to excel in their chosen career path and gives them opportunities to live with those machines which are shaping the present and future of today’s world.

 

 

2. Another such stream is computer engineering: Slightly different from computer science engineering, computer engineering contains the study of a few topics that are different from computer science engineering. 

 

This includes the designing and assembling of hardwares along with designing circuits of microprocessors and supercomputers. Basically, it’s the pathway to the future which you know can run an entire country technologically.

 

 

3. Information technology: It is related to networks and network management, with the management of computer data. It is the study of the use of computers in storing and manipulating data where data refers to electronic data stores in machines. 

 

Information Technology includes machine codes and other data that drive a computer or electronic device. It is the study of networking, i.e. establishing network connection between electronic devices while working on the same. 

 

IT is widely used commercially, mainly in the business world. Another example of computers controlling a sector.

 

(Also check: Dark side of IT)

 

Many users start their day with computers and end it on the same while wishing to learn the working principles of it. They are unaware of the fact that there are various streams that can lead them to their dreams of becoming a computer specialist.

 

Motive to become a computer engineer

 

If one has the desire to study the science of computers and their working, there are many available streams after the end of their school. These include, bachelors of computer applications, bachelor of science in computer science and various streams of engineering. 

 

But in the perspective of today’s world, that is driven by engineers who sit in front of their computer screens and control/monitor a whole company’s network from a single PC, most of the students are advised to choose engineering. But again here, there is a race and to succeed here one needs to stand out.

 

So, a question arises here, “what makes one stand out in this world where everyone knows something, or everything, about the computer and about the technology behind it ?”

 

The answer is simple, it’s your dedication and the curiosity to learn. 

 

It takes the whole thought process of doing something new with the same available resources that the people had with them earlier to us. Or simply, the dedication to build something new with the same man-made devices. 

 

One such example is TESLA

 

Who could have thought of building such an empire just with the same available assets and resources, the idea could have popped up in our mind as well, but it was one man who believed in his idea and was dedicated to make something with the same tiny machines that we are talking about here?

 

(Must check: Tesla with AI)

 

So, if someone is true to their dreams, they can do anything with that machine, the computers we have can perform many tasks as what we want them to do. It just takes a slightly different thought process and a bit of curiosity to understand what computers  have not been instructed to perform yet, and here to support the fact science comes, i.e. computer science. It makes you believe in the machine. 

 

As you go further with the courses and streams, be it computer science engineering or computer science and engineering, you make your hand dirty with working algorithms, and understand the process of programming and designing it. You understand the entire working system and architecture of computers deeply and learn functions to make them run efficiently.

 

With the use of computer science, how the industries can be transformed from conventional to modern and from basic to complex working models through use of machines. In addition to that,  how we can be relaxed and make things function at sheer ease with the knowledge of something about computers.

 

Conclusion

 

Again, what was the question? It was a simple one… “what is computer science?”

 

“computer science is the study of computers, from algorithms to programs and circuits, from software to hardware to applications of it, it is the study of computers, the machine that drives an entire world

 

In this technological driven world, the study of computers is much more than a necessity, a time will come when there will be computers controlling sectors and industries and the ones with the knowledge of the science behind it will excel.