12.01.2004
It's just Kari, Rachel, Caroline and me here in the Computer Science lab. No overbearing, judgemental, loud, video-game-playing boys. Just peace and quiet and pretty girls coding.
These girls, sadly, are not CS majors, only Math or Physics majors doing a CS minor or required CS classes. They will not be in here next semester. But, there will be others. Just not enough doing CS. CS is NOT boys only. What is the problem that makes girls leave this major at this University?
Do we start out feeling left behind because we haven't taken computers apart or we don't code at home for fun? I don't believe that those are necessary components of being a CS major. As my advisor has said in the past, boys tend to see computers as an integral part of their life, where girls see it more as a way of making their lives easier.
Is it society? We talked about this today in Social/Ethical. Do our parents steer us away from using the computer, give us less freedom with it than boys? It was opposite in my house. I LOVED making cards, posters and other misc. crap with the computer. My brother on the other hand was not really interested in it.
Or do we too often feel the work is drowning us. I think that all majors have plenty of homework. Caroline says that it depends on how efficient you are when coding. Perhaps the teaching methodogy is better for boys. Whatever the case, plenty of girls start in low level courses and steadily drop off as the years go by.
These girls, sadly, are not CS majors, only Math or Physics majors doing a CS minor or required CS classes. They will not be in here next semester. But, there will be others. Just not enough doing CS. CS is NOT boys only. What is the problem that makes girls leave this major at this University?
Do we start out feeling left behind because we haven't taken computers apart or we don't code at home for fun? I don't believe that those are necessary components of being a CS major. As my advisor has said in the past, boys tend to see computers as an integral part of their life, where girls see it more as a way of making their lives easier.
Is it society? We talked about this today in Social/Ethical. Do our parents steer us away from using the computer, give us less freedom with it than boys? It was opposite in my house. I LOVED making cards, posters and other misc. crap with the computer. My brother on the other hand was not really interested in it.
Or do we too often feel the work is drowning us. I think that all majors have plenty of homework. Caroline says that it depends on how efficient you are when coding. Perhaps the teaching methodogy is better for boys. Whatever the case, plenty of girls start in low level courses and steadily drop off as the years go by.