Should I pursue a Masters degree in computer science, considering that I have a mental illness?

[teo123]

Are you just on the medication?

Yes. I am not taking any psychotherapy.

Also, make sure you apply to jobs that are actually meant for your field of expertise.

What do you mean? University doesn't prepare you for any specific job, not even the Masters degrees do. You don't specialize to be a front-end developer or a compiler developer at the university. And the only non-obligatory course I had in my undergraduate degree was English 1 (basically, the repetition of the English grammar taught in high-school). I suppose they decided not to have many optional courses because, like Bryan Caplan says, students go for easy As, rather than for knowledge.

[Red]

Yes. I am not taking any psychotherapy.

Why not?

What do you mean? University doesn't prepare you for any specific job, not even the Masters degrees do.

It gives you skills that you will use on certain jobs. It sounds like you were applying for jobs that required proficiency in certain languages you had little experience with.

You don't specialize to be a front-end developer or a compiler developer at the university. And the only non-obligatory course I had in my undergraduate degree was English 1 (basically, the repetition of the English grammar taught in high-school). I suppose they decided not to have many optional courses because, like Bryan Caplan says, students go for easy As, rather than for knowledge.

Teo, spare me the circumlocution. You don't need to go into these long-winded irrelevant anecdotes.

I'm talking about courses in general that you've taken for your resume, not electives. Put on your resume all the languages you have experience with, and emphasize the ones you studied in school.

[teo123]

Why not?

Well, my psychiatrist thought that my problem was too severe to be meaningfully improved by a psychotherapy. And, back in late 2021, that was probably true.

It gives you skills that you will use on certain jobs.

I think that's very far from truth. If there is one programming language that every programmer should know, that is JavaScript. It is the standard language of the Internet and will remain to be so. WebAssembly will replace some of it, but most of it will remain. Yet, my university doesn't teach JavaScript at all. Like, you can get a Bachelor degree in computer engineer without knowing how to write a "Hello world!" program in JavaScript.

It sounds like you were applying for jobs that required proficiency in certain languages you had little experience with.

I don't think that's what's going on at all. I think JavaScript is the programming language I have the most experience with, more than any language I was taught at the university. Sure, the largest program I have ever made, my 5'500-lines-of-code AEC-to-WebAssembly compiler, is written in C++. But my first program with more than 1'000 lines of code, my SVG PacMan, is written in JavaScript. And so is the first compiler I made for AEC, my 2'500-lines-of-code AEC-to-x86 compiler. And the code for my Bachelor thesis, my 4'000-lines-of-code PicoBlaze Assembly and Emulator, is also written in JavaScript.

[Red]

Well, my psychiatrist thought that my problem was too severe to be meaningfully improved by a psychotherapy. And, back in late 2021, that was probably true.

Which implies it probably isn't true anymore. What else did your psychiatrist recommend?

I think that's very far from truth. If there is one programming language that every programmer should know, that is JavaScript. It is the standard language of the Internet and will remain to be so. WebAssembly will replace some of it, but most of it will remain. Yet, my university doesn't teach JavaScript at all. Like, you can get a Bachelor degree in computer engineer without knowing how to write a "Hello world!" program in JavaScript.

Well, you have skills in it right?

I'm sure you also picked up some other languages while you were there.

I don't think that's what's going on at all. I think JavaScript is the programming language I have the most experience with, more than any language I was taught at the university. Sure, the largest program I have ever made, my 5'500-lines-of-code AEC-to-WebAssembly compiler, is written in C++. But my first program with more than 1'000 lines of code, my SVG PacMan, is written in JavaScript. And so is the first compiler I made for AEC, my 2'500-lines-of-code AEC-to-x86 compiler. And the code for my Bachelor thesis, my 4'000-lines-of-code PicoBlaze Assembly and Emulator, is also written in JavaScript.

Teo, what did I say about excessively detailed anecdotes I didn't ask for? Don't tell this all to ME, tell this to your employers.

If these jobs didn't ask or require anything about JavaScript, you applied to a job that doesn't suit your credentials.

[teo123]

What else did your psychiatrist recommend?

Well... nothing. I mean, she recommended me to go for a walk every day, which I was doing for a few months, but I am not doing that any more. She also recommended me to try to socialize, which I tried and it didn't go well, so I gave up.

Well, you have skills in it right?

Well, I know basics of JavaScript, but the companies today are asking for a lot more than that. They are looking for somebody who knows frameworks and libraries, which I am not good at.

I'm sure you also picked up some other languages while you were there.

Well, I picked up basic MatLab at the university, but MatLab is not used in the real world, and MatLab is also quite different from languages used in the real world.

If these jobs didn't ask or require anything about JavaScript, you applied to a job that doesn't suit your credentials.

Well, Mono wrote in the advertisement that they are looking for somebody who knows JavaScript. What I didn't know is that what they meant by that is not somebody who knows basic JavaScript, but somebody who is deeply familiar with modern JavaScript frameworks and libraries.

[Red]

Well... nothing.

You should probably see another psychiatrist.

I mean, she recommended me to go for a walk every day, which I was doing for a few months, but I am not doing that anymore.

That isn't a bad idea (exercise in general is good for mental health), but you obviously aren't being consistent with it.

That's the problem with a lot of treatments; They can work very well, but are highly dependent on the patient actually following through on it.

She also recommended me to try to socialize, which I tried and it didn't go well, so I gave up.

The thing is, socializing is a skill you need to obtain. Not everyone is naturally good at it, and giving up obviously isn't going to improve it. Social outcasts are not necessarily outcasts because they are naturally socially awkward, it's that they don't really take time to interact with folks outside of their comfort zone, and thus don't develop proper social skills.

How did these social interactions go? Don't tell these people your crazy views, just start casually. Don't butt into convos, rather, it may be a good idea to find a local group online for something that you're interested in that does real life meet ups.

Well, I know basics of JavaScript, but the companies today are asking for a lot more than that. They are looking for somebody who knows frameworks and libraries, which I am not good at.

Then you should learn it.

Well, I picked up basic MatLab at the university, but MatLab is not used in the real world, and MatLab is also quite different from languages used in the real world.

Did you take any courses in C++ or Python?

You should create projects in these programs and add them to your resume. Create a webpage that has links to all the projects that you've worked on in a clean, accessible format, and make sure they're able to look at the code.

Well, Mono wrote in the advertisement that they are looking for somebody who knows JavaScript. What I didn't know is that what they meant by that is not somebody who knows basic JavaScript, but somebody who is deeply familiar with modern JavaScript frameworks and libraries.

Sounds like you're going after jobs a little above your skill (though you should expect employers to want people to be really good at the respective language), and you should take some time improving your abilities.

[teo123]

How did these social interactions go?

Well, soon after I got the panic attack, I and my father visited the family of my high-school religion classes teacher. Her son, then aged 14 or 15, claimed to know some Python. So I told my father that I am interested in learning Python from him. And he telephoned my high-school religion teacher, and she told him that her son is not interested in that. My father then commented that I shouldn't try to make friends with people 8 years younger than me.
Not long after that, I met my high-school classmate who dropped out of law school. I asked her: "So, what is it like to study law?", and she told me: "Nothing interesting.". Then I told her: "I can tell you how it feels to study computer engineering.", and I started singing a silly chant I made up: "Difficult, difficult, difficult, unfathomable. Very very difficult unfathomable.". And she walked away.

Did you take any courses in C++ or Python?

Well, we briefly went over C++ in our Object Oriented Programming classes. I don't think we ever even mentioned Python at the university.

You should create projects in these programs and add them to your resume. Create a webpage that has links to all the projects that you've worked on in a clean, accessible format, and make sure they're able to look at the code.

And I did. I made my 5'500-lines-of-code AEC-to-WebAssembly compiler in C++. But the problem is that the compilers today usually aren't made the way I made my compilers. Compilers these days are making use of frameworks such as LLVM or GCC.

[Red]

Well, soon after I got the panic attack, I and my father visited the family of my high-school religion classes teacher. Her son, then aged 14 or 15, claimed to know some Python. So I told my father that I am interested in learning Python from him. And he telephoned my high-school religion teacher, and she told him that her son is not interested in that. My father then commented that I shouldn't try to make friends with people 8 years younger than me.

I'm sure you weren't trying to do anything nefarious, but you should probably know that if someone is that much younger than you, especially if it's in the case of a minor, that can be viewed as strange and possibly predatory. You should ideally try to make friends within your age group anyways (if you're 24 now, the range should be like 20-27 or something). That shouldn't be hard with the internet. Did you not make any friends while in University?

Not long after that, I met my high-school classmate who dropped out of law school. I asked her: "So, what is it like to study law?", and she told me: "Nothing interesting.". Then I told her: "I can tell you how it feels to study computer engineering.", and I started singing a silly chant I made up: "Difficult, difficult, difficult, unfathomable. Very very difficult unfathomable.". And she walked away.

See, this is the problem (as I anticipated), you have no social skills and therefore don't understand why people who do things like that are considered socially inept. Maybe not socially unacceptable necessarily, but you do look like a weirdo.

I can go into the reasons why she walked away (and if I were in her position I'd probably walk away too), but here's the quick breakdown:
*You quickly deflected the conversation about her law school experience to your own experience studying computer science, umprompted, which gives the impression that you want to make the convo about yourself (probably not your intention, but that's how it's viewed)

*You started singing a song, why?

*While I'm not sure what her current mood was, people who drop out aren't usually happy about the situation, so if you're just meeting up with her again for the first time, you really should not mention things like that (or if she mentioned it first, try not to probe the matter too hard since it's a touchy subject, maybe ask if she wants to talk about it), and from the sounds of it she seemed to be annoyed by you asking. That sort of thing is reserved for a deeper friendship, when there's more trust and mutual understanding.

*How did you find out she dropped out of Law School? Was it during the conversation? If she mentioned she dropped out of Law School, you should offer words of encouragement, like saying she'll find something even better for a career, maybe throw in a joke about how a different career won't consist of reading endless tomes for hours on end. But without knowing the context of this interaction it's hard to say.

Of course this is too little too late, don't bother this girl again since you kinda blew it last time, and trying again would be viewed as clingy and weird. This is just a general idea for next time.

Are social conventions arbitrary? Yes, yes they are. But if you want to be viewed as normal, and foster good relationships with people, you have to abide by these conventions and not do silly things. You can learn these skills, but you have to be willing to actually get out there; You're going to fuck up (as you did here), but you learn and improve. Just don't do anything weird or creepy, ESPECIALLY around women. Dealing with people of the opposite gender is like level ten, and you're barely at level one.

The more you interact with people, you learn the dos and don'ts. Read this:
https://www.cracked.com/blog/15-things- ... ed-to-know

Well, we briefly went over C++ in our Object Oriented Programming classes. I don't think we ever even mentioned Python at the university.

That is really weird, but there are tons of free online tutorials you can use to learn.

And I did. I made my 5'500-lines-of-code AEC-to-WebAssembly compiler in C++. But the problem is that the compilers today usually aren't made the way I made my compilers. Compilers these days are making use of frameworks such as LLVM or GCC.

Then learn the new way to compile and update your page accordingly. Employers don't like seeing laggards.

[teo123]

Did you not make any friends while in University?

Well, I am occasionally chatting on FaceBook with one person who was in my team in the STEM Games programming competition, who has just finished with Masters degree and has started working at ORQA on their enchanced reality glasses.
About a year ago, I asked a girl who was standing alone in the hall of the university (waiting for somebody?) and asked her if she was currently taking Computer Architecture classes. She said she was. So I asked her if she could, on a laboratory exercise in Computer Architecture, try to run the Decimal to Binary example from my PicoBlaze Simulator (the second example from the left) on actual PicoBlaze and tell me (for example, via Reddit) whether it works. And she told me to talk to the professor who teaches Computer Architecture during his office hours rather than bothering her with that.

Then learn the new way to compile and update your page accordingly. Employers don't like seeing laggards.

Well, I looked into the Keleidoscope tutorial (for LLVM) and I failed to understand it.

[Red]

Well, I am occasionally chatting on FaceBook with one person who was in my team in the STEM Games programming competition, who has just finished with Masters degree and has started working at ORQA on their enchanced reality glasses.

Well that sounds like a good start to a mutual and productive friendship; This guy has grad school experience, maybe you should ask him for advice about it.

About a year ago, I asked a girl who was standing alone in the hall of the university (waiting for somebody?) and asked her if she was currently taking Computer Architecture classes. She said she was. So I asked her if she could, on a laboratory exercise in Computer Architecture, try to run the Decimal to Binary example from my PicoBlaze Simulator (the second example from the left) on actual PicoBlaze and tell me (for example, via Reddit) whether it works. And she told me to talk to the professor who teaches Computer Architecture during his office hours rather than bothering her with that.

If you're going to ask a favor like that, preface it with something like "Do you have some time available?" or "Would you be willing to help me with my project?" instead of diving headfirst into it like that. It would've been better if you knew her more too.

Generally though you should ask someone more qualified than a student, if you really wanted to check something like that, you ask the professor. Again, asking a random girl something like that can be creepy. Yes, I know, there are a lot of social rules you need to abide by with certain exceptions and caveats, but them's the breaks. You learn them if you actually engage in social interaction.

Well, I looked into the Keleidoscope tutorial (for LLVM) and I failed to understand it.

Then try again.