Why I Am Changing My College Major to Computer Science

I finally have a good reason

Jason Weiland
4 min readMar 24, 2023

If you know me, you know I change my mind often. I start new projects all the time and I must have changed my college major at least 12 times in the past two years. I started out in marketing and moved to psychology, business admin, data analytics, and photography, I even finally gave up and choose my latest, a general degree — a BA.

Well, I finally decided what I am going to do with my life and realized that a general degree isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on if I plan on moving on to a graduate degree, which I am. I have plans to do my master’s in science and technology studies, at a program over at ASU called Design and Futures. It’s all about futurism and technology — cutting-edge stuff that is almost science fiction, AI, and all that stuff I love to spend my nights absorbed in.

I’m going to keep writing (and if you want to follow my journey through futurism and AI, join my “Cingularity” Substack newsletter at cingularity.substack.com) and I want to do speaking tours (think TEDx), research, consulting, academic journals, all that stuff that breeds credibility. I want to be an expert, and I don’t think that is asking too much, even at my age.

Well, I got to thinking that a BA in general studies was not a good foundation to build my career, so I am changing my major to computer science at SNHU. I had thought about joining the Innovations in Society BS degree at ASU, but I just can’t see changing schools again so soon, and I like Southern New Hampshire University. It is one of the best online options there are, and I am sticking with it.

I need s BS degree to get into my graduate program, minimum, and I want to have a good foundation in math, programming, and technology to take further into my science and technology studies.

Do I see Dr. Weiland in the future? It really depends on where I am at that point in my life and how much time I want to spend in academia, but I will consider it. Some of the best people I know have doctorates, and they are telling me I have the right mindset for someone who succeeds in that field.

But if you figure that my BS will take me 2 years more, and I spend 2 to 4 years getting my MS, I will already be 60 years old when I start my doctorate, so I will have to see if I have the strength for that battle.

I must admit I am a little nervous about getting a computer science degree. I won’t even mention math, but programming and logic will be a challenge for a guy who has spent most of his life in artistic endeavors. But I love a challenge and I have always wanted to test the limits of my intelligence and find the place where I can be the best version of myself. I know I will find that place over the next 10 years as I see what academic life has to offer someone for who many people have given up on many years ago.

I won’t be your standard academic. I have tattoos, I speak in slang more often than not, I am a bald, bearded beast and I plan to make a huge splash wherever I go. I guess I feel like life is boring as it is, so we have to spice it up a bit wherever we go, no matter what we do, and I plan to take on college with the zest that I take on other difficult things in my life.

Above all, I want to learn and have FUN. I love thinking about the future, and technology is in my blood. I have really become obsessed with AI and I love dreaming about being downloaded into a computer one day. Imagine living forever and being able to evolve without the downfall of having a human body. I want to be in one of those cool dog robots one day. Imagine the adventures!

So, that is the plan for the next 10 years. When I get to be 64, I will turn around and look at how far I’ve come and give myself a big pat on the back for seeing something I wanted and reaching out and grabbing it with both hands.

Where will you be in 10 years?

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Jason Weiland

Personal essays and articles from a guy who never tires of writing about his life - jasonweiland.substack.com