How to Write About Your Interest in Computer Science
by Michelle P.
Instead of detailed business spreadsheets, perhaps you are most used to examining new versions of code. Or, instead of scrutinizing variables for a science lab, you feel most at home testing out solutions for coding bugs.
While Computer Science is a fascinating area with many applications within your daily life, it can prove a challenge to write about for a college essay or summer program application.
What are some tips to help you, as a student, write about computer science in a personal essay in a fun and readable way?
- Show Purpose/Meaning
Once, one student was talking to me about a coding project they were working on with the guidance of their supervisor. They discussed the type of programming language, the time they put in, and the problems they were facing.
I realized halfway through the conversation that there was one topic the student had neglected to mention. So I asked: “What was this program supposed to do again?”
“Oh,” the student said. “It’s a program to help users compare hotel prices.”
Computer science can seem very abstract and fuzzy as a topic.
If you are writing about your experience with CS, make sure you can describe why a project or piece of code you are working on is important, or what type of purpose it may have. Will the project help someone find where a lost pet is using a microchip? Or will the code help change up the obstacles in a video game level each time a player encounters it?
- Use Analogies
This also ties in with helping a story feel more vivid and descriptive. While you as a student may be very familiar with CS-based jargon, for a story to be readable, it should also be understandable.
If there’s some part of a computer science experience that is a little difficult to describe, see if you can use an analogy or comparison to make it clearer. For instance, maybe there was one single error in a code that caused a lot of problems, and the student could compare it to the image of ‘a hundred Slinkies tangling up together’ and having to untangle all of the Slinkies by hand.
- Show Initiative
While it’s great for students to mention strong internships or summer projects they have done related to computer science, one quality that is especially persuasive would be initiative and independence.
For an essay topic, you don’t want to just show your interest in CS by mentioning projects you were assigned to complete by others. See if there are some other independent projects you have done on your own that tie into your computer science interest, from game mods to creative apps.
If you’re still looking for more tips on how to write a better essay on computer science or any other interest, you can check out How to Write About Your Interest in Business and Choosing Essay Values that Set You Apart.