Find solution
What is web design?

What major and classes should I be taking if I'm interested in web development/design and leading/creating a company, especially tech startups?

  • I've gone around my university asking every advisor I can find for advise and they've all given me the same responses - either they don't know at all or they suggest a major that has nothing to do with what I'm looking for.  I'm definitely beginning to think that my university doesn't even offer the major/classes for my career goals. For the sake of organization I've braindumped my thoughts into bullet points: I've been extremely interested in web development/design for several years, and recently had an interest sparked in startups (especially in creating and leading a startup).  When I see Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks I think "wow, that's something I need to be in, something I should create." I'm not sure what I should be taking at college - I'm not sure what other startup creators took to get to where they are. I've been making small web projects for several years but overall I know very little about it. Last semester I had taken a Computer Science class (Java programming) but that didn't seem to be heading in the direction that I thought it would for use in web development, and I was completely unsure if that was even something I needed for web development so my interest was very low. I don't think that I'm so interested in the actual coding, that was just a hurdle I needed to get over to make the creation.  I like creating ideas to problems.  I'm worried, though, that if I don't actually code my creations that I wouldn't get much respect (other startup creators always seem to code and design the websites themselves, they seem to somehow know how everything works). I enjoyed making web interfaces and thinking about every aspect that the users would see. I took a CISCO networking class, I hated that. I'm also slightly interested in software development for computers and mobile. What major do I need to be in for web development/design?  What classes should I be taking?  Also, are there specific universities or types of universities I should be looking into that offer better learning for my career goals? (I'm a Michigan resident if that's relevant.)

  • Answer:

    I'm still a senior in college and I've had no problem getting involved the startup community (I'm pretty sure I spend more time on startups than on school these days...) I also have a lot of friends who have worked in startups and/or founded their own startups... all while still taking classes. Firstly... I wouldn't advise dropping out of school unless you have a project you absolutely can't stop working on. If you're not totally obsessed with whatever you're doing, you're not going to be successful.  I only have a few friends who dropped out because they just didn't have time anymore and they're all at least thinking of coming back. In other words, don't do a startup just because you want to do a startup. Do a startup because you're passionate about what you're working on and and believe you have an awesome team ready to execute on it. Besides, college is an awesome experience that only happens once... you'll have plenty of time to change the world after you graduate. That said... you're going to get the best startup experience from non-school-related activities. So build tons of cool stuff on the side. Meet people: You did an awesome job being proactive with talking to professors, so that's a great first step.  Unfortunately, it sounds like your school doesn't have a lot of resources for entrepreneurship... MIT, Stanford, and CMU all have pretty great programs but if you don't feel like switching schools I recommend looking around http://www.meetup.com/ for meetups of interest in your area. Or better yet... start a startup club at your school! Who knows, there might be others like you :-)  I know a few people who started a startup incubator in their dorm room! Think of ideas Keep a list of ideas you have. Practice coming up with elevator pitches for them on the spot. When you get a really awesome idea, just start working on it either by yourself or with some friends and BUILD COOL STUFF. Easy way to start is just by building a personal website. Build cool stuff Lots of big companies sponsor hackathons where you can just go and work on a cool idea for 24 hours and win prizes at the end. I'm biased because I interned at Microsoft... but Microsoft has a ton of awesome resources for students, and I personally found them very helpful. DreamSpark lets you get tons of Microsoft software for free... https://www.dreamspark.com/Default.aspx There's a competition going on called "Big App on Campus" http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_phone/b/wpdev/archive/2011/11/18/do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-be-the-big-app-on-campus.aspx. ImagineCup is a huge competition every year with the goal of solving the world's biggest problems: http://www.imaginecup.us/Students/Index.aspx#fbid=f7EjewTjVzr MSDN has incredible resources for developers... http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/bb188199#one Google App Engine is also pretty good for building quick prototypes but I stopped using it once I learned http://ASP.NET MVC: http://code.google.com/appengine/ Find resources Download StumbleUpon, and set your preferences to web design/software development/entrepreneurship/business and just keep clicking the Stumble button. I actually learned a ton using this method. Books! Lots of books! Just browse Amazon for a while and read books of interest... one must-read though: The Design of Everyday Things, by Donald Norman and The Lean Startup, by Eric Ries Blogs! Lots of blogs! Here's my top three startup blogs: http://news.ycombinator.com/ http://techcrunch.com/ http://www.paulgraham.com/articles.html Network network network... meet and listen to the stories of startup founders, successful and unsuccessful. I took a class where every week we just had a couple founders come in an share their stories, and it's hands down one of the most useful classes I've ever taken. School isn't useless either Ok now that I've mentioned all of the things you can do on the side... I'll get back to the school stuff. :P I recommend computer science based on what you've mentioned about yourself. And don't limit yourself to just web development or even computer science. Even though I'm a computer scientist, one of the most important classes I took was Toy Product Design (Mechanical Engineering.) It had nothing to do with software, but that's not the point. The world has plenty of web developers. As an entrepreneur, you want to learn how to think outside the box. Try to find project classes that take you through the entire process from brainstorming to design to building to presenting. Another favorite class was Rhetoric -- it'll teach you how to communicate your message effectively. If there are strategy/business/marketing classes that look cool, take those too. The most useful ones are the ones with case studies. Lastly try to contact startups for summer internships. Or even just contact me -- I know a couple startups in Boston that are desperate for talent right now and if you're a good fit, you could work remotely with them during the semester (or onsite during the summer). Hope this helps! :-)

Sara Itani at Quora Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

Truthfully I know of few who really care about what you do in school... it's all about experience and what you do on the side, and what skills you have. I've seen great engineers with no CS background, and awful ones with a CS background.  A degree doesn't make you good.  Good managers are *very* aware of this. I'd echo some ofthe others... take classes that match your interests, address youre weaknesses. etc. etc.  Internships and so on. Personally, I was Business Admin and specialized in MIS... right out school became a web dev for a large company.  My cridentials weren't academic, they were experience I gained on the side. Problem with the web, and CS in general is it moves to fast for academia.  By the time it's in a textbook and part of a course, it's old news.

Robert Accettura

I'm currently studying MS Software Management at Carnegie Mellon University Silicon Valley in Mountain View, California, and they're teaching me how to put together a tech start-up. We begin by brainstorming product ideas, and then we form teams around the popular ideas. We then follow a design thinking approach by going out and talking to users to find out what their pain-points are. Using the pain-points, we brainstorm alternative ideas or possible solutions. We then validate these ideas with the user and then freeze on one idea, and develop it further - identifying the target market, developer user personas, designing the software architecture, producing requirements documents, designing and marketing strategy, product roadmap and launch strategy, and also the sales strategy and business plan. Towards the end of the course, there is also an opportunity to develop the product yourself or find some engineering classmates to do it for you. A lot of CMUSV alums have continued working on their product ideas and turned them into startups. If that sounds interesting, take a look at the course here - http://www.cmu.edu/silicon-valley/academics/

Medha Ghatikesh

Major in computer science. Take design courses if they have good ones. Do cool projects on the side. Take a few business courses, especially finance and accounting.

Richard Ludlow

Take web development classes if you are interested in them, you learn the various languages.  Also take web design classes so you can be an all encompassing master of your products website/functionality.  If you don't have an idea that you are going for to create a company, perhaps an Information Systems degree might be the way to go.  It's more business related so you can get in on the technical aspect of companies and work your way up, project management, etc.  http://www.computertrainingschools.com/web-development-degrees/

Nick Foxe

Do what you enjoy.  Take classes that are interesting and that you'll learn useful information from.  In the end, your degree hardly matters.  It's just what gets you in the door.  And if you want to start your own company, then it won't be that important.  You should consider business classes since you're interested in start ups, though.  They'll give you knowledge applicable to the real world, particularly if you take a course that has the students go through the entire process of starting up a business and creating a business plan and doing a mock pitch to investors.  Look for that.  As for the Web stuff, it's constantly changing.  Take a Java or PHP class just to give you an introduction to programming, but the best way to learn is outside of the classroom.  Don't waste your money/credits on tech classes.  Buy some hosting, build a website.  Learn by Googling what you want to do and then do it.  Ultimately, by the time you get out of college, your goal should be to be well-rounded and have as much useful knowledge as possible.  Don't worry so much about your major.

Clayburn Griffin

Lean towards classes of interest that pertain to the areas you already listed. In between those classes, talk with students about your interests that aren't in your classes, get their input on what they might recommend, and ask to sit in on classes. You'd be amazed how many times I've found a hidden interest at school by doing this.

David Metcalfe

I've been in the industry for 20 years... as others have said... 1) Quit school 2) Head to the nearest start up community: San Fran, NYC, Mountain View CA, Cambridge MA, Austin TX, etc... 3) Jump in an start solving real world problems 4) Enjoy having a 4-6 year head start on everyone...

Steven Fowler

I am a recent graduate having majored in Digital Media Design.  My main focus was web design and I learned a lot!  Digital Media allows for a well rounded exposure to different aspects of media.  I studied web design video, communications, graphic design, electronic music, animation, and other disciplines.  Each of these areas of study within the major helped my marketability as a we designer. Graphic Design is another major you could also major in and you'd be on the right track.  I would also advise that you try and take some programming courses too such as PHP, HTML, and Jquery.  Those are courses I didn't take but wish I had because programming knowledge can help a lot! Here is a link to where I went to school and a description of the programs! http://westliberty.edu/art/academic/digital-media-design/ http://westliberty.edu/art/academic/graphic-design/

Ashley Cataldo

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.