Why study Informatics?
There are several reasons that make Informatics one of the most enticing and exciting fields of study today.
Be at the heart of an intellectual revolution. Understanding computation provides new ways of understanding the world. Computational thinking — understanding systems in terms of the ways they store, process and communicate information — now pervades theories in all disciplines, and computational modelling allows us to explore the emergent behaviour of complex systems.
Develop practical skills. The intellectual challenge is matched by a practical aspect, this gives you the satisfaction of creating something functional, whether software or hardware.
Make the world a safer place. Understanding computation provides the basis for building and applying tools and methodologies that allow us to design, build and maintain hardware and software computer systems you would trust with your life.
Control your destiny. We live in an information age. Most innovation today exploits novel uses of computation. Those who can safely harness the potential of information technologies will be at a substantial advantage for future employment. You also have the opportunity, if you are so-inclined, to take courses that will help you acquire and develop entrepreneurial skills that will allow you to make serious money.
This article was published on Feb 2, 2010