CS professor here. Don’t quit. CS has been one of the most enlightening experiences of my life. I have made many friends along the way, been able to participate in inspiring projects, and felt like I worked in a vibrant field that gave me a powerful lens on the world. Yes, it is hard work. But the work is worth it.

Since coming to CS my highs have been higher and my lows lower than in other disciplines. And I came late. I started grad school in my thirties. But something that I learned when I was young, from well before my time in CS is true in this discipline too: if you do good work, people eventually notice. There will be a snowball effect.

It’s true, it doesn’t work out for everyone. But nothing does. And if you don’t take the opportunity to do something difficult, you’ll never know if you could have done it. I personally could not live with that thought. Those who do not try cannot succeed. But those who try—and retry when things don’t work out—probably will not fail either.