Electronics and computer science

[Blackburn]

I'm a computer science student and Java/C++ programmer, but I have been learning electronics for 8 months so far. I'd like to combine the knowledge from both disciplines to become a better engineer in the future :smile:, but I'm struggling with tremendously huge number of information to learn, as both electronics and computer science are really wide. The fact is I want to deal with electronics, telecommunication, networking, algorithms & data structures, operating systems and programming at the same time, which is really difficult to do.
A good book about OS, or networking (for instance CCNA) can contain hundreds of pages, so simultaneous reading at the same time is really difficult.

How would you deal with so huge amount of information contained in books about electronics, hardware, networking, and OS at the same time?

I've got good basics at math and physics, especially: linear algebra, analysis and discrete math. Is dividing these subjects into groups a good idea?
For instance, one day I'd only learn about electronics/telecommunication and the second day I'd go for networking & OS and vice versa.

 

[FoxyRick]

MY first thought is that it is much easier to earn high salaries as a real expert in one field, than as a 'jack of all trades'. I know this from experience.

There simply is too much to learn to be really good at it all, and it all changes too frequently to keep up with. Unless you are a high-level genius, and/or have a photographic memory, that is.

A good understanding of all of the basics is certainly useful, and is attainable. It means that you can communicate with experts in each field efficiently and develop relevant solutions first time around that fit in with other people's systems and requirements. I firmly believe though that your career would be better served if you pick a discipline and become an expert in it.

 

[Tahmid]

I would say that you should master one and learn the other so that you can use it to complement the other.

 

[jeffrey samuel]

With out proper dominance in a single field poking into different pies may hurt you real bad in the future