While browsing Reddit today, I came across a short essay by Mordechai Ben-Ari titled "Non-Myths About Programming" (PDF warning). It's only six pages long, and I found it refreshingly realistic and insightful. I would urge anyone considering a career in computer science to read it. Given its brevity (and the fact the title is reasonably descriptive), I won't bother summarizing the article—instead, I'll merely say that you should click the link and check it out for yourself.