<p>Hi everybody!
I am accepted international student, and I feel that first year will be spent on adaptation. So I want to study first year material by myself, in order to make easier life in college. I want to study computer science at WPI (Computer</a> Science: Courses - WPI)
I really want to study any of subjects that may help me. It may be Calculus, Physics or anything. Please help me in advice what subject to study and with which textbook may it be possible.</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>Dima4ka, that question might be better directed to a freshman academic advisor at WPI. Or at least ask WPI that question directly as well.</p>
<p>Congratulations on being accepted to WPI. My daughter goes there and I think its a great school. </p>
<p>My inclination would be to study calculus, if anything. It is most important to understand why behind the how. Understanding the math behind the other subjects is key to understanding how to solve their problems.</p>
<p>MIT has something called “OpenCourseWare” in which they place the course materials for various courses out on the web. The web address for it is “ocw.mit.edu”. There is a calculus course among the offerings. You can get a feel for what is expected of the student at the college level. </p>
<p>It doesn’t matter so much which text is used compared to what the course at WPI uses. In fact, I usually like to have several sources for the material as each will present it in slightly different ways. I believe one can learn the material better by seeing those different perspectives.</p>
<p>I agree with the calculus recommendation.
Later on, WPI will give you a link to the “DESIGNS” website that help freshman choose their first year courses. It has specific advice based on your major. You can go there now, but it will show advice for the C/D terms for this year’s freshmen. [Office</a> of Academic Advising - Designs for C and D terms course selection](<a href=“http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/OAA/Designs2/index.html]Office”>http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/OAA/Designs2/index.html)</p>
<p>Another thing you can do is start going through the class materials for the introductory CS course CS 1101 [CS</a> 1101 Aterm 12](<a href=“http://web.cs.wpi.edu/~cs1101/a12/]CS”>CS 1101 Aterm 12)
NOTE: There is no guarantee that next year’s professor or course syllabus or course materials will be the same!!! But it wouldn’t hurt to start with this anyway.
They advise students to expect an adjustment so don’t load up your first two terms with hardcore math/science/engineering courses. Try to balance the load with some humanities, arts or social sciences. You need to take some of those anyway.
Invest some time in learning about the degree requirements too.</p>