My son is a first-year student in a CS program at a large research university. His foundation courses are taught lecture-style, using PowerPoint, to classes of 200+ students, with little or no interaction with the students. Going to professors’ office hours with questions has yielded mixed results. One prof was happy to meet with him and answer questions; another just flat out refused - saying he needed to figure things out for himself. The consensus among both professors and students in the department seems to be that CS should be self-taught, and if that doesn’t work for you, then you shouldn’t be in the CS program.
So, here’s my question - is that true? Is he going to encounter the same attitude wherever he goes? He’d really like to transfer, perhaps to a smaller school. But if it’s just going to be more of the same, then maybe it’s not worth it.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to become good at programming/CS by just going to lectures. Usually when I have a simple question, e.g. how to sort a Java HashMap by values, I find it best to look it up online first (e.g. StackOverflow, Wikipedia) and I recommend he do the same by always trying to figure it out himself first. Google search/StackOverflow/Wikipedia are your friends.
If he can’t figure out the answer by looking it up online, then he should ask around. Perhaps an upperclassman who is familiar with the topics, or a TA. Most MIT CS classes use Piazza (a Q&A forum) which allows your question to be seen by the entire class, as well as TA’s and professors. Not sure if his university does the same.
I am at the same type of school and that is not at all how CS is taught. We use Piazza as @MITer94 mentioned, and the students/instructors discuss assignments there for most CS classes if not all.
There are no powerpoints. Instead, instructors work out problems on the board with help/suggestions from students. I do think my department does a much better job than many I see discussed. It does go to show that there is a difference between adequate CS programs (many of these exist) an top CS programs.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t have the ability to figure things out yourself. I find myself looking things up online in coding all the time, whether in a class or for other projects. For about one problem a week on homework, maybe less. Much more when on my own, though with each class I find myself looking up less and less.
There seems to be a lot of variability in the approach to introductory courses and I have heard of a lot of people turned off or not successful in some styles. Usually for a large course like that there would be smaller labs lead by a TA and you can ask your questions there. Are there no TAs for the class? He would also be helped by forming a study group. Usually you have to learn by doing the assignments and working through them.
I just recommended someone take a intro class at a top 20 (ND) and it was completely confusing and the person was lost and dropped it. It may be that the course was in flux–they discussed breaking it into 2 semesters next time, but it was an Intro class and I was disappointed a good student was so lost. What is one supposed to do if you want to try out a related major? My own kid felt her dept at Brown was very supportive and there were a lot of places to go for help and the intro classes (usually year long integrated intro to CS concepts) are really famous for getting people to change their major the students usually like it so much. But when she was a grad student TA at a large public research U she felt it was much more impersonal for undergrads.
Yes, the same is true at my son’s school. Unfortunately, they’re famous for convincing students to change their major out of CS, and not in!
No TA’s available for assistance. The courses do use PIazza, but it seems to be all questions, and no answers. The prof’s and TA’s (if there are any) are noticeably absent.
I will suggest that he try Stack Overflow/Google/Wikipedia.
It’s frustrating. He did well and really enjoyed his class last semester, with the prof who seemed to enjoy teaching and was willing to help. This semester is a disaster, with no relief in sight.
It’s encouraging to hear that this department’s “sink or swim” attitude isn’t universal, so maybe a transfer is the way to go. (Then, of course, there’s the Catch-22 - his current prof’s are so bad he wants to transfer, but his grades are suffering so much that he may not be able to! Aaughh . . . 
)
It may be just this one course or instructor.