<p>I live in southern california, really close to SDSU and fairly close to UCSD. I got in to UCSD and UCSB, but not for my major (Undeclared/Alternate, respectively), am not expecting to get into UCI (still havent got my rejection tho) or UCLA, and got in to SDSU and UCSC for Computer Science.</p>
<p>But my problem now is that the only "safe" schools, where I would actually be able to study the major I want, are SDSU (a state school with its fair share of... not so smart people) or UCSC (which I don't mind, and has a pretty good comp sci program).
I really want to stay near home, though, and my mom really wants me to stay close, too. I wasn't expecting to be "nearly rejected" from all of these schools. </p>
<p>Which would you recommend for a first year comp sci major? And if it's UCSC, how would I cope? My mom is a single mom and I kind of want to look out for her. I might be too worried all the time if I was 7 hours away from home.</p>
<p>Oh, also, I don't drive..</p>
<p>Thanks everyone!!</p>
<p>EDIT: I'm also thinking about going to UCSD and attempting to transfer into Comp Sci, but I think it might be a bit too difficult for me to maintain a really high GPA.</p>
<p>I’m reading between the lines a little bit, so I might get some of this wrong. You seem like the kind of person who values stability, so going to SDSU would provide you with a lot of what you value. Going to UCSC seven hours away would definitely introduce some instability into your life. And having some classmates who are “not so smart people” would also allow you to remain in a stable place where you’re able to continue to give a lot of your emotional life to your relationship with mom AND still be able to get the grades you want to get and to graduate on time. To go to UCSC at this point might just throw all that you value into the blender. If after a year or two of stability at SDSU you find you’re ready for a little more risk-taking, perhaps you can transfer to a school you think might be more challenging. I hope this helps.</p>
<p>I’m going to take the opposite tack to jkeil’s: Your mother knows you’re going to leave. “Letting go” is part of her job, as a mom, and if you do well on your own it’s proof she raised you well and you took her lessons to heart. Many college students don’t come home often because they’re too busy creating their own life as autonomous young adults but it’s normal, it doesn’t make you selfish and it doesn’t mean you can’t be in touch with your mother. Your mother will miss you but unless she’s very ill or depends on you, she’ll be sad but she’ll manage without you. You can promise to text her every day and to skype once a week. UCSC will take you a little out of your comfort zone, but that’s also what college is for - discovering new people, new areas of the country. As you said, UCSC is a great college and its comp sci major is solid.</p>
<p>Whoa! I’m a single mom too and I disagree with your first answer. (My daughter went from CA to the East Coast for college.) There is nothing unstable about going away to college! At UCSC you will be part of a community. As a college student, you don’t have time to go home all the time, so I think it is good to be a bit away so you aren’t distracted all the time. That way you focus on your studies and participating in your college community. But it is easy to get to San Jose airport. You will likely be able to find rideshares to SoCal with other students. Think of how many times you can go home. Tksgiving is short but it is possible. winter break, spring break, and all summer.</p>
<p>I haven’t looked into how difficult it is to get into the UCSD CS major, have you? Would you consider a math major with a CS minor or something related?</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your answers! I’m really conflicted as to where to go, though… :-S @BrownParent, If I do very well and get a high GPA my first few years, I’ll be able to get into the CS program. I kind of want to stay away from that kind of pressure, I guess… many people say that you should “experiment” with classes in college. I was considering a math major, but I really do love programming (I want to do software engineering) and I worry that I won’t get a chance to study all there is for me to learn. Also, I think the pay might be lower and I might not be able to get a job in comp sci.</p>
<p>Back your abilities and go to UCSD. It’s a risk, sure… but transferring to CS is not going to be impossible or even near impossible. You’ll just have to stay committed. UCSD is the best of all the schools you’ve gotten into and also suits you from a locational perspective. If you manage to transfer in, then one day it’ll be just like if you’d started as a CS major. Basically it’ll the dream. And I think you have to at least attempt to follow the dream. Hope that makes sense. </p>
<p>I would second Trenchlord. That approach involves more manageable risks. Going far away to college to a completely new environment is way overrated around here. Unless you are talking about moving for some really rare and unique atmosphere like HYPMS, the move entails unnecessary risks and I’ve seen more people fail for taking those risks than people enhance their career prospects significantly.</p>
<p>I would examine the sure thing at SDSU. Have you sat in on some CS classes there? Sure, it has a rep as a party school, and there may be some not-so-smart people there. Are those people going to make it past the freshman classes in CS, if they even attempt it at all? Heck no.</p>
<p>If you visit a sophomore CS class at SDSU and you’re thinking, “This is way too easy…none of these clowns did their homework…I knew how to do this kind of stuff when I was 15,” then SDSU isn’t right for you. But I will be surprised if that’s what you find. Just give it a try and see whether your assumptions are correct.</p>
<p>Hmmm I do agree with Hanna on the whole confirming your stereotypes thing. Maybe the school isn’t what you think it is both academically and socially (in which case SDSU may be a good choice, though you’d still need to evaluate evaluate the career opps. it would provide). However, in case your stereotypes do get confirmed, I think you need to evaluate how you’d do in an environment you find boring and instimulating versus how you’d do in a competitive but stimulating environment. </p>
<p>my suggestion is UCSC. It is in the greater Bay Area, and you may have heard about the software companies in the area As for mom, its probably not my place to say but it sounds like role reversal here. You don’t look after her, she looks after you, that’s the way it normally looks. She’s a grown adult in her 40’s or more, by now she should be able to make it on her own; certainly without depending on an 18-year-old for help.</p>
As for mom, its probably not my place to say but it sounds like role reversal here. You don’t look after her, she looks after you, that’s the way it normally looks. She’s a grown adult in her 40’s or more, by now she should be able to make it on her own; certainly without depending on an 18-year-old for help.</p>