<p>I've been accepted to Computer Engineering (and Computer Science if I want to switch) at UIUC, as well as numerous other places. I like the huge size of UIUC because I'm heavily interested in joining several clubs, meeting lots of people, socializing, etc., but wondering if I will have any time.</p>
<p>Easier schools for engineering seem to be less stressful on the school work and would allow me to socialize more and work on my own engineering projects since school wouldn't take up every minute of my time.</p>
<p>I simply do not want to come to UIUC if I'm going to be trying to keep my head above water the entire time, rather than enjoying my college experience by expanding my mind and meeting great people/doing great things. I've also heard about huge fail rates for classes.</p>
<p>New, Not sure what you’re talking about. You had to work hard in HS to obtain the stats you need to get accepted to uiuc. Once you and all the other high achiever, work-hard accepted applicants get to uiuc, you will need to continue to work hard to get good grades. You’ll be competing against other high achievers who don’t want to be in the 50% of uiuc students who are in the bottom 50% of class grades once they matriculate.</p>
<p>You think you’ve arrived and can now skate? Good luck with that, wherever you end up. If you work hard, and are organized, you’ll have plenty of time to socialize.</p>
<p>I have friends in engineering programs across the country. The average starting salary for a computer engineer/software programmer is $60k. Why go through the hell of UIUC if I can go to an easier school, come out with the same degree, make the same amount in the workforce, and have more free time?</p>
<p>I’m not looking to skate by, but I have a very high intolerance for busy work. I’ve heard UIUC has a lot of that, much of which has nothing to do with applicable knowledge in the engineering world.</p>
<p>Please elaborate on that point, if you would. Where did you hear that, and what would that “busy work” be? And let me know what other top 10 engineering program you are considering where that “busy work” could be avoided?</p>
<p>First, you could not have already been admitted to UIUC since the first decisions doing so will not go out until mid-December. Second, if admitted for computer engineering you will not have any option to switch to computer science (you could not do that until after your first year). Thus, my initial question is whether you are actually talking about UIUC or some other college to which you have been admitted?</p>
<p>If UIUC, the answer to your general question is that you will have a lot of work to do in pursuing an engineering degree. The problem is you are incorrectly assuming it will be a lot less elsewhere. What you will find at just about every college that has both engineering and liberal arts programs is that the engineering students on average have a lot more homework to do than the liberal arts students. They also have time to socialize but if your idea is that you want to go to college and socialize a lot more than study then you should be choosing a different career path from engineering and not just a different college.</p>
<p>The contrast in work between large universities and smaller universities is often large. I have been to both. As a non-traditional student I have seen professors give a few homework problems a night (small, 10:1 faculty-to-student ratio classes), to several hours a night (at 150:1 faculty-to-student classes), depending on class size, usually dictated by size of the school.</p>
<p>I’m coming into UIUC as a transfer. Knowing how to do basic voltage analysis is easy. Doing homework problems relating to that is easy. Doing 150 homework problems because the professor wants to grade you on something and make it hard on his students, for no other purpose than because he’d rather be doing research, is not easy.</p>
<p>Busy work is just that; busy work. When you understand something you shouldn’t be drilled mindlessly on it when you could be doing other things. That is what large universities often give you, as I have seen it for myself.</p>
<p>Again, I am a transfer. I am a non-traditional student. I have been to 3 different universities. Please stop asking questions on decisions as this has nothing to do with my question.</p>
<p>You can learn engineering from self study. I do not understand the significance of top 10 schools, other than to promote prestige and prove to companies that it can produce corporate drones. What makes it so prestigious anyway? Is it the fact that an applicant was smart enough to get in, or the fact that the education there is that much better? How can an education be so much better if learning at your own pace could substitute for an actual college degree?</p>
<p>It’s all in your head. The truth is that top schools are like the name brand of a drug; Zoloft for example. You pay more, you think you’re getting top quality, when in reality it’s no better than it’s generic brand because they both are the same drug, just with different labels. People want a name to tell them truth, rather than understanding the underlying principles. I know because I’ve gone that route as well.</p>
<p>I’ve seen the busy work. It literally is the difference between proving your competence in an area of study with a few problems, or having a professor drill you on 150 questions. I’d much rather spend only half an hour on homework a night than 2 hours. Socializing is very important, as networking is very important. I’m not talking about getting drunk socializing, but making contacts, joining clubs, playing sports, and getting involved with the community.</p>
<p>I’m not about to spend the remainder of my college years a miserable wreck because I’m in engineering doing some professors ***** homework assignments when I could learn it on my own, faster, easier, with less stress, and still have time to do other things, just so I could say I went to “XYZ” school.</p>
<p>I think that you should go somewhere easier. </p>
<p>Seriously, you seem to know what you want. I can respect that. </p>
<p>There are plenty of people who wish they had the opportunity to do busy work at UIUC and you’re taking up a spot. You would be miserable while they would thrive. Do the right thing and make two people happy.</p>
<p>Thank you for your input. The only reason I am even considering going here is for like-minded people. Everyone seems to want to get drunk elsewhere, rather than learning, working on startups, etc., so it’s a very tough call. The chance of meeting great people are much higher at a decent university, but the opportunity cost is less time.</p>
<p>Well, since you’ve plainly stated your position, and beliefs, far be it from me to disabuse you of them. There are many colleges out there that provide degrees in various engineering disciplines. Attend one of them that meets the prerequisites that you consider important, or just self-study until you feel you’ve learned the equivalent of a traditional course of engineering study. As Drusba states, at UIUC, your workload will consume a large portion of your time. So, it clearly isn’t somewhere that you, a non-traditional student, would benefit from attending for an engineering degree.</p>
<p>As for the one thing you feel that top engineering schools provide, like minded people, visit their Campustown area, and you’ll get plenty of the socialization with like-minded people that you value. In addition, professors have been known to frequent those same haunts. Do what you think is best for you, and live with the benefits and/or consequences of your decisions like the rest of us do.</p>
<p>I see where you are coming from, but I feel like at UIUC that applies to pre-med students and graduate school hopefuls; why should they take science courses that are hard because they are part of the engineering program they aren’t even in, when they can go to an easier school? However, engineering at UIUC is a different ballgame. Yes, its harder. And yes, don’t expect to party it up like non-science majors. However, my roommate is an engineering major and her networking and job opportunities as a freshman are already amazing. The engineering advisors are the best, the clubs for engineering are well organized, and there are so many job fairs where top companies come here to recruit. Considering how tough the economy is, opportunity is important.</p>