Georgia Tech difficulty, co-ops, environment, etc

Colleges and Universities A-Z Georgia Institute of Technology
1

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>I recently got admitted by GT (yay) but I have some questions. I obviously understand GT is a great engineering and technology school but now that I am accepted I have some questions. I am sure other admits have similar questions.
First off, is GT as difficult as some people claim it to be? I know that it depends on the person but I come from a very rigorous school but am not the top. Is the work load manageable enough to maintain a high gpa? I plan on going into CE. How are the professors?
Also, how early can one start doing a co-op? Is it true that while doing a co-op, one can pay in-state tuition or is that only for study abroad? How does the co-op system work? Do you just skip a semester and get the credits? What about on or off campus student jobs?</p>

<p>Thanks and any input from current GT students or anyone in general would be appreciated.</p>

2

<p>here is the link on co-op’s</p>

<p>[Georgia</a> Tech Cooperative Education Program Website :: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)](<a href=“http://www.coop.gatech.edu/FAQ.html]Georgia”>http://www.coop.gatech.edu/FAQ.html)</p>

3

<p>and here is the link to course critique. it gives you the GPA for each Prof for each class.
For example 1502 is Calc II.
[Course</a> Critique - MATH 1502](<a href=“Course Critique”>Course Critique)</p>

<p>Phys 2211 is the first physics class.
[Course</a> Critique - PHYS 2211](<a href=“Course Critique”>Course Critique)</p>

<p>Anyway you can see that some kids do well and others don’t. and some prof are a lot easier than others. Unfortunately depending on the subject they don’t list the profs when you first register for classes.</p>

4

<p>Hi MichiganGeorgia,</p>

<p>I’m not sure if you can answer my question. How hard or how easy is it to secure a co-op position? What do they like to see on my resume beside the GPA and the courses?</p>

5

<p>@daivin Sorry can’t answer that question. DS is only a freshman and the earliest they can interview is second semester. The kid across the street goes to GT and has a co-op. I’m not sure how hard it was for him to get one but he does like it.</p>

6

<p>Thanks, @MichiganGeorgia. And sorry, Coder90. I’m asking my question in your thread. Hope you think it’s related to you too.</p>

<p>Hope someone else can answer my question.</p>

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<p>@daivin No its cool. MichiganGeorgia already answered mine for the most part.</p>

8

<p>Coder90: Grading is always 1 thing while course content is another. Sometimes bad grades can indicate that many underestimated the content (as many who have AP credits or experience tend to do) or level of exams at selective schools. Even higher grading schools will have courses that just blow those at harsher grading schools out of the water (such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, etc. Lenient grading, brutal course content in many introductory courses taken by science majors)</p>

<p>Take an actual look at the websites for some of the intro. courses:
[PHYS</a> 2211 ABC Fall 2013](<a href=“http://www.physics.gatech.edu/~em92/Classes/2013/Fall/2211ABC/index.html]PHYS”>http://www.physics.gatech.edu/~em92/Classes/2013/Fall/2211ABC/index.html)
[MATH</a> 1501](<a href=“http://people.math.gatech.edu/~bonetto/teaching/1501-fall09/ma1501.html]MATH”>MATH 1501)</p>

<p>These two look quite challenging to me (and there are more challenging exams on the net: <a href=“Georgia Tech math 1501 exam - Google Search”>Georgia Tech math 1501 exam - Google Search)</p>

<p>Their math and physics courses are asking you to prove, derive, and conceptualize more than normal AP/IB or even college calculus/calc. based physics courses so these courses are definitely challenging. Are they more challenging than peer engineering programs (Michigan, Berkeley), not necessarily and perhaps not quite as intense as extremely selective places with top physics programs (Princeton, Harvard, Caltech, MIT, etch). But from my experience with say, my calc. based physics and some intro. calc. classes at Emory, this is far tougher (in addition to being graded tougher).</p>

<p>On the other hand: Chemistry and biology courses are not remotely as difficult and are actually graded a little easier (our chem. course averages are consistently B- 2.6-2.9, whereas there chem. courses hover around “B”). The same thing they are doing in many math and physical science courses is what we’re doing for life and natural sciences (as is often the case when you compare a liberal arts/pre-health intensive school that has a similar student body to an engineering school). I think many engineering majors have to take gen. chem, but it appears this is among one of the easier intros. Math and physics are the beasts. </p>

<p>Here is a site that shows a freshman chemistry final (I think it’s a pretty accurate representation of the level of exams. My friends who took 1211/1212k showed me some when the course was created. I must say that it’s very “generous”):
[CHEM</a> 1211K | Georgia Tech Chemistry & Biochemistry](<a href=“http://www.chemistry.gatech.edu/academics/freshman-program/chem-1211k]CHEM”>http://www.chemistry.gatech.edu/academics/freshman-program/chem-1211k)</p>

<p>With this said, it’s very possible to do well if you pace yourself, don’t underestimate the courses, and are willing to ask for help (top students that end up at selective schools often don’t like doing this and sometimes it requires humility if you’re used to just “getting it”).</p>