So I got rejected to CS but accepted as undeclared in DGS. I’m kinda leaning towards CS but not 100%, and I know how difficult to almost impossible it is to transfer into CS at UIUC after a year.
However I’m planning to take whatever CS courses I can my first year to see if this field of study is really my niche. One thing I’m worried about is how bad it could impact my GPA if I turn out not to be very interested in it, or even if I am interested, because I’ve heard horror stories about CS and ENG here.
I haven’t committed to UIUC yet but I’m thinking of doing so and then maybe transferring to Purdue or Wisconsin for CS after a year to see where that takes me. Or if I end up not liking CS, I might even stay at UIUC and shoot for a less selective major.
Could anyone with experience with UIUC CS in CoE also talk about the difficulty of CE in CoE? If I am able to plan well in advance for assignments and studying for exams, is the workload manageable or does it become very stressful?
Hopeful - I understand people transfer all the time, but to have a plan to do so after a year when it can be avoided is IMHO not wise. Are you saying the you’d do UIUC DGS and take CS courses then if you like CS plan to transfer regardless of how well you do?
My DS is currently in the transfer credit evaluation part of a transfer from CS in a well respected but small liberal arts and science university to UIUC S&CS, and I have to say the transfer course evaluation process is grueling. There’s a great chance of losing some of your credits with a move like this, you have to decide how much you can stomach. Also consider that even in well respected programs the details of what they teach in intro CS courses varies from college to college. Prob less of a concern since you’d be transferring from a powerhouse, but an issue nonetheless. We know it may be an uphill battle with DS having to make sure he figures out what he may be missing from his current curriculum, and crossing our fingers for the final transfer equivalency results.
When necessary - sure it may be worth it, but I can’t see why anyone would start a college when they know they aren’t staying there.
Not of course referring to a CC to 4 yr. plan, that’s a whole different thing.
CS 125, 173, and 225 are the intro classes that you will have to get an A in if you want to have a good shot at transferring. I wouldn’t label any of them as blow off classes, but they’re not super hard either. If you really like CS it won’t be hard to do well in them. But you’ll also have to have good grades in your physics/chem/calc classes as well.