<p>Hi, I was accepted into computer science and personally, i’m not a strong programmer. i know bits and pieces of java from taking a year of Java in 11th grade. However, I’m not the best programmer and if someone threw me in a programming class in the first quarter of college, I’d probably fail right away. </p>
<p>So based on my skills, would SLO be a good fit for me? I heard that changing majors was hard but at the same time, I really like how they have smaller class sizes.</p>
<p>Also, how hard is the CS at SLO? Do they move at a really fast pace? I tend to be a slow learner (ex. it may take me 1-2 weeks to create a program rather than a few days) but I work really hard. I just don’t want to go in and fail my classes at the start of the school year and then realize there’s no option to back out. Thanks if you can help!</p>
<p>Hey! I was also accepted to compsci at SLO just now! I’m interested in this thread so bump!</p>
<p>The people in them are too busy with homework to comment on threads like this. CS is demanding major at every campus. Rest assured, at SLO, the major is challenging and competitive. I don’t have the stats handy but, recall seeing records (admission vs graduation) that suggested a substantial portion of CS applicants switch majors - theoretically to a less demanding field of study.</p>
<p>I am a parent of a second year CS major. My S is very strong in math and had never written a line of code in his life. He is, however, a very focused student. The CS program is VERY rigorous. I believe they have a program due by the second week of class. However, there is no presumption that you have coded before and my S has done very well in his classes.</p>
<p>There is one course, CPE357, that is lurking in your second or third year. I’ll call it a “weeder” class. It separates the girls/boys from the women/men. It has something like a 50% pass rate. Every program written, and there are a lot of them, must pass or you fail the course. I’ve heard that roughly 20% drop the class.</p>
<p>So, that’s the honest truth. It is a very difficult but rewarding major at CP. And, if you successfully complete it, your skills will be in high demand.</p>
<p>@jamestg Thanks for the information!
Because you have a child in the program, just curious, what computer does he have/recommend for an incoming CS major?</p>
<p>@Sara2116 This was 1-1/2 years ago. We purchased a Lenovo IdeaPad V570 for him. Core i5, 6GB memory, 500MB HD. He’s had no problem with it and it has served him well. Also a small 100GB external Passport drive for backup. Although there is not a lot of theft issues, there are some opportunity thefts. So be sure to get a good cable lock, at a minimum.</p>
<p>@jamestg will a Macbook Pro (late 2013) work? Or is a PC recommended? And thanks for your response! :)</p>
<p>@BubblePanda I posed your question to my son. Here is his response. “A number of people do. But they aren’t always the best/easiest to use since at least for some classes, programs used are windows specific.”</p>
<p>I also knew he had a dual windows/linux partition and asked him about that. “Yeah, windows and linux. It’s nice not to have to rely on the campus computers/connections for compiling code. But macs should work with that since they have terminals and are unix based. But I don’t know for sure.”</p>
<p>May not be what you wanted to hear, but I hope that helps give some guidance.</p>
<p>BubblePanda, when my older S went, we attended Admitted Students’ Day. In the departmental meeting, “which computer to bring?” was addressed. We also asked the upperclass students, who were showing us their projects; they used Macs and Windows. Looked on the CSC’s departmental website, where it discussed which computers to bring; if you look at the current one, it is a little dated. Throughout his stay, his classmates used Macs or Windows. He used the computer he brought as a freshman, until the third year, when he said he needed something stronger. I think you might be able to use the laptop you have and, by the end of your first year, you’ll have a better idea of what you’ll need.</p>
<p>Hope you go to Admitted Students’ Day this week, so you can ask your questions.</p>
<p>Thanks @eduparent and @jamestg!</p>