Hey, so I just got accepted from the wait list in UW-M and I see that I have been enrolled into General Science. I did some research, and it says I need to take only one CS course to be eligible to declare CS as my major.
So my question is: how long will it take to become a CS major? Since only one course needs to be completed, I’m guessing maybe a month? Also, how difficult would these courses be? The courses are named in the 200s and 300s (Eg- CS240).
Thanks for your help! =]
Are you referring to UW-Milwaukee (which is UW-M) or are you talking about UW-Madison (which is UW)? And are you a transfer or a high school senior? Also, never heard of ‘General Science’, do you mean College of Letters & Science?
And courses are not one month long…
It will take the length of one semester to finish one CS class. You also must earn at least a C and the class must be of at least 2 credits.
Sorry guys! Yes, I was referring to the College of Letters and Sciences. I’m a highschool senior and an international student, so I don’t have any knowledge on how long your average course is lol. I’m sorry, forgive my ignorance.
And thanks for your help! If, say, for whatever reason I couldn’t get a C or higher, do I get a chance to retake the test? Thanks again!
Your course grade is not based only on the final exam. In CS it likely will include programming assignments as well as exams. If you can’t get a C in a class you shouldn’t choose that field as your major! In the US you need to be doing your homework and studying as things are assigned- quizzes, exams and homework assignments will count towards your final grade in all of your courses. Professors will let you know how much each counts towards the final grade at the beginning of the semester. Then it is up to you to be sure you do the work. Not all that hard to keep up.
You do not need to formally declare your major until you want to graduate (my son added CS to his math major). You can change majors at any time as well. Your SOAR advisor will help you with course selection in August. Remember that in the US colleges require many breadth courses as well as those related to your major. You get an education, not just technical skills (H is from India and I learned a lot how things are different elsewhere).
This summer you can explore the UW website and the Computer Science department in particular. There is a wealth of information, including required courses for the major, available courses et al. Familiarizing yourself with UW information will help you choose your courses. Note that some courses are “cross listed”- this means the same course is listed in more than one department. For you this may mean math and computer science courses since you need both.
The number of credits usually correlates with the number of class hours per week (except labs which run longer per credit). An “hour” is 55 minutes and there is usually 15 minutes between classes to allow you time to get from one to another, hence the odd seeming start times (those stay in your brain decades later). Some classes are 1 1/2 hours twice a week for 3 credits instead of 1 hour 3 times per week. Most students likely will take 15-16 credits per semester (15 weeks plus finals week) although full time is 12- 18 credits. Likely 4 courses in a semester or 5 depending on the number of credits per course.
Have fun exploring UW online and enjoy Madison when you get there.
Addenda- since you will need Social Sciences and Humanities credits also explore those fields. You will start your freshman year taking not only the math/science courses for your proposed major but likely at least one other course to fulfill the breadth requirements. Let your imagination soar when choosing these. This is the time of your life to explore many subjects you won’t otherwise indulge in. The online Timetable lists when courses are offered so you can plan your schedule. Note that YOU are in charge of your college career. Advisors give advice but YOU make the final choices (not your parents, either, btw). Once you are on campus you will absorb a lot more information about how things work- don’t worry.
L&S is the shorthand for the college you and most UW students will be in.
There are likely prerequisites for some of these comp sci courses. I can’t imagine you being able to take any of them without first having taken any calculus, so that will be a consideration as well.
In addition, course number does not necessarily denote difficulty. I’ve taken 600 level courses that have been easier than 300 level. I’ve taken some intro-level courses (such as statistics) that are numbered 300 and others in the 200 range. Difficulty will be based on a number of things: your level of comfort with the material, the amount of time you’re willing to invest in the class, the professor who is teaching the course, the TA who is running your lab/discussion sections. It’s hard to say.
There are CS courses open to freshman with no prereq’s, ie cs 252.