<p>As a current CS major, I would like to say that I consider a 2.6 for a freshman CS major to be very, very bad(and I also don’t think a 3.2 is too much to require of freshmen… I think people are overestimating how hard the major is to people who have some talent in it). It’s a hard major, but it’s a major that gets much more difficult as you progress. If he thinks the current stuff is hard, wait until he gets into algorithm design, scientific computation, compilers and systems programming, and that’s not even getting into the dreaded practicums. So he shouldn’t expect his GPA to increase as he goes on, unless he makes some rapid adjustment and gain some magical understanding of everything so far (and he needs a very solid footing on what he learned this year to succeed in the future). </p>
<p>I’m at a top 5 CS program (and yes, it’s really freakin’ hard), and a 2.6 in what rightfully should be the easiest year of my college career would be a sign for me to reconsider my choice of majors. I’m not a good programmer by any means (I didn’t even start programming until Fall 07), and I still pulled off some decent grades (lowest was B+) despite usually missing 60-70% of lectures in any given CS class. I guess my point is that considering the circumstances, if your son is trying in his classes and not doing as well as a slacker and a subpar programmer like me, and considering his previously demonstrated intelligence, maybe his specialty lies elsewhere. My personal opinion is, get out before it’s too late. I’ve seen quite a few people try and hack away at a subject they never seemed to have a talent for and only barely get by, for the reward of slim employment opportunities. Maybe your kid is just not made for CS… it’s a possibility.</p>