<p>Background
I attended the University of Minnesota as a PSEO student from Fall 2011 - Spring 2013 and left with 59 credits at a 3.92GPA towards a Computer Science Degree. I've been wanting to write about my experience for awhile, but didn't know where to put it and never really found the time. This article will probably be some odd cross between a blog and a tutorial -- so I'm not exactly sure where it's going, I am just feeling the need to write.</p>
<p>What is PSEO?
In Minnesota (and I believe a few other states) they offer a program called "PSEO" to 11th and 12th graders where you can attend college classes free of charge (including books), while earning both high school and college credit. This is different from College-In-School and AP classes because you are taking the real college class on campus, with the other college students. The credits transfer directly to actual college credits, rather than having to take a huge test at the end of the semester to possibly get college credit...</p>
<p>My opinion on PSEO vs CIS/AP Classes
If I'm being completely honest, I dislike that high schools push CIS/AP classes so much harder than the PSEO option. Although I have never taken a English/History AP class, I have many old high school friends that have. My issue with AP classes is this: they are a LOT more work than the college equivalent for a CHANCE to earn college credit. Comparing my 1001 English class (total of 3 exams and 10 pages worth of papers) to my high school's AP English class (a test every chapter, a 3 page paper every week and a half) seems like an almost laughable workload comparison. Don't get me wrong, college IS difficult, but there is just so much less "fluff" homework and assignments to do.</p>
<p>Putting workload aside, even though high schools will tell you that the credit is "just the same", it honestly is not. No matter how you look at it, a legit college credit will look better and transfer easier than any AP credit. During my freshman orientation last summer, there were many students irritated because 1-3 of their AP classes that they worked so hard at were essentially useless at the U of M.</p>
<p>Who is meant for PSEO?
I've often asked myself this question, and besides just describing myself, I'm not certain... My only real suggestion is that it has to be YOUR idea to do, not your parents. It needs to be your motivation that pushes you through midterm/finals week, not your parents nagging. It has to be your motivation that makes you get up for that 8am lecture... even if you're not graded on showing up.</p>
<p>My PSEO Story...
Although from the U's point of view you are essentially a freshman, you still feel... out of place your first couple of semesters.</p>
<p>I can't help but smile looking back on it, but I had taken an American Sign Language II class my first semester over in the St. Paul campus. If you can picture a sex-crazed 16 year old boy sitting in the middle of a room full of 20-24 year old, fully developed, women in short shorts thinking I had some sort of shot. Although they were nice enough to me, it was still clear (looking back on it) that they were much more interested in the mid-20's, full grown beard, tobacco smelling, half-asleep muscular man in the corner.</p>
<p>Although I wouldn't consider myself socially awkward, I'm definitely very introverted and don't make new friends that easily. This was especially true when I had to catch a bus everyday at 4:30 to go eat dinner with my parents... I made my first "real" college friend that Spring in my 1901 Introduction to Computer Programming Lab. She was an extremely intelligent (and attractive) 20 year old sophomore who had recently switched majors from business to computer science. Although I had mentioned that I was PSEO, I don't think she knew just how young I was. Looking back on it, I think that if I hadn't have been so weird-ed out by the age difference and had asked her out on a date, she probably would have accepted. We still chat on Facebook about once a month (she is graduating this year), but I think that I had been a college freshman, the story might be a little different.</p>
<p>During that same semester (Spring 2012), I had taken an "1301 Freshman Introduction to Writing" course... I'm not sure if my teacher was mentally unstable or just using drugs, but there was definitely something odd going on. Having spent many 50-minute discussions on how to refer to him (Mr. XX, Professor XX, First name, Last Name, Nickname), it was about 3 weeks in when he ended class early via bursting into tears and running out of the room. Class was intermittent for the next few weeks, until he had canceled class completely for an entire week. After that we were emailed by the Head of the English department that Mr. XX was no longer attending the University, they could not get a hold of him, and that we would be getting a different teacher... I'm still not sure what became of him, but needless to say I'm pretty sure that the entire class received an A.</p>
<p>By my third semester I was finally getting into the "meat" of my computer science courses. Not only that, but I was starting to feel like I was starting to find a group of friends -- the same people were starting to show up in most of my classes. Although I still wasn't really hanging out with anyone outside of class (from the U, I still hung out with my high school friends frequently), we were all getting comfortable enough with each other to b*tch about certain classes, double check homework with, and immediately ask after an exam finishes "What did you get for the last problem?!"</p>
<p>I also had once of my favorite professors that semester, Baylor Wetzel, in "1902 Data Structures of Computer Programming" (or something like that, I always just use the course number). I'm not a Broney, but if you can imagine learning Java via the magical land of My Little Pony where we would complete almost finished pokemon-style games where Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash battle it to the death -- you can't help but be impressed with the amount of originality he put into his class. Although his humor borderlined him getting fired many times (Linked Lists were introduced via the movie cover to The Human Centipede) it closely matched the humor of many computer science students.</p>
<p>My fourth and last semester as a PSEO student was definitely my most difficult (It was this semester that I dropped from a 4.0GPA to a 3.92GPA :'( ). I had decided to take both "1061 Introduction to Chemistry" (the one that most engineering students start out in) and "2021 Machine Architecture" (considered one of the two hardest classes in the Computer Science major) in the same semester since my previous semesters had been so easy. Although looking back on it I probably could have pulled a 4.0, I am still extremely proud of myself for pulling the grades that I did.</p>
<p>Although my 1 credit Chemistry lab helped me greatly in understand the principles taught in lecture, it's still an incredible amount of work for a 1 credit class. We had to write two 8-page single-spaced lab reports that (for me at least) took a considerable amount of time. To go along with this, my Machine Architecture class was assigning +30 hour labs (literally, not exaggerating) every 2 weeks. The exam averages were 21%, 30%, 34%, and the final got a ~40% average. Although this class required an incredible amount of time and effort, I have still learned the most from this class than all my other classes combined.</p>
<p>Where am I now?
I'm currently taking a year off of school and doing a year long co-op at IBM down in Rochester. I'm supporting myself in my own place and loving my job as a Software Engineer. I get to work on the actual product (some of my code has been released!) and with real customers -- it's quiet an amazing experience.</p>
<p>At this point in my life, I'm not sure if I'm going to finish my degree and am strongly considering dropping out of school to either join a startup or start my own business. I guess time will tell :)</p>
<p>Final Thoughts
If you have the opportunity and drive to do PSEO, go for it! It's quiet an amazing experience and will save you tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention jump start you 2 years in life.</p>
<p>My biggest tip to doing well would be *Go to Class! Every. Single. Lecture. No exceptions! *.</p>
<p>Though I doubt anyone will read this entire thing, if have any questions, feel free to ask!</p>