Questions about CSE at the University of Minnesota-TW

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Minnesota
1

<p>Hi, I was accepted into the CSE at the U of M-TW, and I had question for students currently attending CSE. I know this question may seem a bit odd, but do the professors at CSE randomly call on students during lectures to answer questions? On average, how large are the freshman classes at CSE? How difficult is the freshman work load on a scale of 1-10, and how much free time could I expect? Also, when are the freshman placement Calculus and Chemistry exams due by?</p>

<p>-Thank you very much. Your answers are greatly appreciated.</p>

2

<p>Also, how hard are the courses for an Aerospace Engineering major? And how difficult is it to get accepted into the Aerospace Engineering program? </p>

3

<p>My son is in CSE. I asked him your questions.</p>

<p>1) Some professors randomly call on students to answer questions. Others don’t. Do yourself a favor by participating in the in-class Q&A.
2) Freshman classes are around 100 for Chemistry, Calculus & Physics lectures. Discussion groups and labs usually have 15 students, or so.
3) Workload is a difficulty of 10 on a scale of 1-10. His words were “my courses are really,really hard”.
4) Free time? LOL. Expect to study at least 40+ hrs per week if you wish to be successful in CSE. I heard it directly from the Dean of CSE during orientation last summer.
5) Placement exams are due 1-2 weeks prior to orientation in June or July, depending on the date you select. Plan on picking the earliest date possible to get the best class times.
6) You won’t be taking Aerospace Engineering courses in your first year. It’s chemistry, calculus, physics in the first semester, followed by chemistry, calculus and phsics, followed by chemistry, calculus and physics, all sprinkled with a variety of other required courses. It should go without saying that the higher your GPA after two or three semesters, the better your chance to get accepted into Aerospace Engineering program. He suspects you might have problems with a GPA lower than 3.0. Look for other CC posts on that topic to see what others say. My son isn’t an AerospaceE major, so he’s not sure.</p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>

4

<p>This was very helpful, thank you very much. And please thank your son for me also.</p>

5

<p>Are many courses curved a lot, to compensate for the courses difficulty , are many courses not curved at all, or is it somewhere in between? </p>

<ul>
<li>Thank you very much</li>
</ul>

6

<p>For difficult classes, including chemistry, calculus and physics, grades are curved if the class average is low. Less difficult CSE classes don’t seem to have a curve, but getting an A grade is easy if you regularly attend class, participate in discussions, and do your homework. Grade curving is at the discretion of the professor.</p>

7

<p>So at CSE, you get credit for doing homework? Is this so for most classes, like physics and calculus, or just a few?</p>

8

<p>Yes, in many classes homework is required to be turned in for grading. CSE requirement courses in calculus, chemistry, and physics all have a homework element factored into the calculation of the final course grade.</p>

9

<p>How competitive is the Aerospace Engineering program at CSE? Are you pretty much in if you have a good GPA, or do you have to apply to it?</p>

10

<p>You’re guaranteed to be in the AeroE program if your technical GPA is 3.2 or higher. Otherwise, you’re considered for admission on a space-available basis. Application to the major occurs in the fall of your sophomore year.</p>

<p>This source should help: <a href=“http://cse.umn.edu/services/advising/CSE_CONTENT_188758.php”>http://cse.umn.edu/services/advising/CSE_CONTENT_188758.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

11

<p>Thank you </p>

12

<p>How long was freshman summer orientation at CSE, and what did the orientation consist of?</p>

<ul>
<li>Thank you</li>
</ul>

13

<p>Tony, the search function on the UMN website is fantastic. I plugged in Freshman orientation and here is what popped up. <a href=“http://www.ofyp.umn.edu/en/orientation.html”>http://www.ofyp.umn.edu/en/orientation.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Sign up as soon as you get your invite. Unless you are in honors, the courses may fill up…so the sooner you register the better. Also there is almost a full week orientation the week before school starts. Lots to do!</p>

14

<p>Thank you very much</p>

15

<p>For the Chemistry placement exam, should I be ok if I just go over my notes from my chemistry class last year?</p>

16

<p>Hopefully one of the kids online will answer, but my son hadn’t had Chem since 10th or 11 grade and he did just fine. He picked up one of those 2 page laminated study guides that they have at Barnes and Noble and he spent some time reviewing that. (but always a good idea to review your old notes)</p>

17

<p>Ok, thank you.</p>

18

<p>When could I expect to recieve a financial aid package from the U of M? I turned in my FAFSA before the March 1st deadline. I know that the U of M said that as long as you turned in your FAFSA in before March 1, you could expect a financial aid package before May 1st, but I just wanted to have an range of times when most people start recieving theirs.

  • Thank you</p>
19

<p>Also, where can I find a list of all of the courses that are available to freshman CSE students?</p>

20

<p>On the University’s web site: <a href=“University of Minnesota Twin Cities”>http://www1.umn.edu/twincities/index.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;