<p>Hi, a parent here...........we visited UCLA and our rising senior son really liked UCLA. The tour guide was awesome and he loved the campus vibe.</p>
<p>Essentially he is interested in Mech Engineering/CS, not sure yet. He LOVES physics and is very hands on with computers. Not too much into programming at this point. Given his personality I think he is suited for a smaller student population and UCLA wasn't one of his top choices before we visited, but now he is really keen on applying.</p>
<p>I would like to hear about these particular majors either from your own experience or someone you know. Are the class sizes too big? Is it difficult to get classes and how has it been being a student at UCLA in these particular fields.</p>
<p>Since he is a hands-on practical kind of person, he thinks Mech Eng perhaps with a minor in CS? This year he is taking AP Calc AB, APCS and AP Physics C. Likes them all!!</p>
<p>I’m not majoring in Mechanical Engineering or CS, so I can’t really address those questions specifically. However, most engineering majors take the same or similar courses the first year, and so far, I haven’t had trouble getting into classes. And yes, the classes, at least the first year and a half or so, will be pretty big, but I think you’ll find that they’re big in most other universities as well. And there are definitely resources available and ways to make the campus seem smaller and more familiar (for lack of a better word) too.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, there isn’t a CS minor here. In addition, he wouldn’t be able to double major in two engineering fields (CS does count as an engineering field), so that may be something to consider. I believe Mech Eng majors do take CS 31, which is the intro level C++ class here at UCLA, and he has the option to do his technical breadth in this area as well, if I’m not mistaken. Hope that helps!</p>
<p>I am a third year CS student. I’ve never taken any MechE classes so I can’t comment about it, but all Engineering majors must fulfill a “Technical Breadth” requirement. This consists of taking 3 upper division classes in a different major. </p>
<p>As a Mech E major, you are required to take CS 31. He can also do his Tech Breadth in Computer Science and take an additional 3 classes of his liking. (or vice versa)</p>
<p>Most lower division classes as well as GE classes will almost always be packed and can sometimes be quite competitive to enroll in. I haven’t had any huge issues though, as long as you enroll promptly after your enrollment time, you will almost always find classes that you need to take. They may not be the “best” schedule if one particular class fills up, but it usually works out.</p>
<p>I’ve had excellent professors in the CS field. While they are usually also working on their research projects, it isn’t hard to find time to talk to them via appointments or office hours.</p>
<p>p.s. </p>
<p>lower division cs classes usually run 100-150 in class size.
upper division around 40-90.
there are also lab classes around 15-30.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the responses. I was under the impression that Mech Eng would have physics courses. </p>
<p>The tech breadth that you talked about does seem interesting. Even if he does not minor in CS he gets to take some classes and thats good enough.</p>
<p>MechE does have “physics” courses, e.g. statics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, circuits, etc. But the curriculum itself is not very hands-on. The only courses that are hands-on are intro to manufacturing and the two senior capstone classes. Upperdiv courses run from 60 (98% MechE students) to 100 (mix of MechE, AeroE, and CivilE students) in size. Every class is pretty easy to get into, except the labs, since the department is generous enough to increase the class sizes if there is a high demand.</p>
<p>You should consider that CS is significantly harder… with a dropout rate of one third. (source: Prof. Smallberg) If your heart is set on CS, it would be wise to consider a less prestigious (read: easier) school. It would suck to arrive at ucla set on doing CS and then realize you’re not one of the top two-thirds and thus can not do CS. Deciding between CS and mechE, well decide soon! CS majors start on CS in their very first quarter. Yes, it is true that MOST engineering majors share pretty much the same first-year classes, but CS majors additionally take cs31,32,33 in their first year (some do 33 in fall of second year) so if you decide you want to be CS halfway through your first-year, you’ll end up wasting significant time.</p>
<p>
In that case, CS is a very bad decision. In something as intense as CS at ucla, you have to be there 100% (or just be brilliant) to succeed.</p>
<p>As for sizes, UCLA is however personal you make it. Making that happen, though, can be challenging if, hypothetically, one is somewhat antisocial. For all other engineering majors, class sizes get smaller later on because of specialization, but for CS, class sizes stay the same big size throughout your undergrad career.</p>
<p>As for mechE, compared to other schools, it is heavily theoretical with only like 2 lab classes over the entire undergrad career. Because of this, it is comparatively very difficult to find related employment right after getting your BS–you would have to prove that you’ve done stuff in the real world.</p>
<p>I don’t know specifically what your son’s career plans are, but ucla engineering undergrad (in general) is fantastic for preparing for grad school, but only mediocre in regard to gaining employment immediately after a BS. The one exception is CS (or perhaps EECE as well). That degree is a real testament of your worth and with it, one should face no trouble at all getting a job.</p>
<p>When I was checking out ucla as a high school senior, I wish that someone would have told me that the admissions people/professors often stretch the truth (or just flatly lie). Listen to the testimony of current students–everything else is of much smaller importance.</p>
<p>^^ yes, it is really important to hear the comments on this board.</p>
<p>As of now he does not have any programming experience but he is taking APCS and will learn Java/Javascript pretty soon I guess and will know his aptitude by the time he applies to colleges.</p>
<p>Yea, see how your son likes APCS for the first two months of school (Sept and Oct) since the UC applications are due at the end of Nov. If he likes it, then he should apply as a CS major. If he is admitted but realizes that CS isn’t his thing by the time he graduates, he can change his major at orientation.</p>
<p>forget about the tour guide; tell your son to pretend they had never met. You can google the “halo effect” and see how that might distort his decision.</p>
<p>UCLA or any large U is going to be what you make of it. For the student that is somewhat outgoing and willing to spend the time & effort to meet fellow students, to get to know some profs, to take advantage of the alumni connections for internships, it is a paradise. But for someone that expects profs to reach out to them with advice, for clubs to be clamoring for them to join, for the career center to be contacting them with “we just heard this; maybe you’d be interested” it is going to be a long and disappointing journey.</p>
<p>You know your son the best. If he is willing to make the appropriate effort than UCLA will be everything he could hope for, but if he is more passive then it might not be the right fit. See my “Some tips” post at the top of this forum for more suggestions.</p>