past/present UCSD CS majors, please check in

[OS]

My bro isn't doing so hot as a CS major, does anyone have any advice? Are there any program/major specific dirty tricks that he should be aware of?

He's not dumb at all, but I don't think he knows how to balance classes and college life in general.

 

[Ameesh]

i just graduated from the program with a B.S. in C.S.


its a hard major, the department takes the classes and the students in the major very seriously. If he's just starting hes probably going through the weeder course where they get more then 60% of the people to drop in the freshman year.

My advice is that if hes not enjoying what hes learning he should get out now cause it aint gonna get any easier, but the profs do get nicer once your in upper division classes.


My firends and I didnt get to party all that much when we were in college so if he has time to do that hes probably not putting enough time into his classes, i know when compilers comes around you will not do anything but that for 6 months.


Paul Kube is a fair teacher but he may seem a little harsh at times. George Varghese is the best CS professer there along with Gary Gillespe. George teaches networking and gary teaches compilers.

 

[OS]

Thanks.

Yeah he's in those early weeder classes right now, my sis' bf who is also a UCSD CS grad tried helping my bro and put in six hours into a project.

That's pretty insane when a freshman level course still takes over six hours from some who is already working in industry.

 

[ggavinmoss]

Ameesh and I graduated at the same time and I agree with what he says.

The classes are tough, but not impossible. Most the classes are fair, but require work.

If he's having problems, tell him to go to office hours -- with few exceptions the staff and faculty are really approachable. Even if they aren't the greatest at people skills I've rarely heard of a prof not helping a student.

-geoff

 

[Ameesh]

<< Thanks.

Yeah he's in those early weeder classes right now, my sis' bf who is also a UCSD CS grad tried helping my bro and put in six hours into a project.

That's pretty insane when a freshman level course still takes over six hours from some who is already working in industry. >>



compilers took well over 30 hours a week to get everything done. after 6 months your whole family and friend circle either wants to kill you or having nothing to do with you.

 

[OS]

<< compilers took well over 30 hours a week to get everything done. after 6 months your whole family and friend circle either wants to kill you or having nothing to do with you. >>



geez, 30 hrs a week for one class? Might as well eat, sh*t and sleep code. :Q

 

[Ameesh]

<<

<< compilers took well over 30 hours a week to get everything done. after 6 months your whole family and friend circle either wants to kill you or having nothing to do with you. >>



geez, 30 hrs a week for one class? Might as well eat, sh*t and sleep code. :Q >>



geoff and i were stupid enough to take that and microprocesser design in the same quarter i dont think either of us could have been in a more foul mood. ( we had to build a microprocesser by scratch right from the gate level, a single cycle 8 bit processer, thank god we didnt have to do pipelinig)

 

[ggavinmoss]

<<

<<

<< compilers took well over 30 hours a week to get everything done. after 6 months your whole family and friend circle either wants to kill you or having nothing to do with you. >>



geez, 30 hrs a week for one class? Might as well eat, sh*t and sleep code. :Q >>



geoff and i were stupid enough to take that and microprocesser design in the same quarter i dont think either of us could have been in a more foul mood. ( we had to build a microprocesser by scratch right from the gate level, a single cycle 8 bit processer, thank god we didnt have to do pipelinig) >>



And thank God we took the *good* way out -- dedicated hardware all the way. Unparalleled performance, zero robustness. Everyone was happy they had "instruction sets" -- I was happy our processor was 10x faster than most everyone else's.

-geoff