Thinking about going into information science at UCLA? Hither are ten things yous should know kickoff - from tough classes to low GPAs to crazy low admit rates. Merely think, information technology volition all be worth it in the end - if y'all can actually make it through UCLA'south CS program, you're looking at a sweet starting bacon in the $100,000s. And so here's some tips for braving the competition and making information technology to that salary, intact!
i. It's in the School of Engineering.
What does this hateful? Basically... information technology's a completely different ball game from getting admitted to UCLA College of Messages and Sciences (which houses all of the normal majors, including natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities). Think of applying to Schoolhouse of Engineering science as though you're applying to a completely dissimilar university. You're going to need higher test scores, a higher GPA, and a more than tech-oriented awarding. (Just don't skimp on those loftier school extracurriculars or leadership positions! School of Technology is very serious about putting theholistic inholistic admissions.)
two. Don't count on transferring in.
UC is hard in that they force you lot to apply to School of Engineering as a specific major. Yes, you lot tin employ as undeclared engineering, or materials science, or anything else in the School, but don't count on being able to get into any of the CS majors from there. If you're admitted to Ceremonious Applied science or Mechanical Engineering, you tin still modify to Bioengineering - or nigh of the residue of the technology majors.But not CS. Why? Because Computer Scientific discipline is such a popular major that they just don't accept the slots to let actress people in. The lesson? If you want to go into information science at UCLA, so make sure yous apply as Computer Science on your application. You can always switch out of CS into something else, but you tin can't necessarily switch in.
3. That GPA ain't gonna be high.
So yous've gotten into CS, and you're sitting at your calculator after your first quarter with that horrible, cold feeling in the pit of your stomach - that feeling that comes whenever you mess upwards. Your GPA is a 3.five, and you're one of those lovely engineering admits whoall are used to perfect 4.0s in high school. A three.5 is unacceptable, right? Non necessarily. Don't remember yous're going to get a iv.0, because it'due south basically impossible, specially in School of Technology, andespecially in CS. Expect to have something in the upper 3.0 range. Don't become in shooting for a 3.5, merely if you lot're giving it your best shot and even so can't get that pretty piddling iv.0, don't worry. You aren't lonely. In fact, you're just 1 of us.
4. Freshman yr classes are absolutely brutal.
You know that roommate of yours? The i that spends every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sabbatum dark partying? That isn't going to be y'all. You aren't going tocompletely surrender your social life, of course, but you also aren't going to be the most social person in town. It's kind of incommunicable to be a social butterfly when you have a projection that takes 20 hours to code, or a project whose specification is a full 75 pages long - yep, said projection really exists, and you'll see information technology if you take the 2nd introductory programming class, CS32...which is required for all CS majors. In fact, CS32 students were warned this quarter by the professor that this i form alone could easily have 30-40 hours a week (that's equally much as a total-time chore!) and you're expected to take at least two other courses (usually physics and calculus) at the same fourth dimension. CS32 is also a self-proclaimed "weeder" course, so if you aren't absolutely sure you want to be in computer science, you might want to think twice about trying to swim in a major full of CS sharks.
5. Non-technology majors will never understand.
"Why can't yous hang out with me tonight?"...because I have this coding projection due in 4 days. That's the engineering life, guys. Better go used to it. It'due south a completely different lifestyle and a completely different group of people than the rest of the university. If you aren't sure yous like the tech vibe or the intensity of the students, you lot might want to retrieve nigh applying to Higher of Letters and Sciences instead. School of Engineering science is a very kind, loving, warm, tight-knit family, and it's also very,very competitive - not cutthroat, but definitely not relaxing, either. At that place's nix wrong with deciding it but isn't the college life you've been dreaming of since high school.
vi. There'south alot of technical differences between Schoolhouse of Applied science and the remainder of UCLA.
There'south a lot of very definite differences that ready the School of Engineering autonomously from the rest of UCLA, and every bit a CS major, you'll definitely encounter all of them. For one, you're probably going to get lost in North Campus alot, considering almost all of your classes as an engineer will be in South Campus (Boelter Hall, here we come!). You besides have a completely different set of general education requirements, which will be disruptive when you showtime try to talk to Higher of Messages and Sciences majors about which GEs they're taking. Engineering students more often than not simply accept to accept most v GEs total. Sugariness, correct? You're also going to find that not simply CS majors volition take the introductory CS courses. (More than on this later.) A lot of other engineering majors take the intro CS courses too, but you lot really don't find a huge number of College of L & Southward students in those courses. But engineering. The not-and then-sweet side of engineering is that our courses are all under-united. Example? CS32 is only iv units, just a much heavier workload than any of those five-unit Higher of L & S courses you might be taking as a GE. Technology courses are actually notorious for this, although CS32 (with its 40-hour-a-week workload) is probably an extreme example.
7. Only wait - don't give upwards hopeyet!
If y'all're absolutely dead set up on CS but you don't feel you lot tin compete with the kids that have been coding since they were babies (or the ones that haven't been coding every bit long, but seem to eat, potable, and sleep C++), there's a new course called CS97 for semi-beginners - or proficient programmers who want to have it easy and review their skills before jumping into the deep end. If you take CS97, you lot'll be taking CS31 and CS32 with non-CS majors and other CS97 classmates, so the bend isn't nigh as bad. Rumors are that CS32 is one-half the piece of work if you take it the quarterafter well-nigh of the CS majors have it. Then if you want an easier path to success, go ahead and take CS31 in winter quarter and CS32 in spring quarter. Life hacks!
eight. Get used to thinking of code as another foreign language.
A recent conversation with a group of my classmates went like this: Chemistry major: "I speak [ane of many Indian languages], three words in Chinese, and some French, and English of form. And some Japanese from this anime I watch. What practice yous speak?" Me: "I speak some mod Greek, Chinese, French, and of course English. And my sister taught me a few words of Korean, and I know a tiny scrap of Russian and Latin, just gave up on both." Both of the states turn to a beau CS major. CS major: "I speak C++, Java, Python, Swift..." - continues to list computer programming languages. "That'southward twelve already, oh my God!" Or, as some other instance, a recent Facebook Messenger group chat along the lines of, "char string[]; string = "savya is an idiot"; for(int i = 0; i <= strlen(string[]); i++) cout << string;" Yes, if you lot're going to be a CS major, get used to people talking in code like it'southward but another normal human linguistic communication. It'south going to happen, and it's going to be equally cringe and amusing. It'due south merely part of that CS life. Yous're besides going to take to get used to the inevitable debates over which programming language isreally the best (patently it's whichever language I'm all-time at). Also, anybody who says FORTRAN is worth anything is obviously an idiot.
9. Windows or Mac?
This is another CS affair you're merely going to have to get used to. Half of the CS world loves their Macs, and the other one-half loves their PCs. Which should you get for CS? It's all about personal preference. PCs are more than flexible for coding a larger variety of programs and applications, but Macs are more streamlined, with a more elegant, closed system, and they're incredibly durable. Just please,please don't brand the mistake of going in with a laptop that has a actually bad battery life. Battery life matters. You lot tin't rely on your iPad or iPhone in class when you need Visual C++ or XCode to test whatever of your programs. It isn't the same equally just using Google Docs anywhere, anytime.
x. Get used to seeing CS majors everywhere.
We'reeverywhere. It's actually difficult to visit the dining halls and not overheard a CS major talking about their programming during dinner. Nosotros're basically a horrible infection that's overtaken all of UCLA, and you can't ignore u.s.a.. Role of the reason for this is that nosotros span four dissimilar majors: informatics and linguistics (a babe version of CS based in Higher of Letters and Sciences) and three Engineering CS majors - figurer science (which is pure CS), information science and engineering science (my major, which is computer science plus a fiddling scrap of electrical engineering science), CE (a new major, which is computer science plus a piffling fleck more electrical engineering). At the very end of the spectrum is electrical engineering, which still requires CS31 and CS32 - so basically CE with a little bitmore electrical engineering.
11. BONUS!
Just as a bonus, if you're thinking of coming to UCLA - we CS majors are so great that they but built us a new building! It'due south chosen Engineering science Half dozen and it'southward admittedly cute. At that place'south a courtyard with trees, a gorgeous new lecture hall that makes you experience like you're sitting inside the United Nations headquarters. It's fifty-fifty got little 1s and 0s printed everywhere - on doors, walls,everything - because we CS majors are but a footling fleck extra like that. The denouement? Definitely try and apply for CS, because everybody is friendly and it'south an awesome major. But beware of the competition, and be prepared for the sheer amount of time this major is going to take out of your life. Also, if there were ever 2 words of communication to give someone in CS, information technology's that - when working on the homework and projects for your classes: Showtime Early! Or y'all'll be screwed. Encounter yous in Applied science 6!
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