I Dropped Computer Science at CMU: Here's Why

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CS is a lot easier than engineering by definition. All this drama about CMU or MIT CS is not necessary.

I heard mech eng is a lot easier than CS.

[Anonymous]

Best doesn't mean best for your kid
Fit is important

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What a gross post, OP. "Partied a lot and dated a lot of women"? You think this is appealing? Your circle must very small.

It is appealing to the typical college aged male.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did not watch but have seen 2 or 3 of the videos describing the absolute grind of CS programs at places like CMU, a Canadian college - forget the name, a few others. The problem is you have no idea how the kid on the video stacks up to your own kid in terms of intellect, persistence, motivation/drive, tolerance for rigor vs. the "need" to party, etc.

Might be Waterloo (Canadian university). At Waterloo at least...CS is out of the Math department not the engineering department. I think any CS coming out of the Math department tends to be way more theoretical and difficult.

My kid met several CMU kids when evaluating colleges and they were miserable. That said, their comment was if you want to be the next Linus Torvald (creator of Linux) then CMU is the kind of place you want to be.

Yes, it was Waterloo. I just watched a little of the CMU video linked and the Waterloo student had a similar problem: It was a complete grind, studying/working virtually 24/7, no time for socializing, decided to quit stressing over grades and focus on preparing for job interviews. It's too bad this kid had to go through 2-3 years of high stress resulting in anxiety/panic attacks to reach the conclusion that he just wanted to get a coding job.

I do think these videos can be instructive for potential CS majors (mine included) who may want to evaluate programs based on whether they are more theoretical vs applied CS.

The kid who created Ethereum dropped out of Waterloo (to create Ethereum). Again, CMU and Waterloo are the places you go if you are looking to literally re-invent the wheel so-to-speak. Some kids thrive in that environment...but it is completely different than most Applied CS programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD (TJ grad) was waitlisted at CMU CS. Now she studies CS at a T20 college and although considers herself the best CS student in her college class, she knows how far ahead CS-wise her ex-classmates got by studying at CMU and MIT. Their CS classes are much harder than hers, and she has to self-educate in her spare time.

OP, what amount of money are they making?

DS is currently at 150K and his cousin is 155K; however, his cousin has 100K in student loan while DS has none due to in-state at UF.

OP .. 150K+ is a great starting salary for any person regardless of the univ. The main reason students chose is to be around like minded people on area(s) that they are passionate about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did not watch but have seen 2 or 3 of the videos describing the absolute grind of CS programs at places like CMU, a Canadian college - forget the name, a few others. The problem is you have no idea how the kid on the video stacks up to your own kid in terms of intellect, persistence, motivation/drive, tolerance for rigor vs. the "need" to party, etc.

Waterloo is the Canadian college that’s a cs grind

But if you make it through, you can easily get connected into the whole faang startup scene

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a gross post, OP. "Partied a lot and dated a lot of women"? You think this is appealing? Your circle must very small.

Hmm. That's the typical college aged male.

Yes apparently these are all “local” or “townie” women. Women attending college do not party, date or show any interest in men. There is a documentary on this. Think it is called “An Officer and a Gentleman”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD (TJ grad) was waitlisted at CMU CS. Now she studies CS at a T20 college and although considers herself the best CS student in her college class, she knows how far ahead CS-wise her ex-classmates got by studying at CMU and MIT. Their CS classes are much harder than hers, and she has to self-educate in her spare time.

OP, what amount of money are they making?

It is possible that MIT manages the stress in a better way. CMU has very hard grading on a curve...so it is difficult to get an A or a B. At the same time, Stanford CS (as example) basically says everyone will get an A or a B. Having the threat of a C (or lower) hanging over your head can cause massive anxiety vs. knowing that as long as you are trying, you won't get less than a B (and most will get As).

+100
Most of the kids in a program like CMU SCS have never gotten a grade below an A on any high school assignment. The transition into an environment where C's (and below) or 50% & below are handed out freely, and following what the kids believe is "intense" studying (relative to their history), can be soul crushing for them.

It makes you wonder about the kids who are crushing it in these high level classes vs this kid, who seems intelligent enough, but obviously was in a program not suited for his interests. What did these other kids experience in HS that this kid did not?

The kids who are crushing it are not smarter, they are just working harder. The kid who quit very likely never had to work very hard at something in HS, never had to reach out for help, and always had plenty of time for games, reading, and watching videos. When in Florida, the kid had plenty of time for games, reading, and watching videos, as well as partying and women. Meanwhile the kids at CMU were having no fun at all, just grinding away.

Being in a tech program very often means committing to that being your whole life for four years. Not everyone is sufficiently motivated for that.

[Anonymous]

This discussion reminds me of big firm lawyers talking about how many hours they billed last week and how little they sleep or do anything else --- they think they are impressing their audience by one-upping the next martyr. In fact, they strike me as fools who don't know what's important in life!

I'm more impressed by the kid who looks around at the grinders, looks in the mirror, and says he doesn't want to live his life that way. And then he has the guts to leave and follow his own path. That's more impressive to me than being a drone who brags about being a bigger martyr than the next drone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CS is a lot easier than engineering by definition. All this drama about CMU or MIT CS is not necessary.

I heard mech eng is a lot easier than CS.

Huh?? Mech eng is probably toughest engineering major of all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CS is a lot easier than engineering by definition. All this drama about CMU or MIT CS is not necessary.

I heard mech eng is a lot easier than CS.

Huh?? Mech eng is probably toughest engineering major of all.

When did you graduate CMU?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a gross post, OP. "Partied a lot and dated a lot of women"? You think this is appealing? Your circle must very small.

DP.
The number of people who enjoy dating women is not small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD (TJ grad) was waitlisted at CMU CS. Now she studies CS at a T20 college and although considers herself the best CS student in her college class, she knows how far ahead CS-wise her ex-classmates got by studying at CMU and MIT. Their CS classes are much harder than hers, and she has to self-educate in her spare time.

OP, what amount of money are they making?

It is possible that MIT manages the stress in a better way. CMU has very hard grading on a curve...so it is difficult to get an A or a B. At the same time, Stanford CS (as example) basically says everyone will get an A or a B. Having the threat of a C (or lower) hanging over your head can cause massive anxiety vs. knowing that as long as you are trying, you won't get less than a B (and most will get As).

+100
Most of the kids in a program like CMU SCS have never gotten a grade below an A on any high school assignment. The transition into an environment where C's (and below) or 50% & below are handed out freely, and following what the kids believe is "intense" studying (relative to their history), can be soul crushing for them.

It makes you wonder about the kids who are crushing it in these high level classes vs this kid, who seems intelligent enough, but obviously was in a program not suited for his interests. What did these other kids experience in HS that this kid did not?

The kids who are crushing it are not smarter, they are just working harder. The kid who quit very likely never had to work very hard at something in HS, never had to reach out for help, and always had plenty of time for games, reading, and watching videos. When in Florida, the kid had plenty of time for games, reading, and watching videos, as well as partying and women. Meanwhile the kids at CMU were having no fun at all, just grinding away.

Being in a tech program very often means committing to that being your whole life for four years. Not everyone is sufficiently motivated for that.

I would put it another way: if four years of CS is not fun, you should not be majoring in it. Because you are looking at 40+ years of CS if you want to go into that field.

There are a lot of kids, and DCUMs, that see the $$$ for CS majors and say, "that's for me." But picking a major you hate for the money is why so many kids drop out of "hard" majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This discussion reminds me of big firm lawyers talking about how many hours they billed last week and how little they sleep or do anything else --- they think they are impressing their audience by one-upping the next martyr. In fact, they strike me as fools who don't know what's important in life!

I'm more impressed by the kid who looks around at the grinders, looks in the mirror, and says he doesn't want to live his life that way. And then he has the guts to leave and follow his own path. That's more impressive to me than being a drone who brags about being a bigger martyr than the next drone.

Some people live for the work, thrive on intellectual pursuits and that life is fulfilling for them. Others see that lifestyle as a grind and good for them if they recognize it and choose a more balanced path. And some people, like the lawyers you are talking about, I suppose, are grinding for money and prestige, which is a different story than loving what you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD (TJ grad) was waitlisted at CMU CS. Now she studies CS at a T20 college and although considers herself the best CS student in her college class, she knows how far ahead CS-wise her ex-classmates got by studying at CMU and MIT. Their CS classes are much harder than hers, and she has to self-educate in her spare time.

OP, what amount of money are they making?

It is possible that MIT manages the stress in a better way. CMU has very hard grading on a curve...so it is difficult to get an A or a B. At the same time, Stanford CS (as example) basically says everyone will get an A or a B. Having the threat of a C (or lower) hanging over your head can cause massive anxiety vs. knowing that as long as you are trying, you won't get less than a B (and most will get As).

+100
Most of the kids in a program like CMU SCS have never gotten a grade below an A on any high school assignment. The transition into an environment where C's (and below) or 50% & below are handed out freely, and following what the kids believe is "intense" studying (relative to their history), can be soul crushing for them.

It makes you wonder about the kids who are crushing it in these high level classes vs this kid, who seems intelligent enough, but obviously was in a program not suited for his interests. What did these other kids experience in HS that this kid did not?

The kids who are crushing it are not smarter, they are just working harder. The kid who quit very likely never had to work very hard at something in HS, never had to reach out for help, and always had plenty of time for games, reading, and watching videos. When in Florida, the kid had plenty of time for games, reading, and watching videos, as well as partying and women. Meanwhile the kids at CMU were having no fun at all, just grinding away.

Being in a tech program very often means committing to that being your whole life for four years. Not everyone is sufficiently motivated for that.

I would put it another way: if four years of CS is not fun, you should not be majoring in it. Because you are looking at 40+ years of CS if you want to go into that field.

There are a lot of kids, and DCUMs, that see the $$$ for CS majors and say, "that's for me." But picking a major you hate for the money is why so many kids drop out of "hard" majors.

This! “Hard” majors are worth the work for those kids for whom the subject just clicks. Try to help your kid figure out how to love what they do.