Transfer out of CMU after one semester

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do not transfer out of CMU CS. Going to CMU (or MIT, Stanford, Berkeley) will be so worth it

Really? You think he should spend his entire college years studying 80 hours each week and being miserable?

It’s like medical school or law school - an arduous experience but it is the necessary foundation for the subsequent career.

Or you can literally go to ANY college, get a CS degree and find a great job using the CS degree. It's not rocket science....at the BS/BA level everyone takes pretty much the same courses and covers the same material

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plan to transfer, but stay for next semester & enroll for the minimum hours permitted in order to ease the workload.

This. And easier classes. I believe there are many more options to transfer after one year than one semester.

This. He should enroll for an easier spring semester while planning to transfer for the fall. Those credits will transfer and it will give him one more semester to decide if CMU really isn't right for him.

[Anonymous]

Have him switch to core classes for next semester that are easier and start applications to transfer for next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

- How much does he love CS? Is that really his first choice for a major?

- If he doesn’t love CS: Why is he majoring in CS? Does he like any of his other classes more than his CS classes?

Totally possible to think you love CS when you’re in high school but then discover you don’t love CS when you’re taking college courses. Especially when you hit those theory-heavy college courses.

I have a hard time believing that a middle or upper class kid who equates CS with coding could get into CMU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone with a kid transferring out of CMU after one semester? DS is a freshman, CS major at CMU, and he just came home this past weekend. He is seriously considering not coming back for the spring semester. Classes at CMU are too hard for him and the competition is so fierce. He spent at least 80 hours a week just studying and tried to keep up with academics. His older brother graduated from CMU in 2019 and advised him to transfer out of CMU. Thoughts?

Why didn't the older brother advise him against applying from the start? Seems like some missing information.

Agree w the pp. Also wondering if the student is utilizing all of the academic support resources CMU offers. My DS is a sophomore at CMU. He is taking CS classes for a minor. He agrees that it is not an easy ride, that students work very hard to just get a C or a B. But he feels the faculty cares about what they are teaching and genuinely want their class to do well. They curve generously when needed. There are many ways for the students to have at least a B or C heading into finals. There are droves of TAs for each class (he has been one for 2 semesters now). Each of these TAs have gone through the course themselves and understand the struggle. DS tries to attend as many TA sessions as possible. He is also constantly reaching out to professors and attend their office hours. He struggled during fall semester during Freshman year but found his rhythm and a group of great friends since then. He feels the overall peer atmosphere is very supportive. Everyone is working hard so you don’t stick out like a sore thumb. He truly loves CMU (but again he is not in SCS) and feels he is learning a ton. He can’t wait to TA for the hardest class he had this past semester as he now “gets” it and wants to help others who will enroll in it in the Spring.

OP, I recognize every student is different and there is no two experiences that are the same. I am sorry your student is not feeling great about his college experience. Have your tried to reach out to the CMU parent Facebook group for advice? They are a great resource as well. I agree with others to encourage your student to take an easy semester in the Spring. Explore other options, has he considered transferring out of SCS into another school within CMU? You can still do programming as a minor if ge truly loves it. Just curious what your older son’s major was? (Apologize in advance if you had mention it already in previous pages. I didn’t read through all of the posts so may have missed that).

Good luck.