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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
I think a key sentence in your post is getting lost on PPs so far, OP. Your older son graduated from CMU and advises your younger son to leave it. That is crucial information, to me. If your older son has his head on straight and is objective and sensible, I would give his advice a great deal of weight here.

A degree from CMU, or anywhere, is not worth it if your younger son ends up so shattered with stress and lack of rest and recreation that he is burned out. If he's grinding this hard on freshman requirement courses, imagine the load when he's a junior and senior....It is fine for him to pursue CS elsewhere, or any other major. It is also important for him to consider whether the issue is CS itself (so he'd have issues at any school in any CS program); CS at CMU specifically (are the requirements especially difficult for him, but he'd be fine doing CS ina differently structured undergrad program?); or CMU in general, overall. It is known as a highly competitive school in many respects, not just the CS department, though CS is especially intense there. If there is a non-academic issue going on -- for instance, if he is studying so many hours a week excessively because he is distracted by other things (dating, sex, substances, lack of friends) OR because he's smart and not distracted, but lacks real study skills -- he needs to unpack those issues too. It may not be 100 percent about CS classes being tough. Can his brother help him, and you, assess all this? Has your younger son talked to an academic adviser at CMU or is he still lost among the freshmen and doesn't feel he knows any adviser or professor enough to say out loud, "I'm drowning, what can I do"?

It's Dec. 19. If he wants to drop out now and not return in January it's too late (probably?) to get admitted at another university undergrad unless possibly he has a specific place in mind already. I would entertain the idea of his dropping out, coming up with a specific plan for how he will spend Jan-June while at home, and apply to other colleges to start in the fall, transferring as many CMU credits as possible (not just CS credits, but any credits he can). Depending entirely on other colleges/programs he may be able to start in summer somewhere, or at least enroll for fall and get some summer courses at that college--?? I do not think a kid who got into CMU is going to be happy doing an associates' degree at community college as his full-on college degree, though.

I do note you say "transferring" but that implies (to me at least) he's got another place lined up or at least has done the research to transfer in January. I'm assuming that's not the case but maybe it is?[/quote]

This!![/quote]

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