Elysian Shadows

I'm starting college(university) in California and just wanted to hear your guys' college experiences, stories, tips about all of college including classes, time management, girls, and basically anything else.

Do homework, don't drink and drive.

dandymcgee wrote:Do homework, don't drink and drive.

Crack is whack, hugs not drugs

make sure you read your material and are prepared for class. Otherwise prepare to spend eight years trying to finish your degree. =) Be SURE when you pick a major and don't try to switch and be eight different majors.

mattheweston wrote:make sure you read your material and are prepared for class. Otherwise prepare to spend eight years trying to finish your degree. =) Be SURE when you pick a major and don't try to switch and be eight different majors.

Thanks for the advice. I'm majoring in Computer Engineering and I'll stick to it

xx6heartless6xx wrote:

mattheweston wrote:make sure you read your material and are prepared for class. Otherwise prepare to spend eight years trying to finish your degree. =) Be SURE when you pick a major and don't try to switch and be eight different majors.

Thanks for the advice. I'm majoring in Computer Engineering and I'll stick to it

You have chosen wisely.

I still have another month until school starts and was wondering is there anything I should be doing to better prepare for a CE degree? So far I've been game programming and just started working with microprocessors.

If you want to get a jump on your classes, some schools have their syllabi online where you can get your books and start studying the material.

Man, you guys are all crazy...

If you know enough to be at an indie game development forum, you're already far ahead of the curve.

Software engineering classes/Computer Science NEVER caught up with me.
Computer engineering classes caught up at about year 3, when we started doing hardcore embedded stuff.
Electrical classes... okay, so they caught up year 1.

As a CPE, you are half EE, half CS. If you know what you're doing as a game developer, you probably know as much CS as you'll learn in CPE. It's the hardware/architecture stuff you'll be learning.

How difficult do the math and physic classes get?

xx6heartless6xx wrote:How difficult do the math and physic classes get?

LOL. I absolutely thought they were killer. However coming into college with almost no math background doesn't help. I can give you the perspective of someone who used to not understand simple algebra, the three years of math and physics were the hardest I have ever tried for anything. However now that its done, it was completely worth it.

Perhaps someone who went into college with solid math skills can elaborate on their experience.

I came into university with a pretty solid backing in math, but it still kicked my ass because I took a year off and lost my appreciation for why I was doing calculus (again). Doing well in math basically takes two things:
1) You put in a large amount of effort to understanding the concepts and doing the necessary problems sets every week.
2) You find some reason for the math to be interesting. This could be because you think it'll help you with graphics programming, you're into solving challenging logical problems/puzzles, or you find it intrinsically satisfying/elegant/etc. This is important not only because it'll help loads with #1, but it also means you'll be more likely to think deeply about the stuff you're doing and get it on a deeper level (which will help loads with higher level courses because you'll get and care about WHY stuff works, not just that it works).

It's just like programming. Sometimes the best exercises are tedious at first - but if you care about it and apply yourself you'll be WANTING to figure out how and why things work and to continue pushing yourself because it feels good.

EccentricDuck wrote:1) You put in a large amount of effort to understanding the concepts and doing the necessary problems sets every week.

This can't be stressed enough. I skipped straight from quadratic formula in 10th grade of high school, to Calculus I freshman year of college. It did help that I had taken a physics course senior year of high school with an excellent teacher that made me love the topic. That is the only reason I had any trig knowledge whatsoever. I put the time in to do every homework problem I could to the best of my ability, and was lucky enough to have a professor who graded homework on effort not correct answers. When it came to exam time the effort I had put into homework paid off. Regardless of your background, if you have strong math fundamentals and a drive to pass the class, you will be able to do so.

I have yet to take physics at the college level, but as it's a topic I thoroughly enjoy I don't imagine I'll find it too hard to do the work.

What I learned:

• 1- It is not free expression time, get your parroting ready
  2 - Filler courses suck
  3 - Used books > New books (Money)
  4 - Summer courses can be cheaper (In state for out of state folks)
  5 - Pick a good minor that complements your major (Helps address filler courses, would suggest a business course for CS folks)
  6 - You can drop courses, no stigma (If it sucks pull the chute)
  7 - Langague classes are ridiculous work load, unless you love Spanish cut your losses
  8 - Team projects still suck
  9 - People are still lazy
  10 - Its not greener on the other side (I transferred schools, same shit different pile)
  11 - You get out what you put in
  12 - The paper at the end is your foot in the door, it has almost no bearing on your success after you are inside

Disclaimer: This IMO, may not apply to you/your major.

@teamtwentythree well put, good advice.