I'm thinking about taking up computer science in college... Any suggestions/tips?
Oh, what a great question!
First I should say, I go to school in the United States & have been to two different schools, so this is just based on my current experiences and what I would tell myself if I were asking that question.
Classes will be harder & more difficult.
So, I first will warn you that if you took highschool coding classes, a lot of the time the college classes are not going to be as fun. I’ve had several friends drop the major because how their college taught classes just made it stressful, rather than something they actually enjoyed. Classes can be hard, but you can get through it, especially if this is something you want to do!
Make friends in your class & major.
Maybe start a discord or just make a couple friends. I know it can be difficult, but at least having some people you can contact can be super helpful! A lot fo the time they’re taking the same classes, so you can have a study buddy, but sometimes you will have to do group projects, so it’s good to have people you know you can work with! I’ve also found it great because if I missed something in class or was confused with something, I could always ask friends. Some of my fondest memories were studying & reviewing for tests with friends in the library.
Go to extra lab hours/talk to your TAs & professor.
A lot of the time your professor or TAs will have extra lab hours that you can attend, go to them! Especially if you have a hard time with the coding aspect of the class, it can help lower the number of hours you sit there throwing lines of code into eclipse and hoping for the best.
The TA’s I’ve had were so nice and they would explain how to translate concepts into code and help me iron out any bugs I was having. It helped a ton when my professor was also understanding and good at explaining concepts of course, but having any access to extra help is good, and take advantage of it if you need it!
Don’t feel intimidated, everyone is learning!
There’s going to be people who know several languages or just seem to be able to code much easier than you are. Some people have been coding for years, but a lot of people are new, or rusty! Go at your own pace, and don’t get too caught up on trying to finish as fast or thinking that because you take longer on tests or labs you’re not meant to be there/not in the right major. College is for learning! It’s not a race. Go at your own pace, and do your best.
tl;dr
Make friends, go at your own pace, & ask for help if you need it! Do the best you can!
If other comp sci students have any tips, please drop it down below!