Applying to college can be a hectic process. Most people are worried about whether they’ll get in somewhere or how well they’ll adjust to living on their own. But for those interested in pursuing a Computer Science (CSC) major at NC State, there’s another worry once they get here: whether or not they’ll get into the department. The process for getting into the major as a first-year student does not accurately reflect a student’s ability to succeed in a CSC major.
For those unaware, students that come to NC State may fall under the Engineering First Year (EFY) category during their first year; this was my distinction during my first year. These EFY students will need to complete a Change of Degree Application (CODA) after finishing several classes. The cumulative GPA of six of these (Calculus I and II, physics, chemistry and two labs) will directly impact what department they can be accepted into.
Some may want to pursue engineering, but have not made up their minds yet on which of NC State’s 18 engineering departments fits them, and that’s completely fine. College is a time to learn, and rushing that isn’t wise. The CODA classes for EFY students teach skills that will be applicable to most engineering departments, so students can get a better feel for what will be taught later on. However, with Computer Science, these classes are hardly reflective of the curriculum and field.
It’s easy to see that most engineering majors find use for these CODA classes. Chemical and Biological Engineering utilize chemistry. Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering utilize physics. For these, it makes sense to require students to take chemistry or physics; if a student can’t keep up in these introductory classes, it shows that the major isn’t the place for them.
Computer Science is different. Not only is it the only department in NC State’s College of Engineering without the word “engineering” in the name, but the most remotely useful CODA class is also Calculus I, and that’s stretching it. As someone now in the department, I can say that my time spent in chemistry and physics has not helped me in any significant way. I value my time spent in Calculus I, as I come across some conceptual aspects on occasion, but none of the other classes are of any value to me. I don’t need to know how to balance a chemical equation, nor do I need to know how torque works in order to succeed in my desired field.
When I was a freshman, I was terribly worried I wouldn’t get into the CSC department. I wasn’t doing as well as I hoped in Calculus II, chemistry and physics, and while I ended up getting in, I had been anxious that I hadn’t been able to show my ability to program (which I already had plenty of experience with). Computer Science, above all else, is a field of study that values abstract thinking and out-of-the box solutions, which I see as being in a completely different direction compared to chemistry and physics.
I have no issue with requiring classes outside of an intended major; a bit of breadth of knowledge can be helpful. Taking a philosophy class my first year inspired me to pursue a minor in the department; without that push, I probably wouldn’t have found my love for the field of study. Likewise, I would be OK with having taken chemistry and physics, as long as my performance in those didn’t determine whether or not I placed into a department entirely disconnected from those fields.
While I don’t have enough information into the workings of NC State to suggest a significant change, I believe something must be done differently, or at the very least communicated differently. The College of Engineering should take a serious look at the CODA process, so as to not do wrong to students interested in studying Computer Science.
