A Handbook for Day 1 CS Students

So, you’ve decided to become a Computer Science major. Congratulations––you are joining an elite squad of nerds, and there’s no going back. Our two rules? Don’t shower, and never leave the King Building computer labs.

Just kidding! The Computer Science department at Oberlin is made up of a bunch of really cool, really awesome students who represent a wide array of interests, personalities, and hygiene habits. Whether you’re a double major in Art History and CS or math-brained, you’ll fit in perfectly.

But I bet you’re wondering… what information should you know before you begin this wonderful journey? Well, as a fourth-year CS student, I think I am more than qualified to tell you my opinions on the biggest advice I’d have for you. 

Let’s get into it.

The Lectures Are Invaluable 

I think many students might not take CS lectures very seriously. In many of the classes, the professor will go over pretty complex concepts, and then show you examples and ask you to evaluate them. You might be inclined to go on your computer and not listen, which is totally fine, but the lectures are gemstones if you know how to use them right. In most of the core classes, the lectures are basically instructions / cheat codes for the labs / homeworks. Struggling to figure out recursion? Go to the labs, find the template for implementing recursion in Python, and use that in your assignment.

TLDR: Lecture slides are the cheat sheet for completing assignments. 

Group Work Sucks (But… Is Necessary?)

I hated group work when I came to Oberlin. I considered it another word for doing the work of everyone in your group and getting half of the credit. The CS department at Oberlin leans heavily on group work in quite a few of the classes (looking at you, Systems Programming and Programming Abstractions). In some of these classes, you can soldier on alone. I wouldn’t recommend that. Group work is really important as it allows you to hear how other CS students think and debug solutions. Coding with someone else can be tedious, but it also gives you an eye into how they research solutions, how they find the right methods, and how they fix their code when it’s broken.

I have had my fair share of issues with group work at Oberlin. I am not promising that it is perfect, but I promise you that it will save you time and give you a new perspective.

Everyone Is Going to Ask You to Make Them a Website…

But you are going to have to say no to some people.

Seize the Opportunities.

Oberlin as a liberal arts college is different from a large research institution. You may think that there are fewer opportunities for you to engage in CS work outside of the classroom, but that isn't true. Most CS professors at Oberlin offer their own research opportunities, and every semester, the department opens up student applications for the various labs. I would highly encourage you to apply. Research is a great opportunity for you to get paid to learn and work with a professor and other students. It can be enriching and expand your knowledge beyond the curriculum. Feel free to pop by office hours to talk to professors about their research. 

Extensions…

Do not take too many extensions. It becomes harder to catch up.

Study Abroad!

I’ve heard that some top CS programs abroad are in Prague, Amsterdam, and Spain. My program was in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and focused on Web and Mobile Computing.

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While I am sure I could make this blog post eighty pages long, I wanted to give you some idea of how to best take advantage of our program and your education here. The classes here are different from other academic institutions, and getting a holistic education makes you a unique candidate for jobs, fellowships, and other opportunities. Apply yourself, make friends with other CS students, and remember that your professors are always there for you.