UWO computer science program?

[Metman]

So I'm going into my second year at western, and I spent the first year just doing general science to lead into pharmacology, but I also took 2 comp sci courses as well, and I've essentially fallen in love with it.

Now I'm thinking of switching programs to go into Computer Science, but it seems to actually be impossible to find people online that have experience with the program. Can anyone tell me if it is a switch worth making? As far as what we did this year, the first course was for people with low experience, we worked in Java and it was really slow. We covered arrays and loops and stuff like that, but it was way too slow for me. The second course still worked with java, but moved by much faster. We went through different data structures such as lists, queues and binary trees.

It seems like a pretty solid program, but if anyone can reassure me about it that would be great.

[Tony]

I'm not familiar with Western. It might have been mentioned a few times on the forums...

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=site%3Acompsci.ca%2Fv3%2Fviewtopic.php+UWO

Though if you have any questions to a Computer Science program/field/career, then many members here can weight in with an opinion.

[Metman]

I've checked the forums but haven't really been able to find concrete advice. I have been lurking around the forums for the last week or so though; I've been trying to learn as much as I can and its been great help

[Prabhakar Ragde]

Western has a decent CS program. If you love it based on what you've done there (as opposed to loving the idea of CS based on some possibly skewed view you picked up in high school), that will go a long way. You will work at it and go beyond what is required in order to compensate for any deficiencies in the program (and all programs have deficiencies, believe me). I think you should go for it.

[Metman]

Thank you for the advice, and the reassurance. I'm definitely very interested in compsci, I was just worried that since I hadn't really heard anything about it that it might not be a very good program, but this is good to hear. I'm going to make an effort to post around these forums more once I have some more code experience. Thanks again

[Jokanee]

Hi Metman, I had come across the same problem with you in previous years - there really isn't much information or mention of UWO at all when Computer Science is being discussed (rather Waterloo, Toronto etc.).

However, I did in fact just complete my Honors BSc. in Computer Science at UWO in April and am doing some work there currently before I head to Waterloo to do my Masters in the Fall. I found that I was very happy with the program, although I always wondered how it compared to that of other schools (which it appears I will find out first hand soon enough). Regardless, it did "pick up" as you mentioned from that first course as it broadens in second year and caters to students who are serious about taking CS courses.

If you have any specific questions/concerns feel free to post them here (or PM) as I'd be glad to help... I know it is hard to get any indication about a school's program when their website is really the only resource for it...