Struggling computer engineering student looking to possibly transfer to com sci? (UW)

[Exclusiive]

So I'm currently enrolled in my 2A term of computer engineering at Waterloo and I find myself struggling this year to the point where failure maybe a real possibility this time around. First year was a challenge, but this year really stepped up the difficulty of the program. Not to say that I don't enjoy the challenge, but I'm starting to think I don't like some of the concepts being taught in the program. I began to notice this back in first year in 1B where we took a course in Digital Circuits, which involved switching algebra, Hardware description languages, Simplification of Boolean functions, Combinational logic, sequential logic, state machines etc. I struggled in this course and I relied a lot on the help of others to help me understand the course. Again, this year in 2A we have a course in Digital Computers which is basically Computer organization, Memory units, control units, I/O operations and Assembly language programming. I find the course difficult and I don't have much interest in it.

I don't find myself particularly interested in these digital hardware concepts and low-level programming languages. I think I am more interested in in algorithms and high level programming and I'm only beginning to realize this now. Which puts me in my current situation, should I continue to ride out Com Eng, knowing that I struggle in the digital hardware concepts in hopes that I will eventually grasp the concepts and enjoy these courses? Or should I try something different and switch to Com Sci? I don't really know how far back I'll be placed if I transfer, or if there's even a possibility in transferring considering how well I perform this term. (I had 70 avgs for both first year terms). Can someone give me some insight into my situation?

[Exclusiive]

Also, to add, I really enjoy the coop aspect of the engineering program at UW. I had a really great experience in my first coop term as a web developer. So if I do transfer, I'm hoping to get into the coop com sci program (which the possibility of is not entirely sure since it is competitive).

[Insectoid]

You might wanna look into a college program. I'm told they focus more on building applications and other practical aspects, whereas universities spend more time on theory and math but little real application building. A compsci degree will be very similar to software engineering. I'm in a compsci program, and I've so far covered boolean algebra (including simplification) and combinational circuits in your list, with the rest in one or more of my course syllabi (we've just not gotten to it yet).

Perhaps compsci is less in-depth in low-level concepts, but you learn enough to 'know' what's going on.

[Tony]

I had previously transfered from Mechatronics Engineering to Computer Science (within UWaterloo), here are some important things to keep in mind:

- inter-faculty transfers are hard. It will be easier for you to switch into Soft Eng that into Comp Sci. Though SE space is much more limited, bound by a rigorous schedule and classroom size (similar to every other Engineering program).
- your last academic term's marks determine how likely you are to succeed in a transfer. You might get a conditional acceptance where you'll be given a term schedule and asked to obtain certain kinds of marks to stay in CS.
- none of the credits below 70% transfer. It sounds like you'll loose ~1/2 of your credits. Others will probably end up contributing to your electives requirement. Meaning it's back to 1A (although you build your own schedule, and you'll be ahead by some electives)
- if you have any failed credits, they _do_ transfer. You cannot complete a CS degree with more than 6 failed classes.
- if your plan right now is "I'll transfer if I fail this term", that will simply not happen. Engineering will let you retake a term, and if you do well, you could transfer then (provided that you are not carrying to many failed courses on your transcript).

Protip: I was originally denied the transfer, so I went ahead and enrolled myself into a CS term anyway (got every prof to sign an overwrite form). Came back 4 months later and asked again. Was given a conditional term at that point. Finally got in "officially" after completing that second term.

But don't think that CS is easy. We don't really do any high-level programming... well, maybe Scheme and Python in the introductory 1st year. Then it's a lot of C. Some profs will let you use Java.

Some of the required courses for CS:
- more algebra
- MATH 239: Combinatorics (for BCS. I think this can be replaced with Calc3 in BMATH)
- CS 245: Logic and Computation
- CS 251: Computer Organization and Design (this is basically a hardware course)
- CS 360: Introduction to the Theory of Computing (state machines and turing machines)
- CS 350: Operating Systems (one of the assignments is to implement your own Virtual Memory management)

Take a look at http://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/current/courses/course_descriptions/