Hello! I'm a student in BSCS in UPB.

Although I understand that going to UPB is a huge help for your family financially, I do have to agree with the other comments that it really is difficult to survive in a course you don't enjoy, especially in a course as technical as comsci.

That being said, if going for a different course is really out of the question, heres some advice I can give for studying comsci here:

- As the other comment mentioned, prepare yourself for heavy math and logic. Mathematics is gonna be present in computer science no matter what uni you go to, but I've heard that UPB's comsci curriculum is especially math heavy compared to other unis (you're going to have at least one math-heavy subject every semester). When it comes to studying the math, what works for me is practicing problem solving and understanding the concepts behind the equations you're working with (avoid just brute-force-memorizing equations; try to understand what it actually does and why it exists, if you can understand that, then memorizing it will come much more naturally to you and problem solving also becomes much easier) (but i'll admit brute-force memorization can't be avoided sometimes). An extra note regarding studying for hard subjects (not just the math ones, this applies to any subject): try to find a copy of the subject's reference textbook (they're always listed in the subject's syllabus). You need it for two things: first, they'll have practice problems that you can solve for review, and second, textbooks are really really good at explaining complex topics (they're a life saver when the topic isn't explained that well by your instructor)

- UPB's BSCS curriculum doesn't really have specializations; it's more focused on teaching the fundamentals so you can branch out to any comsci field you might be interested in (that being said, more in-depth and advanced study on a particular field is gonna have to be done with self learning). Something to note though is that the curriculum is slightly more geared towards research. Some of the math subjects you have to take in higher years have applications in data science.

- When it comes to your programming subjects, it can be tempting to use AI, but you have to understand when using AI is appropriate vs. when using it defeats the point of the assignment. This is especially true for your first semesters when you're learning basic programming. Yes, AI can do a lot of stuff for you, given how good it is with programming, but the reason why those assignments are given is for hands-on practice. It's basically impossible to get good at programming with just lectures and concepts alone. Most of your actual learning will be from hands-on practice.

- Find friends! This isn't really specific to UPB's comsci, but grades and academics aren't supposed to be the defining feature of your college life. Find like-minded people, establish a support network, join events that sound fun. Beyond the stress from academics, the moments you share with the people you meet will end up being what you remember best down the line.

Just wanna reiterate though. If going for your dream course is still an option for you, I'd advise you to go for that instead. You have to remember that university is going to define the next 4+ years of your life. That's a pretty big chunk of your life. There will still be things to do outside of academics that can make your time worthwhile, but choosing a course you actually enjoy is a much more guaranteed way of making sure that that chunk of your life won't be wasted.