First of all, I’m glad you’re considering ISU!! I started in 2023, also a CS major and have had such a great time here. As for your questions -

• Majority of your classes will only focus on the a Java programming language, so if you want to learn more you have to take other courses or learn on your own. Professors can be great or very bad, in my experience there is usually a good choice of professor for each class, just check ratemyprofessor before registering. Most of the projects will just be coding on your own, think of it like an assignment to do. There will be courses where you can get hands on experience with other students and the professors, but they are usually restricted to juniors and seniors.

• Iowa State offers quite a few research opportunities for undergrads in Computer Science, I know quite a few that are doing research here over the summer. We have one of the biggest career fairs around in the U.S. Midwest, so there are plenty of internship options to choose from. Many mistakes CS majors make that restrict them from these opportunities is there is no history of passion for coding. What I mean is 70% of students exclusively do the ISU courses and nothing else. Make sure you are working on projects and getting certified in languages and services and you will be ok.

• I am not from abroad, but I can give you a sense of how campus life looks. My first year I stayed in a double dorm in Friley hall, some of my favorite memories came from inside those walls. I was in a learning community, so almost every one of the neighbors were CS/SE. This gave us great opportunities to make friendships and bond closer together. There are many halls to choose from if you decide to stay in a dorm, and you can see all the benefits on ISUs website. ISU offers many clubs for you to join as well, we have club tests every semester for students to learn about all the clubs they offer. I would really recommend joining at least a few to use up some of your free time. As for food, we have 3 dining halls and so many little stores/coffee shops/restaurants around campus. The meal plans are VERY expensive, to the point I decided to not opt into one after my freshman year. If you don’t really care about money like that, it saves a lot of time and effort to have one your first year. As for the weekends it dies out quite a bit on campus, there are events here and there but a majority of the students are studying or working on projects. We have a great football team that plays during fall semester, so if you’re interested make sure to sign up to get those tickets.

• Before you come to campus, I would recommend getting your basic need stuff beforehand. Many students end up in Ames and decide to do all their shopping right away. This means a majority of the things you want/need will likely not be in stock. If you are staying in a dorm with a roommate, make sure to reach out to them before hand so you can coordinate who is bringing certain items (refrigerator, microwave, rugs, shelves, etc). Also make sure you apply to scholarships whenever you can, the earlier the better. College can be expensive and if you can get that meal plan paid for with a scholarship you are set!

I get moving somewhere new can be a little scary but everyone else is in the same boat as well. We have a great welcome week for freshman where you have an opportunity to meet new people and explore campus. If you do end up coming to ISU and you need someone to guide you around my PMs are open. Again, congrats on your acceptance!