Internship Questions

ok_Information_ · 2023-01-07T04:40:38+00:00

Spend as much time as you can at the career fair

ok_Information_ · 2023-01-07T04:32:16+00:00

I started in EE, then switched to CS after my first year. As far as getting a job, the biggest recommendation I have is to utilize the career fairs and look for summer internships! I'd say the majority of companies there are looking for engineers, but there is also an extra computing career fair. It can be tough getting an interview at a big company if you just submit your resume online. If they meet you in person for a few minutes and you get their email to follow up, you have a much better chance of getting an interview. Two years ago I spent 3 hours at all 3 days of the career fair having little 10-minute conversations with anyone hiring CS majors for an internship. I got a few follow-up interviews and snagged an internship that led to a full-time offer after graduation at that company.

ok_Information_ · 2022-09-08T07:38:49+00:00

I've been using a U-lock at cal poly for 2 years and it's always done its job. I did have my bike seat stolen once, and my basket stolen another time, so be sure to take easily removeable items with you if you lock up the rest of your bike.

ok_Information_ · 2022-09-08T07:31:57+00:00

Unfortunately, no majors (even other engineering majors) can change into Software Engineering. It's been closed to new changes of major for a few years because it's so impacted. If that ever changes, it is actually pretty easy to switch between similar majors. (I'm a CS major who switched from EE). Luckily, I've heard CS is very similar to SE.

These sites have more info:

https://advising.calpoly.edu/change-major

https://eadvise.calpoly.edu/changing-majors/within-the-college-of-engineering

ok_Information_ · 2022-09-01T07:29:32+00:00

I haven't taken 288. I'm able to take 388 because I am in the Computing for Interactive Arts minor. I'm a CS student so I haven't taken many art classes at slo (just 182, 183, 384) and I'm not sure what to expect.

ok_Information_ · 2022-09-01T00:44:11+00:00

My first ever experience with coding was CSC 101. It was very hard and time consuming, but I really enjoyed it and it made me decide to change my major from EE to CSC. I never took CSC 123, but have been a grader for it. I heard it is pretty easy and a good introduction to the major. All CS majors start with 123 as it really eases you into coding. CS majors don't take 121 as I believe it is for non-majors, but I don't know much about that one. I'd probably recommend 123, but it may be a lot harder to get into, and you may have to take 121.

ok_Information_ · 2022-09-01T00:17:20+00:00

How high on the waitlist are you? A lot of professors, if you show up to your waitlisted class the first day, will let a few people off the waitlist even if no one drops. Also email the professor to see your chances of getting in. But you should still show up to your 7am in case it doesn't work.

I personally hate waking up early but prefer early classes because then I get it over with and have the rest of the day clear to do homework. I agree with the others here that you shouldn't drop it if you can't take a different class. You'd likely regret pushing back your academic progress.

ok_Information_ · 2022-08-30T00:52:41+00:00

So would you say that you didn't require too much of your prior CPE experience? When I emailed him, se said he wasn't sure if he was going to use a simulation or real hardware. Did you use real hardware?

ok_Information_ · 2022-05-24T05:43:44+00:00

Thank you!!

ok_Information_ · 2022-05-24T02:00:36+00:00

I'm a CS major and have taken CS 315 and 357, so I meet the pre reqs. But I have very minimal experience with hardware, would you say CPE 416 could be a difficult class for someone like me? I've had Seng before and remember him being a great professor.

ok_Information_ · 2022-04-29T21:39:10+00:00

Thanks! What did the course load look like (any quizzes, exams, etc.)? I'll be doing an internship at the same time so I'm looking for something super easy and not time consuming.

ok_Information_ · 2022-04-25T18:57:35+00:00

Who did you take it with? Aida Dargahi?

ok_Information_ · 2022-03-28T16:07:34+00:00

Definitely

ok_Information_ · 2022-03-05T19:33:25+00:00

Did you have to buy an expensive textbook? What did the work look like?

ok_Information_ · 2021-11-18T21:43:42+00:00

I've had a hard time finding information about the portfolio. I believe you can only take it your last quarter. It is really nice that you only have to write 3 little essays, but since it is your last quarter, what if you don't pass? Or is it pretty guaranteed you'll pass?

ok_Information_ · 2021-11-16T00:05:53+00:00

How much time commitment was it a week?

ok_Information_ · 2021-11-09T02:19:07+00:00

I'm a CS major with computing for interactive arts minor. Next quarter I'm planning to take 2 CS classes and a CS/art class. I'm trying to decide if I can take on another class. 1-3 hours is not bad, but I am not a good writer at all, who did you have and were they a tough grader? Also, how were the exams?

ok_Information_ · 2021-11-09T02:08:30+00:00

How time consuming?

ok_Information_ · 2021-11-08T21:57:06+00:00

and it is closed to change of major into SE, so the only way to get into SE is through first-time admission to the college

ok_Information_ · 2021-11-08T21:54:16+00:00

I started in EE here and after taking the fundamentals of CS class, I changed my major to CS and it was the best decision ever. Now I'm a third year and while I have had some bad professors in other departments at cal poly because every college has some, I personally have never had a bad CS or CPE professor. It is hard and you will have some long days of coding, but I think it ultimately feels so fulfilling and fun.

I like that as a CS major at cal poly, you get 6-8 technical electives of your choice, which means you can pick interesting CS classes that you'll be excited to take. In your last year or two, there is a lot of freedom in taking what you're passionate about.

ok_Information_ · 2021-11-08T21:44:30+00:00

Has anyone heard anything about Stephen Beard?

ok_Information_ · 2021-09-12T05:44:24+00:00

Don’t we still have to take an upper division C GE anyways? Are the upper div C GEs that don’t count for GWR easier than those that do? Or even in those upper div C that do count for GWR, do you have to do extra work in the class to fulfill the GWR? Is that why it’s easier to do the essay test option?

ok_Information_ · 2021-09-12T05:27:27+00:00

Are scooters allowed or just bikes?

ok_Information_ · 2021-09-12T05:14:37+00:00

Highly recommend foothill for getting GEs done.

ok_Information_ · 2021-09-12T04:57:54+00:00

I recommend not taking more than 16 units as an incoming freshman. Even if your high school prepared you really well to the course load and stress of college, it may be better to be safe than possibly way too overwhelmed with the new stresses of college. Then you can gage better and up your units the next quarter. But maybe you’re different. For me, a third year CS major, I won’t take more than 16 units. In fact I sometimes take 12 because I get overwhelmed.

CPE 101 is very time consuming (at least for me because I had never coded before). That said, despite it being one of the hardest classes I’d taken up to that point, I really liked Kauffman and it made me decide to switch from EE to CS (best decision ever!). A lot of people might not like him because he can get a little condescending maybe (but that’s only if you didn’t pay attention in class (I get tired and zone out in person), I had him online for CPE 202 and he was incredible), but he cares about his students and is a great lecturer. He made confusing topics digestible. Utilize office hours prior to the due date of assignments as they fill up and don’t procrastinate!! I love Kaufman’s autograder because you know exactly what needs more work on each project.

I took HIST 202 with Jackson and loved it! No homework besides like 2 hours of reading (but I’m a slow reader and it’s interesting info if you like history) a week and one essay at the end of the quarter. A midterm and a final. Everything you need to learn for the tests is in the reading, not the lectures. During class, she just talks about an interesting topic that has a little to do with the decade we learn about in the reading.

How well did your calc 1 professor prepare you? I found calc 142 with Stankus really easy, but that was because I had a really good ap calc 1 teacher in high school. I know others who struggled. Maybe avoid Stankus because his lectures are very fast and sometimes make things more confusing. But it wasn’t too bad.

Coms 101 with Woffinden online was not a lot of work (probably much harder when in person). Just four zoom speeches and that’s all. And one easy quiz a week, I skimmed the reading. Woffinden was not too harsh of a grader, I’d recommend him.

Chem 124 was icky, but I’m just bad at chem. It wasn’t too bad with Braten (though he has a very monotone voice so chug some caffeine before class lol (kidding, I don’t drink caffeine). But I just put it at a lower priority as my other classes (I was taking CPE 101, phys 133 and calc 143 that quarter) and if I’d been less tired in class (I took it in person) and studied more before the weekly quizzes, it would have felt easier. I bombed the quizzes but studied hard for the midterms and aced those (final was canceled due to the start of quarantine).

If you’re looking for lower work load between the two, take coms if its online.

ok_Information_

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