why i dropped CS at UIUC.

count how many times i say "cry" in this video

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　socials　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

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[aly]

I'm so sorry you had such a shitty experience in 125 :( I'm a CS major at uiuc, and I definitely feel you on the initial imposter syndrome and the feeling that everyone knows so much more than you. (I also hate how mean your bf was. I saw that another comment was defending him because "he was a busy CS senior"... I'm also a busy CS senior, but I'm not rude for no reason and would do my best to support my loved ones if they needed my help :) ... And same for all my other CS senior friends. There's no excuse at all for calling someone stupid. He was probably just insecure, just like a lot of other CS students who feel the need to assert their intelligence just because of their own superiority complexes.)

I took 125 the semester before Geoff started teaching, so take this with a grain of salt, but I often wonder if the course's contents have become overcomplicated after hearing how he's changed the class. I honestly did not see as many complaints of how difficult the course was when I took it as I did when he took over. I'm sure he's a great professor, but sometimes I wonder if the content that he's teaching is too much for a beginner course. I think he has good intentions with wanting to expand the horizons of people taking 125 and learning to code for the first time, but I worry how much it pushes people like you away.

Anyway, that tangent aside, I also really disagree with the idea that people are simply "wired" to understand logic. Is it a skill, just like any other? For sure. Will some people be better at it than others? Absolutely. But, I also think, like your advertising prof said, it can definitely be learned and improved on. People have such an elitist attitude when it comes to CS, but it's literally just like any other major.

You mentioned that you worried how you'd perform in 400 level classes if you were struggling in 125, but honestly, 125 *is* the hard class. As you said, programming is a language, and putting in the effort to build a strong foundation is the most vital part. I struggled far more in my Spanish 1 class than I did in my Spanish 4 class, even though I probably learned more concepts in Spanish 4. Likewise, I struggled a lot my first two years (125, 173, 225, 233), but, after that, a lot of my foundation was built, and the 400s I've taken since then have been moderately challenging rather than tear inducing.

If you still want to learn more CS, I think this major is absolutely one of the most accessible ones to learn outside of college, since you can really learn most concepts online for free. If you have the free time and want to learn, it's definitely possible to self teach at your own pace :) Especially now that you got through the hard part!

[AwesomAJ]

idk how I ended up on this but it helped me procrastinate for 16 more minutes 🧠

[piyush]

Don't get discouraged if anyone tells you you're not good enough to code. There are people who have been doing it for years and got better. A good way to learn a concept or topic is by reading multiple articles in conjunction with watching videos on it. A lot of people tend to lose patience very quickly when learning how to code. Consistency + code everyday + patience are key :).

[kellyktang]

i want to note that while it was hard for me to find good help for CS, my brother alan would always drop everything at anytime to tutor me over facetime

plus he taught patiently, intelligibly, and allowed me to come to my own conclusions rather than just telling me the answer

so shoutout to my 哥哥 you’re da best 💫
sorry all those hours of tutoring went to waste HAHA 💀

[FairyZana]

I’m struggling with my (hopefully) final semester of Computer Engineering at UIUC and just bombed my senior requirement midterm. This made me feel better, it’s a skill that just takes time but it’s sooo hard during this semester especially with all the pressure of getting through to move on to the next step (post college life). Thank you making this video! As a woman in STEM I’ve experienced so much of what you mention, including imposter syndromes, creepy classmates, and “dating” people who made me feel dumb/not as good as coding. I appreciate the vulnerability and the cute editing especially at the end :)

[antonsebastian]

CS major, recently transferred in last semester during COVID. Didn’t take 125 but took 126 which was incredibly difficult for me. I fell into deep depression pretty quickly. In my second semester now and not much has changed. Thank you for sharing your perspective it means a lot.

[ericaroberts]

I am a high school CS teacher in Chicago. I am so sorry you encountered so much bias in your 1st CS class in college. I was not good at math either, but I had a successful career as a programmer and software consultant before I became a teacher. I switched to teaching because I want to make CS careers accessible to a more diverse population. Don't give up, it's likely your programming experience will prove useful at some point in your career!

[Alxesihtdneser]

GIRL I relate sooo hard to everything you said in this video. I actually started as a CS Engineering major at UIUC and ended up switching to Graphic Design. I really wanted to be an engineering major because I love math but PROGRAMMING was a completely brand new thing to me. I could never even ask questions in class because I felt dumb that everyone knew everything already. I guess that’s why I was told to take CS105(?)because it was more basic but I wanted to graduate on time 😤 (still didn’t), but UGH I totally feel you. I really lost a lot of self esteem that semester.

[lsmpw]

First video of you I've seen - I really thought you expressed your frustrations and situation you went through well, I found it very compelling to listen to your thoughts and feelings about everything you've been through. Thanks for this content.

[TheSabr]

125 was made hard by geoff. But it’s hard for a good reason imo. It only gets harder so it’s good to know what ur walking into early on.

[davidlu]

I’m a junior and a cs+econ student right now. I remember how depressed during my freshman year where I studied cs125. Yes, the first semester I dropped it since I can’t understand and follow the concept with such aggressive speed
and limited easier problems to solve and help beginners to understand cs. It was bad, like everybody else I knew of were successful with the course but only me was left behind. However, I didn’t give up and instead taking programming academy during winter for like 20 days in China. It helped me a lot since they were actually trying to teach you coding and not speed running. So, I tried cs125 again next semester and end up with A. I was lucky to have a friend who carried me throughout the entire semester. I have to say it is hard, but I think if you actually get decent help from the resources you had, you would have succeeded easier. Also, it is great to learn about the cs stereotypes and I think it is hilarious because all people surrounded me most of them are acting weirdly and awkwardly including myself. People want attention and likes, they want to show off so to make up for the time where they were neglected. After 2 years of learning in cs, I guess one of the biggest gain for me is to admit and accept that I am a weird nerd and I am starting to let go of the past and focus on future. 😂

[Starrynova]

Well one good thing came out of this, it exposed that your relationship wont work out. If anything, this is a precursor to what would happen in the future if some challenge came up in your relationship.

[noahborthwick]

What you said about the other people in the cs program really made me feel ashamed of myself. Tbh I don’t know how I would come off if you met me while taking that class. I feel like I’d probably come up to you thinking I was helping only to come off looking like a total creep. Honestly looking like a creep is my biggest nightmare. My whole life has been built around trying to gain attention for myself that I actually deserve. But sometimes in trying to get this attention I end up looking like a show off.

Your story made me sad, most if all because it was describing the community that I grew up in. I went to a high school that heavily emphasized STEM subjects. It was a well known fact that we liked to be exclusive, that we built our self worth around our grades. I guess when I heard people complain about this, I always dismissed their criticism as just being (as hurtful and damming to my character as this is to admit in writing) “sore losers”.

Listening to you was a good reminder that that is usually not the case. I can tell from hearing you talk that you took this class very seriously. I can tell you put as much effort as you possibly could into it. How could I not relate to failing a test I thought I had prepared for? I as a an NPRE major at the same university have felt that countless times. I too can remember so many homework assignments and tests where I felt there was no one I could turn to for help. What makes me feel so sad about your story is hearing your ex boyfriend perpetuate the horrible lie that “some people just aren’t meant to do certain things”. All throught your story I saw so many instances where I felt that if someone had believed in you you could’ve done just as well as any of the people who we’re putting you down.

Sorry in advance for the rant, and sorry in advance for any condescension I sprinkled in by accident. As much as I try to divorce arrogance from my personal character, i fear it will always find a way to reappear.

[yuikozhang]

I like your video. It reminds me of my personal experience in UIUC. I was the worst when I got into the school. I live in a miserable life. Study, Pain, Cry. Though at last, I strived to become the best and my work is still displaying in the front page of UIUC architecture. I quit to be an architect. You did much better than me. Good job. I wish I saw your video earlier so I would know I wasn't alone.

[jeopardy]

I graduated from UIUC in 1992 with a degree in CS/Statistics. I had a lot of experience in computer programming because I studied the Radio Shack TRS-80 computers as a kid. The problem I had with the UIUC CS major was that it had math or statistics requirements along with it. In the 21st Century, the CS major has many other options, such as music and linguistics. I could have breezed through music because I could already play piano, and linguistics would have been fun for me because I was fascinated with computerized speech in video games, the Speak & Spell, and the Radio Shack TRS-80 Voice Synthesizer. Unfortunately, I had to bumble through the statistics major to get my CS degree, but I got it. Now I am alive and well as a computer telephony developer and voicemail provider.

[SweatySockGaming]

I think your bf was jealous and insecure abt you taking his precious subject, because there can only be one or something

[vishweshmashruwala]

STEM majors have such a high skill cap to enter but once you pass through that barrier of stupid things become doable.

[lorenzo]

Man, I loved the raw emotion that you were able to put into this video. Stumbled into it in almost 3 years later, but I could've probably used this at the time lol. I really empathized with you and your CS classmates as they probably did not have the capacity to be normal around a woman 💀but CS is definitely one of those majors where you can easily fall behind and question your sense of worth. Looking to return and complete my degree soon.

But it sucks so much that people discouraged you from learning a skill that you were truly enthusiastic about learning and applying in your work. :(

[me]

The main problem with intro programming classes is that they don't teach you how to use a debugger.
If you know how to use a debugger you can teach yourself much faster. You can go through your logic one step at a time and figure out why it does not work properly...

[aaronaustrie]

I'm in my first programming course for CS and to tell you the truth it's stressing me out rn 🤦🏾‍♂