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From: jain@hpda.UUCP (Atul Jain)
Newsgroups: net.college
Subject: Re: CS Undergraduate Programs
Message-ID: <103@hpda.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 18-May-84 14:26:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: hpda.103
Posted: Fri May 18 14:26:47 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 20-May-84 00:06:23 EDT
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino
Lines: 79


MIT.  Mind you, my view is quite biased since I'm a student there but here
goes.

In general, the course requirements at MIT allow significant freedom of
choice.  Unlike most other universities, there are no formal core courses 
to be taken during the first two years.  Sure, there is a two term physics
requirement and some others.  However, there is opportunity to be exposed
to a potential major early on in one's college career.  I would say that
it is the norm for a hopeful CS major to take the first computer class
(LISP/SCHEME) sometime during the first year.  In fact, I took it my freshman
year and that was the first time I touched a computer.

I don't mean to give the impression that one is rushed through things too
early either.  Such freedom can be confusing but it's not too difficult
to put a tentative schedule together.  Each student has a faculty adviser
for that purpose.  Freshmen are assigned professors randomly to serve as 
their advisers.  Sometime during the sophomore year, you are asked to specify
a tentative major and are assigned a professor in that department as your
adviser. 

I guess "exposure" is the key issue.  Being able to take the introductory
computer course during the freshman year let's you know if the field is 
possibly for you.  Should you feel that it is not, there is plenty of time
to investigate other areas.  I have many friends who did not commit
themselves to a particular major until the end of their junior years.  They
ended up taking a number of courses in areas other than their majors but
that did not set them back much.  Instead of fixing a large set of core
requirements, MIT allocates a number of units, usually about 6 to 9 courses
worth depending on the major, as "unrestricted electives."  These are
separate from a second list of "restricted electives" in your major.

Another source for exposure is the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
(affectionately called UROP).  Through this program, undergraduate students
are given the chance to participate in research activities for a faculty
member.  Often, the work done by the undergrad in this program is quite
remarkable.  Certainly, it let's one apply the things learned in class to
real-world issues.  Being able to work first hand with world-renowned
researchers and state-of-the-art equipment is nice.

There are also a number of cooperative education programs which provide 
exposure to industry.  Many departments have their own.  The EECS department 
has one, the 6-A program.  Applications to the program are accepted at the
beginning of the 2nd semester of the sophomore year.  Applicants interview 
with a number of companies such as Xerox, IBM, and Hewlett-Packard.  If
accepted by a company, the student spends the next two summers working
at the company.  MIT gives credit for the work assignments and the company
covers travel expenses and salary.  During the senior year, the student 
applies for admission to the graduate school.  If admitted, the student takes
four graduate courses in the department and returns to the company for a 
period of seven months to work on a joint Bachelor's and Master's thesis.
It's a good way to pick up a Master's degree in an extra six months or one
year. 
  
Life at MIT has its highs and lows.  Expect the all-nighters.  The place 
is most certainly a challenge but most of the people who get in do get out.  
There are fun times too: parties, intramural sports, Boston, Cape Cod, hiking 
in New Hampshire, sailing on the Charles.  The campus is very open and lies
on a two and a half mile stretch along the Charles River.  Up the block is
Hahvahd.  Boston's a college town and that makes it easy to explore other
turfs.  MIT has cross-registration with a number of schools, including
Harvard and Wellesley. 


Atul
{hplabs,ucbvax}!hpda!jain




 
 
 


 

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