Student run website for UWEC Computer Science
Going into a degree from the Computer Science department at UWEC isn’t always straightforward. We students are here to answer your most pressing questions.
Just about any laptop running Windows 11 (or a distribution Linux if you’re feeling adventurous 😏) should do. Most classes take advantage of campus servers for most computation related tasks (such as compiling code, hosting databases, running LLMs) which can handle far more than what is needed for classes. See the official laptop requirements for more information. Honestly, in our experience any laptop that works in general will pretty much work for class, don’t get too hung up on it.
Software engineering is a non-comprehensive major which means that ___. However, Computer Science is a comprehensive major that is more demanding as it covers more than Software Engineering.
Idk bro, it’s tough out there. Yes, absolutely get an internship! The hardest part is networking yourself with people to get the opportunities for internships. Without that, cold applying to internships becomes much more difficult. A good time to start applying is the end of your junior year.
Instant friends cheat. You surround yourself with people that have similar interests which leads to friends! Also, clubs offer networking opportunities, some clubs bring in guest speakers who you can connect with and gain connections in the industry.
AI is a constantly evolving topic and we recognize that as developers use it more and more to write code. However, you still need to understand what it writes. The best way to do that is by writing code yourself and using AI as a tool to learn how to write code rather than letting it write code for you.
While AI has a major impact on the job market increasing unemployment due to AI related layoffs. Where there are computers to be used, there will be jobs. When the calculator was invented mathematicians were scared that they were going to take over and everyone was going to lose their jobs. Now it’s a common tool.
Trying a variety of things is the best way to find what interests you. Try a wide variety of classes, go to clubs, search the internet.
I’ll let Jack answer this one…