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Computer science is partly about writing computer software, and that leads to a culture of automation. Most people look at a task and begin to work on it. If software is available to help, that is great. If not, they trudge ahead with the task. A computer scientist looks at the same task and thinks about how at least part of it can be automated by telling a computer how to do it. He or she is not limited by what is already available, but is rather limited, to a large extent, by his or her own cleverness. Not only can that save work in the long run, but it gives a person a sense of satisfaction at having worked out the automation.
Computer science goes beyond computer programming by asking how software can be written elegantly and ecomonically. Computer science also addresses how quickly, or with how little memory, a computer can solve a problem. As a computer scientist, you will even encounter problems that are inherently unsolvable, no matter how clever you are. There is a certain elegance and sense of satisfaction at being able to prove limits on what others are capable of doing.
Computer science rewards and requires a culture of problem solving. If you like to work puzzles, you will probably do well in computer science. Computers are mathematical machines, and comfort with mathematics is essential. You don't need to know everything about mathematics, but it should be your friend, not your enemy.
Some students begin study of computer science with a culture of solving problems by searching the Internet for an answer. That can be useful in a lot of settings; up-to-date information is available at your fingertips on a huge variety of things.
But the Internet culture can be a handicap for studying computer science. You cannot learn how to solve computational problems by having other people solve those problems for you. If that is what you want to do, the College of Business offers courses on how to be an executive.
If you prefer to solve puzzles by peeking at the solution, or if you rely on looking on the Internet for almost anything, then you will need to make an adjustment, and to develop a culture of solving problems on your own.
CSCI 2530 has historically had a high DFW (D, F, withdrawal or drop) rate. Typically, only about 50% of students who begin CSCI 2530 have passed it with a grade of C or better. There is no single reason for that, but it is partly the result of students attempting CSCI 2530 without making an adjustment to their problem solving culture. Hopefully, this class will do better than past classes. That is a real possibility. But it can only happen if you, the student, make a concerted effort to adopt the necessary approach to solving computational problems.
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