Advising incoming CS students for what lies ahead
Robert Bryant, George Hauser, Terry A. Scott, Sherri Shulman · Journal of computing sciences in colleges · 2001
In the mid 1980's freshmen at two universities were surveyed and their responses about computer science courses were compared with their responses about other freshmen courses…students were more likely to report reality shock, confusion, control attempts, anger, and withdrawal in their computing courses than in other courses [1]. Today computer science departments still experience some of the highest dropout rates of all disciplines with a range from 25% to over 50% attrition by the end of the first year. This panel was formed to discuss the various advising methods used by schools to attempt to prepare the students for the rigors of what their first year experience in computer science courses will involve. Helping the student understand what will be required of them goes a long way toward assuring the students success in the computer science major. Can more be done? Are any schools doing innovative approaches to this problem?