Graduate School: Spring 2011

When I last checked in with Dr. Cui Zhang, CSUS computer science department graduate program adviser, we dusted off my graduate school transcript and determined I had one or two classes to retake. This afternoon, I checked in with her again and reviewed my progress.

The bad news is from the cursory analysis she picked out several other classes she suggested I retake. The good news is she seemed upbeat about me getting A's in the two classes I am retaking. She suggested I consider taking four classes:

1. CSC 60 - Intro System Program Unix (3 Units)
   
   
• Spring 2010 TR 1:30-2:45 p.m. (Chung Wang)
  
  
2. CSC 132 - Computing Theory (3 Units)
   
   
• Spring 2010 TR 4:00-5:15 p.m. (Meiliu Lu)
  
  
3. CSC 139 - Operating System Principles (3 Units)
   
   
• Spring 2010 MW 5:30-6:45 p.m. (Senad Busovaca)
  
  
4. STAT 50 - Intro Probability+Stat (4 Units, gulp)
   
   
• Spring 2010 MWF 4:00-5:10 p.m. ("Staff")
  

She said the Los Rios Community College system does not offer the statistics class, so I would need to take Math 50 through CSUS. She suggested I not retake courses in calculus (I guess not as big a deal for CSUS computer science grad students as I thought). I am tempted to take them again anyway, though, as my memory of the subject is rusty and I think it would help me with my GRE.

She seemed relieved when I told her I was considering entering in Spring 2011. The current deadline for Fall 2010 enrollment is mid-November. Some other random notes:

• The CSC department assigns grad students to an adviser based on last name, after they become fully classified (all entrance requirements met).
  
  
• There is no such thing as an unclassified graduate student any longer. Everyone is either conditionally classified or fully classified.
  
  
• Graduate students may choose either a thesis or a project. It is student-dependent, and not something to really think about until the student approaches advancement to candidacy.
  
  
• Once a student advances to candidacy (begins working full time on the final project/thesis), the student gets to pick their own faculty supervisor. This may be different than the adviser they were assigned when they became fully classified.
  

So, a mixture of good news and bad news. To put a positive spin on it, I will be stronger for taking these classes over again.

UPDATE: CSC 60 is also ARC CISP 453, MW 10:30-11:50 a.m., and Lab from 12:00-1:20 p.m.