Sure, I can weigh in on this. Like you mentioned, there's definitely varying opinions on this, and it'll also depend on your major. Instead of just telling you one way or the other, I'll try to explain where some of these opinions might be coming from. Freshman year has the potential to be easy if you aren't coming in with many credits. This is because you'll likely be taking some courses that aren't as intense, such as ENGL 1101/1102, humanities courses, etc. On the other hand, if you have AP or dual-enrollment credits, you might be able to skip some of these classes and you'll potentially find yourself getting started with some weed-out classes. This could be lab sciences, introductory classes specific to your major, etc. In later years, you'll mostly just be taking classes for your major (I take almost entirely CS classes at this point), and these classes can be a mixed bag. Some classes will be easier because there is more of an emphasis on learning instead of cracking down on people's grades. Others will be really challenging simply due to the subject matter's increasing complexity. What I'll recommend is that you don't overload yourself with credits in your first semester (or two). I took 14 credits, and though I initially wanted to take more, I think it was definitely the right decision. You'll be adjusting to college and the level of classes at Tech, so you don't want to make it even more challenging for yourself. If you're curious about GPAs for different classes, check out critique.gatech.edu. I reference this for every course I take; it's a great way to get a baseline for how challenging classes are and to see which professors you might want to avoid. Best of luck to you!

@@KyleKeirstead thank you so much! I'm also a CS major and have a few credits coming in from the IB diploma. Do you happen to remember which courses you took for your first sem. I think I might be able to get enough credits to skip the weedout classes.

My first semester of college I took CS 1301, CS 1100, MATH 1552, ENGL 1101, and FREN 1001. For the most part, these were pretty introductory courses, but I had enough credits from high school to not need to take any Social Sciences. Also, since you're a CS major (good choice), I made a video talking about every CS class I've taken a few months ago; feel free to check it out kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mb54e9qjr9DTpmQ.html.

Small world

Congrats! That's my understanding; as a CS major, there are generally a lot of internship opportunities available, but just due to demand in the job hiring market some other majors/fields likely won't have as many openings for interns. I was fortunate to land internships in all three of my summers, but I think for some other disciplines that may be a bit more challenging.

​ @Kyle Keirstead Cool! Any idea about internships for ECE?

My high school was actually the same way (another small town) so no worries about that for GT. Since I'm CS, there's some overlap, but you'll definitely be doing a lot more work with hardware than the average CS student. That being said, as a CS major who had a Devices thread, I did get to take some classes that focused more on hardware, so that could also be an option. Personally, I'm happy with what I chose (CS with Intelligence/Devices threads): I love working on software but my threads gave me the chance to dabble in hardware (which I admittedly found harder). However, if you know you enjoy working with hardware, then Computer Engineering probably is a better bet for you. Hopefully this helps a little!

Hey! Glad to hear you're enjoying the videos. 1. West all the way. I lived in Montag (part of FFM) as a freshman, and was fortunate enough to live in Nelson Shell for my junior/senior years. I only lived on East for one year (NAV East as a sophomore), and I definitely missed West. Like you mentioned, it's quieter and more secluded - some of the freshman dorms are also newer/nicer. In terms of food, that's changed since I graduated...afaik West now does all-you-can-eat, but back when I was in college it was more like micro-restaurants that you ordered from. We've also changed food providers several times over the years, so it's hard for me to say one way or the other. I did make a vlog (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/sNuodc9kkpq3Y5c.html) showing West campus before I graduated, though I never did get around to making one for East. 2. I can't speak much to LLCs - I lived in a dorm with a random roommate as a freshman. There are definitely some growing pains when it comes to sharing a space with a stranger, but I did feel like I had a good sense of community with the people on my floor. That being said, apartment housing is much nicer than living in a dorm - I had my own room every other year, and after living in a dorm I really came to appreciate the privacy. 3. This is a fun one - no one ever asks me much about this haha. I'll link a post I wrote recently about my experience (medium.com/@KyleKeirstead/how-i-grew-my-youtube-channel-to-1-000-subscribers-as-a-college-student-part-1-d703ec8a99e7 I need to finish this mini-series), but it definitely is a balancing act. In my case, the overlap with when I started my channel and the start of COVID meant I wasn't doing much "social" stuff, which gave me more time to make videos. I think back then I also focused a lot less on quality, so I could just sit down, talk about something, do a little editing, and put it up without too much work...I miss that sometimes haha. Let me know if you have any other questions - I'd be happy to answer them or point you to the right videos that I've made over the years.

@@KyleKeirstead thanks for your reply! Wow, I just read your blog and your dedication is honestly really inspiring! Now I have follow-up questions if you don't mind😅 1. How did you get single dorm rooms every other year? Did you have to pay a little extra? Is it hard to get single bedrooms? 2. Abt the KZfaq journey, ik this sounds stupid but I often worry if others wouldn't like what I post. I would have finished editing a video then worry abt that... Like for example if I make a video of "Stats That Got Me Into GaTech" I'm afraid that would make the ppl in my high school think I'm bragging/make those who didn't get accepted feel inferior even though that's totally NOT my intention... Woah pls forgive me for rambling but yea have you ever felt smth like this? What motivated you to keep posting anyway? This was longer than I thought 😂 And I think a video on time management for college students would be a nice idea - I'm pretty sure many college and high school students (like me) would want to watch videos like those!

Sure! 1. IIRC, almost everyone who isn't a freshman lives in apartments in the 2nd-4th years, and the apartments at Tech all have independent bedrooms. You'll share the bathroom/kitchen/living area with a few roommates, but your bed/desk are in your own room. I believe the apartments do cost slightly more than the dorms, but I'm not sure by how much. 2. Yep, I can definitely relate - I was lucky that my college friends were pretty supportive of my channel (even when my content was really bad) and encouraged me to keep going. In terms of what you post...it can be tough when you don't know how people are going to react to your video. I still scrap videos after I make them because I don't like the way I'm coming across, whether it's complaining/bragging/etc. Sometimes it helps to get ahead of it in the video (e.g. "I don't mean for this to come across as me bragging, or showing off - I've benefited a lot from other people being transparent about their stats, and I wanted to share mine for anyone who might be curious about what my application process was like"), but ultimately you just have to use your judgment. You might also get a mixed response - you'll have videos that most people find helpful, but a few people are annoyed and take the time to leave a snarky comment. It's never fun when that happens, but I've been pretty lucky to avoid a lot of hate comments. I just try to be helpful, honest/fair, and focus on making the videos better :)

Career fairs can be a bit of a mixed bag admittedly. Especially in recent years, you will find a lot more companies that just ask you to apply online, which is pretty frustrating after waiting in line for 30 minutes. On the other hand, I also know people who have gotten same-day or next day interviews from career fairs. From what I've heard, speaking to a company early in the day can be your best bet - at this point, they haven't filled up all of their interview slots, so you might be able to get an interview very quickly. All of that being said, I do recommend that people go to career fairs. Even if you don't get an interview out of it, you'll get good practice talking through your resume/experience, and this can be valuable once you actually do get an interview.

@@KyleKeirstead Wow that's really useful insights. I can't imagine that the competition for a job could be that intense for a reputable university such as Georgia Tech.