University of Washington

I know nobody loves an 8:30 AM, but joining a FIG for 125 is totally worth it. That class is tough, and having a built-in study group really pays off if you put yourself out there.

Graduated with a 3.9 in ECE, but I was a CC transfer so I skipped weed-out classes, which helped. I sacrificed my social life, especially during the COVID year, but I spent that time mastering homework and learning extra skills like LaTeX. Lectures alone weren't enough; I learned more by really focusing on assignments. My advice: find a way to enjoy homework—I spent extra time on force diagrams because it felt satisfying. In senior year, I made friends but met them infrequently. Don't stress GPA too much; internships and projects matter more for jobs. Experience and skills are what make candidates stand out.

Seattle is fantastic for tech internships with companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Boeing right next door. Career fairs make it easy to connect locally. Professors are hit-or-miss—some great, others not so much, since many are researchers first. The location is solid: easy transit, diverse food, but a bit sketchy at times. Social life takes effort, especially in ECE, where time is tight. A downside is weedout classes with low grade averages and a painful process for changing into competitive majors like CS.

Community college honestly gets a bad rap. It's way cheaper, the classes are equivalent, and professors actually know your name and want you to succeed. But yeah, that stigma is real—everyone wants the traditional college experience. I kinda wish I'd come to UW straight out of high school for the dorms and easier friend-making, but it wasn't the end of the world. Overall, CC was a solid choice.

AMATH 301 shouldn't require MATH 126 and Linear Algebra. I took it at the same time as MATH 126 and did Linear Algebra much later, and had no issues at all. The prerequisites feel unnecessary.

I took the organic chemistry series here. The professor gives weekly quizzes with no drops and exams that don't match the worksheets. Lectures are just 'turn to your partner and work together.' Office hours are held in a lecture hall, and half the time she doesn't show up. The first midterm average was a 70, but she curved 15 points so someone got a 115. Overall, a frustrating experience.

I took this class in spring and it was fine grade-wise, but the professor was rude and dismissive about my accommodations, which cost me a better grade. The lectures are unstructured and boring, and grading is way too subjective through TAs. You learn almost nothing and have to jump through arbitrary hoops to do well. Not a nightmare, but annoying and not worth it if you want a 4.0.