Back to School — Rutgers Fall 2021!

Hello everyone and welcome back to Rutgers! Despite the rough beginning to this semester, from the tornado warnings to Hurricane Ida flooding our beloved Route 18, we’re hopeful that this semester back in person will be amazing. To help anyone who might still feel intimidated by school being in session again, we’ve asked our wonderful alumni and upperclassmen for the best advice, tips and tricks that they have for managing the school year!

All Rutgers students this semester. :D

General Advice:

• Don’t procrastinate on your school/career work.

Although this might seem obvious, procrastinating assignments and career or internship opportunities can have drastic consequences. Using apps like Google Calendar, Notion, or even a regular journal to manage your time will save you from forgetting important deadlines.

• Get involved with student organizations to find what you’re interested in. Clubs are the easiest way to make connections, friends, and to learn about career fields, especially after a year online!

Missed the involvement fair? Check out the Rutgers University Discord hub for links to a bunch of different club discords!

• Take classes you’re interested in and don’t waste time on those that you won’t like just because they’re easy. Make sure to connect with your professors as well!

“One thing students don’t know is that professors are life long professional connections. Your relationship with them is not tied to the end of the semester — it continues if YOU want it to. Often times professors do research or have side jobs related to the classes they teach so they have connections and can take you under their wing if you show you care enough.”

• Never feel like you are stuck in your major! It’s never too late to switch, add a major/minor, or even drop one. Take it from an upperclassman who added a second major junior year and changed majors sophomore year, but is still on track to graduate on time!
• Do your research — don’t completely rely on Rutgers for all of your opportunities.

“There are a lot of national/global conferences, for instance, for LGBTQIA+ identifying students in S.T.E.M., like O4U and Out in Tech. The world is at your finger tips, you just need to Google what you want.”

• List out all your requirements (major, minor, core) and see where they overlap to double-dip requirements especially for SAS core! Not sure where to start? Check out this guide!
• Network and talk to everyone you see! You never know when they might be a helpful connection or even just a new friend, so get to know as many people as possible even if it might seem daunting at first.

We noticed that many of you happen to be on the computer science, ITI, or cognitive science track — so here’s some classes and professors to keep an eye out for!

For Computer Science Majors:

Hardest Classes:

• Calc II
• Data Structures
• Intro to Discrete Structures II
• Principles of Programming Languages

Easiest Classes:

• Intro to CS111
• Internet Technology

Best Professors:

1. Santosh Nagarakatte — made class interesting to learn!
2. Ananda Gunawardena — a great professor for discrete math.
3. Lily Chang — straightforward in assignments and expectations.
4. Dr. Sunyoung Kim — teaches a lot about design.
5. Srinivas Narayana

“Seriously the most down to earth and knowledgeable professor I’ve had in CS.”

For Information Technology & Informatics Majors:

Hardest Classes:

• Object Oriented Programming
• Management in Technological Organizations
• Introduction to Computer Concepts
• Web Design
• Structure of Information

Easiest Classes:

• Information Technology and Informatics
• Social Informatics
• Humane Computer Interaction

Best Professor: Philip McCormick — made classes light-hearted and enjoyable!

For Cognitive Science Majors:

Hardest Classes:

• Intro to Logic
• Fundamentals of Neurobiology
• Physiological Psychology

Easiest Class: Introduction to Cognitive Science

Best Professors:

• Dr. Baker
• Paul Pietroski
• Evan Kalkus

“Intro to Logic was hard but Professor Kalkus made it fun and interesting. He encouraged questions and never belittled anyone for asking “dumb” questions. A very understanding professor who explains concepts very well and he has Star Wars in his questions!”

Make sure to check out the Rutgers Cognitive Science Club!

Best Study Spots:

• College Ave Student Center
• Alexander Library, Carr Library, Mabel Smith Douglass Library, Library of Science and Medicine
• Academic Building (open late at night!)

Best Food:

• RU Hungry
• Edo Takeout
• Ramen Nagomi
• King of Gyro
• Tacoria
• Pukhtun Afghan Restaurant
• Chai Chenak
• Fritz’s

Helpful Sources:

Visit the Rutgers subreddit and check out their sidebar for helpful links and threads!