20M, no CS background, weak math. Is BSCS at KU survivable, or should I pick something else?
Hi everyone, I'm 20 and I might sit for an entry test for BSCS at Karachi University. I'd really value honest advice before I commit four years to this.
My background: I did pre-medical ( with additional mathematics) in intermediate (81%), but if I'm being honest, my actual grasp of intermediate math is quite weak. I passed, but I don't like it lowkirkeniunly. I also have zero programming experience.
What's worrying me: a friend of mine at Sindh University (he came from a pre-medical background) says he's really struggling in CS. He says the math-heavy courses and the programming lab tests are brutal, and he's advised me not to go for it with my math.
I know the HEC curriculum has only about 4 math courses (calculus, linear algebra, discrete, probability/stats), and the first two years are programming, data structures, and the core courses. But I don't know how that feels in practice.
So, to people who've actually done BSCS in Karachi or are enrolled currently:
How hard is it really if you're starting from zero in programming? Is the first semester a filter?
How bad are the lab tests, or other ones in general and how do you prepare for them? How many hours a day so to speak do you have to study apart from classes?
How much does weak intermediate math hurt? Can I fix it in a few weeks before classes start?
Would you say BSCS is still worth it for someone like me, or are there better-fit programs (BSIT, BSSE, maybe applied linguistics or English literature wagera or something else in KU)?
Any advice on what to do between now and the first semester?
I'd most likely work part-time remotely for a few hours or so, so I'd like to know if that's realistic alongside the course load, or would it overwhelm me.
Thanks in advance. I'm not looking for reassurance, just the honest truth so I can plan properly.