How hard are the Computer Science courses at UIUC?

How hard are the Computer Science courses at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign?

How hard are the Computer Science courses at UIUC?
It is hard to answer such a vague question... but let me try.





First off, the UIUC CS department is ranked 5th in the entire country, bested only by MIT, CMU, Stanford, and UC Berkeley (all tied for #1). Therefore, you should expect to be challenged by the coursework and equally by the fellow students, many of whom were accepted by those esteemed institutions.





Secondly, all CS courses differ in their relative difficulties based on level (100-500 level), area (theory, architecture, systems, databases, etc.), and instructor. Some courses are primarily research project oriented, some are midterm/final, but most are a mix of homework, projects, and exams.





I would say, enter with the attitude that you will be challenged, but look at it as an experience. There will be frustrating hours and loss of sleep in any but the most basic CS courses. :) But if you make a significant effort, the professors and TA's will do their best to make sure you learn; which implies, they will also do their best to make sure you leave with the highest grade you work for.