First Year Guide
Welcome to the First Year Guide to the Computer Science program in the University of Manitoba! As the name suggests, this guide contains information on everything you need to know before starting your Computer Science journey. Regardless of whether you’re an experienced programmer or are still on the fence about taking this huge leap, this guide contains all the wisdom we can impart for you to succeed in your first year of studies and beyond!
If you feel overwhelmed and only wish to read one thing, we recommend you check out the Recommended course plans section! You can find a quick navigation to any section of your interest in the left sidebar!
Overview
As of the current version (July 5th, 2025), this guide covers:
- Choosing Computer Science as your major. Ever wondered if Computer Science would be the right major for you? This topic is suited for prospective students to get to know what Computer Science in University of Manitoba is all about.
- Tuitions and scholarships. New to budgeting? Get an overview of what kind of funds you'll need to spend, and can earn throughout university.
- University preparations. Adjusting to university can get confusing and overwhelming, especially coming from high school. Never discourage yourself and get to know what you can do to prepare yourself for university.
- Course registration. Unlike high school, you would need to register for your own courses. This can be challenging to understand, as there are so many pathways you could take regarding your courses. We provide information on what courses you’ll need to take for different degrees in Computer Science and some sample pathways.
- Getting involved. Make friends! There are many talented people as they are equally fun in our community of Computer Science students. The best way to level up and stand out amongst your peers is to show presence in and learn from the community.
You can find a legacy version of this guide here.
Table of Content
- Is Computer Science for me?
- Tuitions and Scholarships
- Studying Tactics
- Self-Care
- Course Registration
- What courses do I need?
- What degree should I do?
- Recommended course plans
- Student Groups
- Other Opportunities
While the guide itself is as comprehensive as we could make it, it’s still highly recommended for you to do your own research about your incoming university life! This document is highly opinionated and based on the personal experiences of students who have experienced at least one year of university and understand the struggles of incoming students into Computer Science. It’s best for this guide to be used as a starting point for you to plan for university as you conduct your own information gathering to build on top of that.
If you have any questions, feel free to send us an email at [email protected], or join our Discord and we’ll be happy to help you! We hope you find the First Year Guide useful!
Best regards,
University of Manitoba Computer Science Students’ Association