Btec National Diploma in I.T for Computer Practitioners (Software development)

HTMLHugo said:
the btec i did i believe i was told the mathematics module was the equiv of an a level
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They lied, the Engineering Maths module in the first semester of CompSci @Soton is basically the whole of A level maths plus a bit of pure maths, you then have a discrete maths module which is totally different.

Seriously, you NEED maths at least.

Burnsy
 
Rimm3r said:
I did it and wish I hadn't, do a Maths A level, Computing A level and something else
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Wishing the same thing. But hey i did the networking for a week or so. it came to one lesson and they said next lesson where going to be making a network it was an instant wtf i'm moving. wish i'd have gone with my second option that was maths and media studies a-level and some dual award it thing.
 
Burnsy2023 said:
They lied, the Engineering Maths module in the first semester of CompSci @Soton is basically the whole of A level maths plus a bit of pure maths, you then have a discrete maths module which is totally different.

Seriously, you NEED maths at least.

Burnsy
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Yeah, I'm doing that now...and I'm getting along fine so far. I'm at the top of the class with regard to assignment scores, easily. You don't NEED A level maths.
 
It's a rubbish course. The amount of "software development" you do is pitiful and the sheer amount of paper-work you do for the most basic of so-called projects is stupendous. You don't get graded on how well you program. Each assignment is a case of going on and on and on about something that could in reality be summarised in a few sentances.

The interesting modules are the mathematics ones and the web one if you get a good tutor.

If I could go back in time I would have done a computing A-Level. I did start A-Levels but had to leave that college, however in the three months of the computing A-Level I learnt more than I did in the two years of this so-called "Software Development" BTEC.

Avoid it because it's something I sincerely regret.

edit:

BUT if you work at it (and to be honest it's not hard if you get your backside in gear) you can get DDD/DDM which will get you to uni, if that's your aim.
 
Burnsy2023 said:
Firstly, any decent computing uni will require an A at Alevel maths as an entry requirement. Secondly, IMO it's better not to have had any computing experience before uni as it can get you into bad habits that are hard to shake. I think that a scientific, technical mind will be much more benificial than a BTEC. On top of that, you really do need the maths, without it it's a very, very steep climb if you manage to get into uni.

And just to put this in context, I did a BTEC, made the mistake and learned from it :) I applied for Comp Sci @ Southampton and I know it's really not easy.


My advice remains, stick to maths and sciences.

Burnsy
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True.

I have a BTEC National Diploma in Computing and it didn't help at all in getting into University. In the end I had to go to DeMontfort because of this...and Uni was easier to get in, in those days.

I did do A-Level Maths and Physics but had I have passed these I would have done Engineering not Computing at Uni as I wanted to be a Structural Engineer...instead I end up "engineering" networks.

You need to understand Maths well as lots of the Computer Science degree will need it. You could do a "softer" computing degree, I suppose.
 
I did it. Did HND after and now i'm in the last year to top it up to a degree.

At your age (I presume you're in yr11) it may sound good to get out of school and just do work based on computing rather than the standard subjects. Thats what drew me to it. Unfortunately it probably won't be what you expect. For every half-interesting module, there's two completely dull and boring modules which would set you up nicely to be a receptionist.

Stick to A Levels. If I could go back I would 100% stay on for 6th form. Left ALL my friends and while college was fairly easy and I breezed through it, thinking back i'd have much rather done A Levels.

Hope this helps!
 
Im currently doing the National Certificate IT Practitioners at college. I completed the National Award course last year and to be honnest it hasn't gotten any better. We were told when we enrolled it would get us to uni but now we've just found out that its only worth 2 A levels not the 3 that the Diploma is. The best i can get is DD which is only worth 240 ucas points. Wish id done proper A levels :(
 
omfg please dont do this course.

I did it last year, well started in sept 06 i left the course early. Its such a crap course. If i were you i would do basic IT and some other subjects.
 
furnace said:
It's a rubbish course. The amount of "software development" you do is pitiful and the sheer amount of paper-work you do for the most basic of so-called projects is stupendous. You don't get graded on how well you program. Each assignment is a case of going on and on and on about something that could in reality be summarised in a few sentances.
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totaly
write a 10 page assignment on the uses of word....................
errrrr? why? (this was back in 2000 when I did this course)

dunno what its like now, we did some very strange projects that seemed to have very little to do with computing and loads to do with filling time (even now looking back it feels like they just wanted to fill spaces)
 
I am doing this course myself at The henley collage. and it is pretty crap to be perfectly honest, however - if you dont fancy a-levels and want something to get you into uni then its probably your best bet :)

We have 4 teachers and do 15 hours a week (oh yeah baby my weekend starts at thursday 12:00!) so its not exactly hard

Software D&D starts with pascal, then moves onto the propper gui borland delphi. then c++ next year. its not too hard and its quite enjoyable (well taking our silly teacher out of the equation!).

Web development is shocking-ly bad, you learn nothing.

computer systems is "meh" but fairly easy thou

information systems is crappy but easy again

and aint started anything else yet :)

want any more info msn/mail in trust

ta

alec
 
beaNN said:
Haha same!
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Hehe i did the 1 year course before that 2 year BTEC and found for the first year it was a repeat of what i did and lost interest then i didn't have enough time to redo the first year stuff so stuck with what i had *Stupid* :/

As said above you wont get an amazing job with it but im doing ok with it at the mo, but wherever i choose to go to uni i can do with this qualification, few mates have gone on to games development at uni with it.
 
Yep, I did it. Dropped it after the first year, it was utter garbage. I took Art instead and now I do design rather than programming.
 
Reasteh said:
i did it then went onto the HND for 2 years, then 1 year at uni for the top up to a degree.
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Is that possible? Wish i'd of known, would've saved me a lot of money that way. I got my higher national diploma in Business Info Systems while studying at uni for two years, but moved to Hong Kong before I could get a degree (family illness). I was looking into possibly finishing off my study in the future and what my options were. Is it simply a topup type of system?

As for the BTEC, i did it in Computing at college. First year I dossed and got all passes and only a couple of merits. Second year I gave it a go and got five distinctions and the rest merits, giving me an overall ABB equivalent in A-levels. It's not as bad as everyone says.

If you want to do Computer Science, do as the others say and get an A-level in Maths, otherwise a BTEC ND is a perfectly suitable stepping stone to uni.
 
VeNT said:
totaly
write a 10 page assignment on the uses of word....................
errrrr? why? (this was back in 2000 when I did this course)

dunno what its like now, we did some very strange projects that seemed to have very little to do with computing and loads to do with filling time (even now looking back it feels like they just wanted to fill spaces)
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LOL, you actually had to do that?

I guess it depends on what college you go to, we did nothing like that.
 
Lets name and shame ;);

Chichester College - Tutors treat you like adults. Shame they don't understand what they're teaching though.

Worthing College - Tutors treat you like a kid. Shame, as they thoroughly understand what they're teaching.
 
I did this course at Eastleigh College after dropping out of Barton Peveril. I wish to god I had stayed on doing A levels instead. The BTEC is the most boring, simplistic and worthless course I have ever done. It was not informative in the slightest.

Having said that I am now earning a nice wage with nothing but this course to my name. However I must say that the course has had nothing to do with my career in IT and everything to do with being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people.

I have to agree with everyone else that if you want to go on to university then you should look at A level math, a science of some sort and computing. This will give you a good founding in what is required for university and will be accepted for entry at a far wider range of red brik universities.
 
Dureth said:
I did this course at Eastleigh College after dropping out of Barton Peveril. I wish to god I had stayed on doing A levels instead. The BTEC is the most boring, simplistic and worthless course I have ever done. It was not informative in the slightest.

Having said that I am now earning a nice wage with nothing but this course to my name. However I must say that the course has had nothing to do with my career in IT and everything to do with being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people.

I have to agree with everyone else that if you want to go on to university then you should look at A level math, a science of some sort and computing. This will give you a good founding in what is required for university and will be accepted for entry at a far wider range of red brik universities.
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:o I did it at Eastleigh aswell, what year?
 
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