computer hardware uni courses?

shaffaaf27 · 23 Jun 2007 at 11:06

Hi, i will be going to uni next year, so i need to think of what course i am going to take.

This year i have had a blooming interest in computer hardware, as to why i joined this site, so i was wondering if there are courses that involve learning about or doing something with computer hardware.

I am doing physics, maths, computing and chemistry right now for a-levels, so hopefully it will help.

Am i right in thinking it will be engineering based, because I have thought about doing electrical or mechanical engineering before.

shaffaaf27 · 24 Jun 2007 at 17:56

I guess no one knows?

moogie · 24 Jun 2007 at 18:02

computer science or electronic engineering (best) degrees

supernova9 · 24 Jun 2007 at 18:12

If you're more interested in hardware, stay away from COmputer Science. That's far more oriented towards software development/programming/maths in most universities.

Go with Electronical Engineering. Whereabouts you thinking of applying?

shaffaaf27 · 24 Jun 2007 at 23:21

i am thinking brunel, or Southampton. i was checking out the guardians guide to 2008 Unies for electrical engineering, and those seem ok.

i am going to a brunel open day in 2 weeks aswell.

ok. electrical engineering seems good.

what about just pure physics. its regarded as the best degree you can get, and you can go for a type of engineering with it aswell.

also is there such thing as computer engineering?

Nebzor · 24 Jun 2007 at 23:33

You've been given the two best options buddy

Unfortunately there is no Computer Engineering.

If it's just hardware you're interested in, Electrical Engineering. Both my uncle and my brother have done these degrees. They're obviously not just about computer hardware, but you get the picture.

As stated, Computer Science is a lot more codey-wodey software-based.

Physics degree is all well and good, but is it what you want to do? You've gotta stick with these things for 3 years, y'know

geuben · 25 Jun 2007 at 00:33

I'm going to be starting my 3rd year of a 4 year MEng in Electronic Engineering in September, this year we had to pick which direction we wanted to take the course in, I chose Electronic Engineering with Digital Electronics, which goes more in the direction of computer hardware. Im going to be doing modules like: Advanced Systems Architecture, Computer Architecture and Digital Signal Processing. So as others have said, Electronic Engineering is the way to go, although a word of advice, its not easy and can easily ruin your interest in electronics (has do with a lot of my mates on my course).

joeconway · 25 Jun 2007 at 01:02

I'm potentially going to brunel for a computer science degree in september if i dont do as well as id hope in my a levels. It is almost entirely programming based so i agree that it might not be the best choice for you

shaffaaf27 · 25 Jun 2007 at 01:57

geuben said:
I'm going to be starting my 3rd year of a 4 year MEng in Electronic Engineering in September, this year we had to pick which direction we wanted to take the course in, I chose Electronic Engineering with Digital Electronics, which goes more in the direction of computer hardware. Im going to be doing modules like: Advanced Systems Architecture, Computer Architecture and Digital Signal Processing. So as others have said, Electronic Engineering is the way to go, although a word of advice, its not easy and can easily ruin your interest in electronics (has do with a lot of my mates on my course).

Thanks for all the replies, but esp this one. i was hoping some one here could give me propper insider information, information that was first hand.

thank you very much.

now i just have to wait for my AS results to come in to see if i am going to be doing these.

drunkenmaster · 25 Jun 2007 at 03:28

ok, honestly, i go to brunel/did go, might quit, basically didn't go to a lecture all year or do any work as the place sucks.

seriously, its supposed to be very good for engineering courses, thats it. that doesn't stop the actual place being NO SWEARING. there is one club on campus, its small, overcrowded, expensive and crap, not just me, we all go because its all there is. but everyone thinks its NO SWEARING.

limited facilities, one club, "stones throw away from london" is a long running joke for us as its in brunels advertising. its really about 70-80mins away from any "proper" london places to go out and as a student you won't afford them often.

we've got one of THE WORST unions for prices, our bars are more expensive, by a long shot, than my m8's at queen mary's right in central london. semi nice town covered in chavs and is just a really horrible place. i know very very few people who think its good for anything other than engineering and my comp science course was/is utterly terrible

still good people, but almost everyone i know seems to think they'd have gotten much more out of going to uni somewhere else. even the engineering students who like their course agree the nightlife/town/area is pretty awful.

computer systems engineering anyway, that sounds probably like something you'd want to do. it shares modules with elec engineering but is more specific to computers and does abit of programming which really you'll want to do. the course is good at uni, as is elec engineering. but the course won't be really worse anywhere else, but you can enjoy a different uni a heck of a lot more.

drunkenmaster · 25 Jun 2007 at 03:33

joeconway said:
I'm potentially going to brunel for a computer science degree in september if i dont do as well as id hope in my a levels. It is almost entirely programming based so i agree that it might not be the best choice for you

the first year has basically one real programming module, out of 6, and its stupendously easy and basic. if you really know any level of java/c+ already you probo know everything you need for the first year. 2nd year i just all but gave up because i assumed, dumb as i am, that i'd get to do loads of interesting programming and the modules were just, boring, uninvolved, taught badly and really not interesting.

its almost entirely lectures that are just pre writen crap read aloud, which you can all find online. i might have gotten extremely unlucky but don't know many who enjoy the course a lot.

seriously, mine, and a load of people from my course, biggest regret is choosing brunel. the only real reason i choose to go there was i was working, decided late i'd do uni and was localish and i could get in.

supernova9 · 25 Jun 2007 at 08:31

shaffaaf27 said:
what about just pure physics. its regarded as the best degree you can get, and you can go for a type of engineering with it aswell.

Whoever told you that there is a "best degree" is either wrong or just biased. Don't suppose your physics teacher told you that did they?

An employer looking for a computer hardware engineer would prefer an electrical engineering graduate over a physics graduate, as they wouldn't have to teach the engineering grad a lot of stuff.

gt_junkie · 25 Jun 2007 at 08:58

supernova9 said:
An employer looking for a computer hardware engineer would prefer an electrical engineering graduate over a physics graduate, as they wouldn't have to teach the engineering grad a lot of stuff.

I agree!

Or you could do what i did. Get a Geography degree... spend 3 months searching for a job relating to that degree... then give up and start working at a local school as a network/systems tech.

Who says degrees are a waste of time eh!!!

Just drinking practice IMO!

gt

FirebarUK · 25 Jun 2007 at 09:04

ok, honestly, i go to brunel/did go, might quit, basically didn't go to a lecture all year or do any work as the place sucks.

There's me thinking that Uni is a place of learning rather than a constant **** up

misterPK · 25 Jun 2007 at 09:45

As another Electronic Engineering Graduate I would recommend that as the course for learning about hardware, as part of my course I studied microchip and processor design.

However, as an Electronics student you will learn to hate 3 things:

Media students, swanning around the place complaining about having to get up before 12 for one of their three lectures a week when you're working that amount on one good day.

People who confuse it with electrical engineering, which is the study of pylons.

People who will think that you're studying how to wire a plug, or fix their tv.

But its a great laugh, I enjoyed it for the most part, just dont expect to see that many attractive women in your lectures!

PK!

Egon · 25 Jun 2007 at 09:53

drunkenmaster said:
ok, honestly, i about 70-80mins away from any "proper" london places to go out and as a student you won't afford them often.

we've got one of THE WORST unions for prices, our bars are more expensive, by a long shot, than my m8's at queen mary's right in central london. semi nice town covered in chavs and is just a really horrible place. i know very very few people who think its good for anything other than engineering and my comp science course was/is utterly terrible

still good people, but almost everyone i know seems to think they'd have gotten much more out of going to uni somewhere else. even the engineering students who like their course agree the nightlife/town/area is pretty awful.

computer systems engineering anyway, that sounds probably like something you'd want to do. it shares modules with elec engineering but is more specific to computers and does abit of programming which really you'll want to do. the course is good at uni, as is elec engineering. but the course won't be really worse anywhere else, but you can enjoy a different uni a heck of a lot more.

LOL - that post made me chuckle. An apt name drunkenmaster me thinks

joeconway · 25 Jun 2007 at 14:06

drunkenmaster said:
oeally about 70-80mins away from any "proper" london places to go out and as a student you won't afford them often.

we've got one of THE WORST unions for prices, our bars are more expensive, by a long shot, than my m8's at queen mary's right in central london. semi nice town covered in chavs and is just a really horrible place. i know very very few people who think its good for anything other than engineering and my comp science course was/is utterly terrible

still good people, but almost everyone i know seems to think they'd have gotten much more out of going to uni somewhere else. even the engineering students who like their course agree the nightlife/town/area is pretty awful.

computer systems engineering anyway, that sounds probably like something you'd want to do. it shares modules with elec engineering but is more specific to computers and does abit of programming which really you'll want to do. the course is good at uni, as is elec engineering. but the course won't be really worse anywhere else, but you can enjoy a different uni a heck of a lot more.

I keep hearing this....I'm a bit annoyed tbh cus it seems like i was ust fed a load of BS when applying as I didnt have the time to go visit it. If I dont get into sussex methinks I'll just go into clearing...
Thanks for the brutal honesty

shaffaaf27 · 25 Jun 2007 at 14:07

misterPK said:
As another Electronic Engineering Graduate I would recommend that as the course for learning about hardware, as part of my course I studied microchip and processor design.

However, as an Electronics student you will learn to hate 3 things:

Media students, swanning around the place complaining about having to get up before 12 for one of their three lectures a week when you're working that amount on one good day.

People who confuse it with electrical engineering, which is the study of pylons.

People who will think that you're studying how to wire a plug, or fix their tv.

But its a great laugh, I enjoyed it for the most part, just dont expect to see that many attractive women in your lectures!

PK!

ahh... ELECTRONIC engineering, not electrical.... (that what i would want).

you think if i get a degree, nvidia or ati would take me in

thankyou everyone

brunel does seem the best place, but i guess ill have to go the the open day to check it out. and anyway i dont care for a bar, im a muslim, and drinking is strickly forbidden. :cool:

Crowze · 25 Jun 2007 at 14:23

How about Computer Systems Engineering? My brother studied that at Warwick but they don't run that course any more. Might be worth looking into at other universities though.

InvaderGIR · 25 Jun 2007 at 14:33

Southampton is/was also viewd as one of the best places to go for electronics, but it's very hard to get it, you have to get their minimum grades.

I applied to 5 or whatever, 4 as Electronic Engineering, and 1 as Computing, I was accepted by everyone apart from Southampton (which was an EE application), in the end I chose between Wolverhampton doing Electronic Engineering and Bournemouth doing Computing. I chose Bournemouth, and it's a really good course, we don't open up PCs, but then if you have any spare time (ever) it's not hard to learn about the internals and how to build. We do learn all about the actual CPU and other components, aswell as build websites, Java based programs, databases and some other stuff. - that's 1st year.

Next year (07-08) we'll be covering entertainment, so games building and audio/video etc. aswell as going into more depth with how things work, programming, and websites. :cool:

Computing is not just straight programming, it's doing all sorts of things, including learning about how and why they work.

Also here at Bournemouth for Computing there are many many names, but they are the same course for the first two years, then you go on placement, and come back and that's when you specialise. I took 'computing' some of my mates took things like 'Computer Software Engeining managment' and other things, but we all do the same till final year, then we get to specify, and change our route by then if we so choose.

I'm glad I took the course at the place I did, as we have quite hands-on staff, so if we have a problem, we can just go see them, and they explain assignments etc. well (most of them).
I'm just waiting on the results coming in the post for my exams :eek:

InvG