Studying computer science at uni!

Maths is likely to be your biggest shock, to be honest. Not much point reading up on languages (especially somewhat obscure ones that most of your fellow students won't have encountered either) when instead you could do a little revision of your maths skills, make sure you're ready for what they'll throw at you on the course.

Take a look here (2014 data but should be mostly the same):
http://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/124/computer-science#structure

Under stage 1 there are two modules, "Foundations of Computing" I and II (which I would assume are core content!), covering mathematical topics such as set theory, matrices and vectors and differential calculus. A-Level maths covers all of these, so you may find that some of your fellow students already know this material and can cover it quickly, whereas you might not have encountered any of it before.
 
Thanks AJK I had thought about the maths side of CS but I got engrossed in the language side.

I only did GCSE Maths and I did discuss this with one of the lecturers there and they reassured me by saying that there are mandatory maths classes depending on if you did GCSE or A-Level because as you say some fellow students will have already studied certain topics and also there are extra classes available.

I will keep going with reading through this BlueJ book as I am enjoying it! but will also look at those math topics there also though.
 
I hadn't realised you didn't do maths. from what I recall the maths we did is not as hard as A-level maths, there is a smaller amount of it in general, but most of it is above the level of GCSE.
 
Yeh I didn't go to six form, I went to college.

Would you say I would be best off spending my time looking into the math topics that I will need than the languages?
 
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I hope OP can understand this joke then.
 
Mr. Pickle said:
My honest advice for you is DO NOT GO.

You can use your time and money so much more wisely than going to university these days

It is hard not to follow the status quo and you have to be brave, but it is the better option

Take 1 year off before going at least
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I was a self taught programer and I hit a wall with free content online there is a mountain of **** out there which you have to dig through before you find the relevant materials you need. Which left me with patchy knowledge.

University has been the best thing i've ever done it has given me:

  • Structured learning
  • A people who are paid to help me if I need guidence
  • A mountain of great materials
  • Academic skills
  • Industry Contacts
  • Allowed me to explore areas I hadn't considered

If you are giving honest advice I think it would be fair if you explain yourself, because you've backed it up with no substance.
 
Cheers UncleRuckus,
Are there any books or websites that you would recommend to help me do that.

I have looked up each of the topics individually and found resources I can use but if you have any specific sites or books etc you can recommend that would be great :)
 
Biz.Kid09 said:
Cheers UncleRuckus,
Are there any books or websites that you would recommend to help me do that.

I have looked up each of the topics individually and found resources I can use but if you have any specific sites or books etc you can recommend that would be great :)
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Well the recommendation for the blueJ stuff already mentioned sounds great.

As for the Maths Khan academy is pretty great though a little slow paced at times, I think this is down to clearly explaining concepts for all levels.

This cheat sheet I found handy printed out and stuck to my wall. :)
 
When I done the maths side of my course, the reading we were told to buy is THIS one. Helped me out an awful lot as I did not do anything maths related after GCSE until I hate computer science.
 
Thanks guys.

Will check out the Khan academy and that book. It's on eBay for 0.99p so if its good I can't complain for that price!

Also what do you mean by you hate computer science. Was that supposed to be started? :p
 
I've just finished my first year of Comp Sci at Hertfordshire. Whilst I was confident in Maths at school I didn't study it at A-Level (wasn't required for my course) I haven't found the maths too challenging. Set theory, functions and relations is about as tough as it got bar a bit of binary/hexadecimal which isn't really difficult once you've got your head round it. Getting brushed up on Java before you go will help a lot when they throw you into object orientated programming. You'll be fine :)
 
I didn't do a maths A level and I had no maths related problems at all with my comp sci degree. I think you need to stop worrying about it and enjoy the rest of your summer like every other normal student.

If you are seriously that worried about it then a comp sci degree is probably not for you.
 
When I did my Degree (93-96) I steered away from Computer Science and did Information Systems instead, I wasn't confident that my maths would have been good enough for Computer Science. The maths in my Information Systems Degree wasn't too bad at all, lots of statistics so I was happy with my choice.

Some of my friends were on Computer Science courses and the maths they had to do scared the whotsits out of me ;)

I went back as a mature student and didn't have A-Level but an OND in Computer Science.

Mr. Pickle said:
My honest advice for you is DO NOT GO.
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Even now many jobs are only open to those that have a Degree, it a prerequisite, many jobs do say Degree or experience but not all.

Given my time over I would still have gone to Uni, I had a great time and left with a 2:1 Degree which got me my first job, haven't looked back since :) I'm sure others have gone down a different path but I can really comment on that from personal experience.
 
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I am well out of date with this advice but when I studied Comp Science at Kingston Uni from 95-99 there was an absolute brick ton of maths. Given that I was a computing nerd well before that I blasted my way through uni but Maths, in places I did find difficult.

Doing that course was the worse mistake ever though. I am 37 now and have a career established in defence, as an mechanical engineer though. No courses, just picking up the experience over the years from established colleagues (see olde people). Looking back, I wish I had studied engineering instead as it would have been of better use to me given that I already knew computing so well.

I am not sure how things have changed but given that my clown of a neighbour came out with a great score on his Comp Science degree at the very same uni I am a bit dubious. Just be sure CS is what you want to do, look at your long term goals and aspirations (I didn't do this).

Nowadays Comp Science (imo) isn't taken as seriously by employers as it used to.
 
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iKettles said:
I've just finished my first year of Comp Sci at Hertfordshire. Whilst I was confident in Maths at school I didn't study it at A-Level (wasn't required for my course) I haven't found the maths too challenging. Set theory, functions and relations is about as tough as it got bar a bit of binary/hexadecimal which isn't really difficult once you've got your head round it. Getting brushed up on Java before you go will help a lot when they throw you into object orientated programming. You'll be fine :)
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Thanks for the advice mate.
grimm said:
I didn't do a maths A level and I had no maths related problems at all with my comp sci degree. I think you need to stop worrying about it and enjoy the rest of your summer like every other normal student.

If you are seriously that worried about it then a comp sci degree is probably not for you.
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I am not particularly worried , I just wanted to get some advice off some guys on what if anything I should do before I start my course. I didn't randomly pick comp sci and now I am running around trying to find out everything and ask everyone what I am actually going to do.

Kainz, interesting to read your story. I believe that a CS degree will benefit me the most right now but anything could change and like yourself I could end up doing something completely different. Talking with the lecturers when I went for my interview and open day I came to the decision that CS was for me but everything could change once I get there and start the course.
 
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