From Adelaide! Will my maths level be sufficient for compsci? (1 Viewer)

[Arashiou]

Hi guys, just a couple things about my background: I'm from Adelaide and I've already completed a degree in medical science. This year I enrolled into computer science @UNSW after deciding that I wanted to follow my passion for computing. My only problem is that I feel that my mathematics ability won't be up to the same standard as the other recently graduated high school leavers.

Here in Adelaide, I took Mathematical Studies which is the second highest level of maths that can be taken. I've looked at the assumed knowledge for the course and it indicates that you need something called HSC Maths Extension 1 (which is also your second highest?). I looked at a few past exams (HSC 2012 vs SACE 2012) and the content seems to vary a bit in some areas.

With the assumption that I graduated from high school in 2012 (hence the 2012 comparison above), would my math skills at the moment be up to par with other HSC school leavers that I'll be studying with in 2016?

Cheers in advance!

 

[anomalousdecay]

If you are familiar with parts of the mathematics extension 1 or mathematics extension 2 syllabus components in NSW, then you should be ok with consistent effort.

If you are familiar with parts of the mathematics syllabus components in NSW, then you'll need to put in a lot of work in first year.

 

[davidgoes4wce]

Probably be worth getting a few of the Maths Extension 1 books and going through as many questions as possible before the start of the course. Im not sure how much maths there is in Computer Science but I assume that the first year there will be an elementary level of calculus(Math 1A/Math 1B) or if you decide for the more challenging higher level calculus (higher Math 1A/Higher Math 1B), as well as Discrete Mathematics.

Discrete maths= usually its assumed you have a basic knowledge of math.

Maths 1A/1B= assumed knowledge of up to MX 1 level.

Higher Maths 1A/1B= assumed knowledge of up to MX2 level

http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/programs/2014/3978.html

thats referring to the link above.

 

[davidgoes4wce]

I also came from interstate as well, had to work harder to catch up on the content. Think someone said it on here a year ago, NSW maths in high school is the hardest nationally.

 

[Silky_Smooth]

I also came from interstate as well, had to work harder to catch up on the content. Think someone said it on here a year ago, NSW maths in high school is the hardest nationally.

Everyone follows the Australian Curriculum so I doubt that it is significantly different from interstate

 

[davidgoes4wce]

Everyone follows the Australian Curriculum so I doubt that it is significantly different from interstate

Well I have the 2016 textbook they use in WA (just flew back there 2 weeks ago) and they don't cover things like : Conics in Year 12, also Binomial expansions in 3U etc.

Also the WA curriculum have material like matrices, which isn't covered in the NSW syllabus.