Recommended Studies for Computer Science (1 Viewer)

[Zen2613]

Hey y'all

I'm interested in doing the double degree at UNSW of science (adv. maths) and computer science.
I think I can handle the maths fine, but I am very new to coding and programming and have just started trying it out.
I do enjoy it, and I have the discipline and self-motivation to teach myself a few things before semester starts, but apparently with computer science degrees they start from scratch anyway, which was what I hoped for.

Except after looking through the UAC guide, it says that the recommended studies for it are; Engineering Studies, IPT, Software Design and Development, Physics and Extension 2 Maths.

Now out of those, I have only done the maths, but what I don't get is how we are expected to have done all these things! Because in the HSC, English is compulsory, which is 2 units, plus all of those subjects total 8 units which means if you choose those subjects, you've already got yourself the 10 units you need for the HSC! You have no other choices! (Unless you do more than 10 units which is nuts...)
Anyway enough rambling, are all these recommended subjects really that important to ensuring success in a computer science degree ? I reckon I could teach myself one or two, but there's no way I can get them all done. So to people who have done computer science degrees, what subject(s) would you guys recommend I learn (if anything) before I start ? Or should I forget the HSC altogether and just learn how to code in some language or something more general like that ?

Thanks for your time.

 

[sirable1]

Doing SDD or Math Extension 2 will be helpful, but not essential. You can get through that degree without it.

Probably the most important subject out of all the HSC subjects are 2 unit math and math extension 1 (for both Adv. Math and CompSc) .

 

[Zen2613]

Doing SSD or Math Extension 2 will be helpful, but not essential. You can get through that degree without it.

Probably the most important subject out of all the HSC subjects are 2 unit math and math extension 1 (for both Adv. Math and CompSc) .

Cool that's a good thing then, but while waiting for it to start, I need something to do as life without school has gotten pretty boring quick.
So I could go and learn the content in SSD, or I could go try out a more general thing like learning to code.
I've started learning to code in python using the site codecademy which seems to be going well, would you recommend I do stuff like this or that I specifically learn what's taught in SSD ?

 

[Squar3root]

I would recommend doing MX2 really

everything else you learn

 

[froogle]

Cool that's a good thing then, but while waiting for it to start, I need something to do as life without school has gotten pretty boring quick.
So I could go and learn the content in SSD, or I could go try out a more general thing like learning to code.
I've started learning to code in python using the site codecademy which seems to be going well, would you recommend I do stuff like this or that I specifically learn what's taught in SSD ?

It's not necessary at all to know how to code. They assume no prior knowledge software related or programming related. It might give you some advantage in the first week or two but that is about it.

Enjoy your break and please don't be the guy that wastes it studying things that don't get you far in uni

 

[noctua]

IIRC first yeah comp sci does programming in Objective C so it might be more useful for you to study C than python right now. Don't really bother learning over SSD stuff because you would moslikely go over it again in better detail in uni.

 

[InteGrand]

The acronym should actually be SDD (Software Design and Development). I think sirable1 just typo-ed SSD in his post. And then everyone kept saying SSD.

 

[sirable1]

Cool that's a good thing then, but while waiting for it to start, I need something to do as life without school has gotten pretty boring quick.
So I could go and learn the content in SSD, or I could go try out a more general thing like learning to code.
I've started learning to code in python using the site codecademy which seems to be going well, would you recommend I do stuff like this or that I specifically learn what's taught in SSD ?

Joining the Open Learning site with COMP1917 (Computing 1: Intro to CS) would definitely be helpful and will give you a head start on what to expect. The webpage as you don't know is the homepage to the course, and you too will be using it if you take COMP1917 in first semester. It has the youtube videos to the lectures, (previous) assignments, fun quizzes, diary log entry etc etc. It's free to sign up.

https://www.openlearning.com/courses/enhancedcomputing

IIRC first yeah comp sci does programming in Objective C so it might be more useful for you to study C than python right now. Don't really bother learning over SSD stuff because you would moslikely go over it again in better detail in uni.

First year language at UNSW is just C.

The acronym should actually be SDD (Software Design and Development). I think sirable1 just typo-ed SSD in his post. And then everyone kept saying SSD.

Thanks, just noticed that ! haha

 

[GoldyOrNugget]

IIRC first yeah comp sci does programming in Objective C so it might be more useful for you to study C than python right now. Don't really bother learning over SSD stuff because you would moslikely go over it again in better detail in uni.

First year at UNSW is C, not Objective-C. I don't know of any university which would teach Objective-C as a first-year subject. It's a relatively niche language.

 

[erckle999]

Doing SDD or Math Extension 2 will be helpful, but not essential. You can get through that degree without it.

You can get through a maths degree without the knowledge from Extension 2 (since it will be retaught in first year) but unless you are the type of person who can and wants to do Extension 2, a maths degree (not even necessarily a pure maths major) will get pretty hard and pretty tiresome very fast.

SDD is a waste of time. Learning how to code is pretty useful, but Python is a bit higher level than C. Still similar in some respects and a good language to know. The pace of 1917 is quite high so the more time you can spend on the new material and the less on just getting a general feel for coding the better.

 

[Zen2613]

Ok thanks I've got it. I did MX2 and enjoyed it, so I shouldn't have any major problems then.
I'll probably still learn python, since I really just want the skillset of a computer programmer rather than just being an expert in whatever is taught in the degree.

 

[Flop21]

How are we suppose to self teach C anyway? I've heard it's tough because it's a low level language. And because it's tough I don't really want to spend time self teaching and possibly teaching myself incorrect ways or whatever. I also couldn't find many resources or 'easy to learn' sites for it.


I think learning python is the way to go. I'm going to do it to. I think I'm half way through the codecademy course, getting a bit bored though lol because I just want to get stuck into making my own things, but I really gotta try and get through the basics.


But yeah, I got told it may be useful to learn python, because once we learn C, it'll help our python knowledge / overall programming knowledge, there will be moments where we go "ohhh so that's why in python this does that" etc. Sorry if that sounds odd, I don't really know what I'm talking about here.

 

[Squar3root]

How are we suppose to self teach C anyway? I've heard it's tough because it's a low level language. And because it's tough I don't really want to spend time self teaching and possibly teaching myself incorrect ways or whatever. I also couldn't find many resources or 'easy to learn' sites for it.

I think learning python is the way to go. I'm going to do it to. I think I'm half way through the codecademy course, getting a bit bored though lol because I just want to get stuck into making my own things, but I really gotta try and get through the basics.

But yeah, I got told it may be useful to learn python, because once we learn C, it'll help our python knowledge / overall programming knowledge, there will be moments where we go "ohhh so that's why in python this does that" etc. Sorry if that sounds odd, I don't really know what I'm talking about here.

most comp sci at uni is self teaching anyway

 

[Flop21]

most comp sci at uni is self teaching anyway

Yeah but c'mon we're not paying 20k+ to have 0 help at all right? There will be lectures and that to teach us the core principals and hopefully give us some direction on how to learn C, because there's not a lot of material on the web.

 

[Squar3root]

Yeah but c'mon we're not paying 20k+ to have 0 help at all right? There will be lectures and that to teach us the core principals and hopefully give us some direction on how to learn C, because there's not a lot of material on the web.

no there is help available like lecturers/tutors and consultation times but they aren't going to help you with everything. at uni you are expected to learn independently

 

[Flop21]

no there is help available like lecturers/tutors and consultation times but they aren't going to help you with everything. at uni you are expected to learn independently

So what, they just go "learn C" or "learn how the kidney regulates the blood" etc. then you just go and learn it? What are we paying them for, or even there for??

That sounds ridiculous.

 

[keepLooking]

Joining the Open Learning site with COMP1917 (Computing 1: Intro to CS) would definitely be helpful and will give you a head start on what to expect.

https://www.openlearning.com/courses/enhancedcomputing

Seems like it asks for an activation code ;[

 

[Squar3root]

So what, they just go "learn C" or "learn how the kidney regulates the blood" etc. then you just go and learn it? What are we paying them for, or even there for??

That sounds ridiculous.

they present it in the lectures then you go study it, like high school but less spoonfed

 

[Flop21]

they present it in the lectures then you go study it, like high school but less spoonfed

Yeah sweet, I'm pretty use to independent learning anyway.


Someone should write a starters guide to uni. Just explaining how it all works and that.

 

[turntaker]

C isn't too hard. It's a good language to learn. Lynda .com is pretty good