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Getting a First?

First off, If this is on the wrong board, I'm sorry, I spent about 10 minutes trying to decide which board would be best to post on.

Basically I'm starting a BSc Computer Science in September and I feel that I should try my hardest for a First because of how much money I'm going to spend while at uni. Could any current students or Comp Sci grads give me some tips that could help me get the best degree I can get?

Thanks in advance :smile:

Learn.

get an early start in coding?

Reply 3

DarkWhite

17

Start learning a programming language like Python now, preferably not the language your university will teach you, as you might find yourself getting into bad habits. But something like Python allows you to learn a different programming language, get an idea of the various constructs, methods and techniques needed for the programming modules.

Make sure you're up to scratch on your maths, and look into some boolean logic and decision mathematics if you have some spare time.

Get the best grades you can in your FE qualifications like A-Levels - it will help.

Read around the subject. I'm finding my first semester incredibly easy because I've done plenty of work with computing and read loads around the subject. Check out the recommended reading lists on university web-sites for this, and maybe even pick up a book from one of the modules you'll do in your first year.

Which leads me onto my next point: work in your first year. Chances are, it won't count towards your degree, but it does look better if you're a couple of marks off a 1st in your final year and you ask them to boost your classification from a 2:1 to a 1st!

Revise - it's not quite like GCSEs or A-Levels really, and even though I'm getting high marks on my courseworks and feel as though I understand the content completely, I'm still going to revise for the January exams and get the best marks I can :biggrin:

Reply 4

TheQueenOfComputerScience

13

I have a first MEng Computer Science, my advice is:

1. Work in first year, but not too hard, I saw loads of people who burnt out towards the end of the degree due to that.
2. Do your assignments in advance and ALWAYS turn in a polished finished product as you would in a job.
3. Memorise every fact you are taught, these are the easiest marks in the exams, the rest of the marks come down to practice and ability.
4. Don't bother reading around the subject, this just wastes time, you will be given enough work to do without that. (eg. I got 87% in one subject without even reading the recomended text book).

Reply 5

dinprobss

Great tips! If there are anyone else studying CS or have studied it please fire away any advice! :biggrin:

Reply 6

Kash:)

15

I've heard from a few language people that you should spend atleast 8 hours every day on work, this includes lectures. I'll assume it doesn't mean weekends.

Computer science might be very different though

Reply 7

laser

10

A lot rides on your dissertation imo.

Reply 8

jermaindefoe

15

laser

A lot rides on your dissertation imo.

from experience then does dissertation play a huge part in final year?

what would you have preferred / group or individual?

Reply 9

laser

10

jermaindefoe

from experience then does dissertation play a huge part in final year?

what would you have preferred / group or individual?

At York the dissertation is worth a third of final year, so yes, massively dominating. And individual, definitely.

Reply 10

Apocalypte

12

jermaindefoe

from experience then does dissertation play a huge part in final year?

what would you have preferred / group or individual?

Mine was worth 25% of my overall grade. I think I would have ended up killing someone if it had been a group assignment, especially given my bad luck with partners for other group assignments in final year...

Advice?

Manage your time properly. Assignments can get very time consuming, very quickly and they can really pile up. They can often be worth a large chunk of your grade too.
A bit of exam technique is often useful for exams, look at the past papers (if your uni releases them) to see how lecturers like to ask their exam questions, and practice some of them.
Go to class, even if it's at the craziest hour of the day in the coldest, draughtiest room on campus and you're hung over to bits. You'd be amazed at how many people skip half their classes and still expect to do well.
Have some of your own projects outside of your academic work, but don't let them eat into your study time.

Also, don't play WoW. I know several people who have failed exams because of it...

Reply 11

newman24x

TheQueenOfComputerScience

my advice is:

1. Work in first year, but not too hard, I saw loads of people who burnt out towards the end of the degree due to that.

me!

but i managed to pull it off :biggrin:

but i was seriously burnt out lol

2. Do your assignments in advance and ALWAYS turn in a polished finished product as you would in a job.

this.

4. Don't bother reading around the subject, this just wastes time, you will be given enough work to do without that. (eg. I got 87% in one subject without even reading the recomended text book).

THIS. Though you WILL gain more knowledge by doing so, but it will have an impact as describe in point one, so don't tend to overdue it + its not necessarily that you read the whole entire recommended text books you can get an A from it :smile:

*sometimes lecturers tend to copy paste the reference without even knowing that the books are affordable of can be bought by the students lol :ninja:

Reply 12

newman24x

Apocalypte

I think I would have ended up killing someone if it had been a group assignment, especially given my bad luck with partners for other group assignments in final year...

Owh the nightmare of group assignments lol, especially those 'partners' can't even bothered with the assignments given :mad:

So what's your advice to the OP if the OP was given a group partner and still wants to achieve a 1st, and to make it worst, in the final year? :woo:

Reply 13

Apocalypte

12

Stock up on caffeine, because if you get a bad group partner you're going to be pulling long hours trying to pull a first out of a group assignment in final year.

Reply 14

TheQueenOfComputerScience

13

newman24x

THIS. Though you WILL gain more knowledge by doing so, but it will have an impact as describe in point one, so don't tend to overdue it + its not necessarily that you read the whole entire recommended text books you can get an A from it :smile:

*sometimes lecturers tend to copy paste the reference without even knowing that the books are affordable of can be bought by the students lol :ninja:

Haha yea, you will gain more knowledge but I always thought well if I ever actually need that knowledge I learn it when I need it.

Reply 15

Psyk

16

Apocalypte

Go to class, even if it's at the craziest hour of the day in the coldest, draughtiest room on campus and you're hung over to bits.

I disagree about the hung over bit. If you're so tired none of the information is going to go in, why bother? Sleeping is a better use of your time because then when you do get up you'll be in a better state to get some work done. Of course it would be better to not be hung over/tired in the first place, but that's just boring.

I got a first but I really can't think of any particular advice. For a lot of my coursework, it was specified what you needed to do to get a particular grade. So it was just a matter of getting through enough of it to get a first. I guess sometimes it's worth skipping lectures to do some coursework.

Reply 16

jermaindefoe

15

i am 100% convinced that exam grades are marked up <in some instances> and some of this is determined by attendance

i may be wrong as it appears to be anonymous marking etc but i would put a cheeky fiver on it if i could!

Reply 17

in_the_blue

OP

Thank you so much, this is exactly what I was looking for!

Looks like some really sound advice, if anyone else has anything to add, i'd be very grateful (if I can work out how, I'll be giving out +rep)

:smile:

Reply 18

sunspoon

14

Don't go out every night of the week like I did once last year. It screws you up for lectures the next day and your concentration goes out the window.

Getting a First?

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