Computer Science [Chosen Course]
Hey everyone I will be going to university next year and I am very interested taking on the CS course but the problem is that I dont know If I am smart enough to handle it. At the moment I am studying a course in college
BTEC level 3 National Diploma which is equavilent to 3 A-levels. The first A-level I have achieved a distinction* which is A* and I am currently working on finishing the course next year.
Maths is a problem for me I did not take A-level maths but I only have C in GCSE maths. What do you guys think I should do? I am a determined person and will probably work hard to achieve a high grade I know that I will struggel in the course but hoping that I can handle it.
Post your feedback or any suggestion. Thank you
BTEC level 3 National Diploma which is equavilent to 3 A-levels. The first A-level I have achieved a distinction* which is A* and I am currently working on finishing the course next year.
Maths is a problem for me I did not take A-level maths but I only have C in GCSE maths. What do you guys think I should do? I am a determined person and will probably work hard to achieve a high grade I know that I will struggel in the course but hoping that I can handle it.
Post your feedback or any suggestion. Thank you
Scroll to see replies
This is asked quite a lot, try searching this board and you'll find plenty of other discussions.
In short: The majority of Computer Science (exclusively UCAS code G400/G401, nothing else is CS unless it's joint honours) courses involve a fair bit of A-Level mathematics. Some courses expect candidates to have A-Level maths skills while others teach you it from scratch. You'll need to specifically look at each uni's entry requirements and make your choices accordingly - if you apply to one that requires A-Level maths and you don't have it, you're 99% likely to get an immediate rejection.
If you can work hard, focus and have a logical mind you should manage okay. Try to scratch up on your maths skills though. If you can't do some kind of qualification, try the Khan Academy as their exercises are excellent.
Best of luck
In short: The majority of Computer Science (exclusively UCAS code G400/G401, nothing else is CS unless it's joint honours) courses involve a fair bit of A-Level mathematics. Some courses expect candidates to have A-Level maths skills while others teach you it from scratch. You'll need to specifically look at each uni's entry requirements and make your choices accordingly - if you apply to one that requires A-Level maths and you don't have it, you're 99% likely to get an immediate rejection.
If you can work hard, focus and have a logical mind you should manage okay. Try to scratch up on your maths skills though. If you can't do some kind of qualification, try the Khan Academy as their exercises are excellent.
Best of luck
Maths is very different in Computer Science. It is a unique type of Maths since it's discrete and actually used for something, it's not random questions which has no meaning to anything. Most of the maths covered in CS aren't actually taught in A level maths.
Most Computer Science courses will teach you the maths from scratch first year and try bringing you up to the level of understanding the Maths used for CS. Infact my friend who did great at GCSE maths failed at A level maths and did a BTEC instead, he only got DMM and got into a russel group university. He didn't do Maths for a few years and did his first year at newcastle and said the maths is fairly simple and understanding if you put your mind to it.
If you don't mind maths and you are willing to work hard for it then I don't see it being a problem and I'm sure you can do well. Just remember though quite a bit of CS is maths depending on the University you attend. I've heard the difficulty of maths used in CS is between higher tier Maths for GCSE and A level maths.
Most Computer Science courses will teach you the maths from scratch first year and try bringing you up to the level of understanding the Maths used for CS. Infact my friend who did great at GCSE maths failed at A level maths and did a BTEC instead, he only got DMM and got into a russel group university. He didn't do Maths for a few years and did his first year at newcastle and said the maths is fairly simple and understanding if you put your mind to it.
If you don't mind maths and you are willing to work hard for it then I don't see it being a problem and I'm sure you can do well. Just remember though quite a bit of CS is maths depending on the University you attend. I've heard the difficulty of maths used in CS is between higher tier Maths for GCSE and A level maths.
Original post by NextCS
I see Im thinking of G401 but hopefully I can figure out the math in the course I am usually a quick learner if I learn something new it sticks to my head
Im thinking of G401 but hopefully I can figure out the math in the course I am usually a quick learner if I learn something new it sticks to my headBeing slightly interested in Maths is required for CS in my opinion. If you're like some people where you feel you absolutely hate maths and can't stand studying it then CS would be a no.
However though, I do know somebody who hated A level maths and found it absolutely a pain and boring. But now he is doing a Ph.D in CS and prefers and enjoys the maths used in CS more compared to A level.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Nashy19
I'm in exactly the same position with exactly the same grades.
You're the same PERSON!
Jokes aside, of course Maths is important, but as ifstatement mentioned, you won't use normal maths for it (although of course numbers will be important)
A BTEC will be a lot different to a degree though, especially as I can only presume you're doing an ICT BTEC, which probably won't relate to Computer Science too much. You'll also need to sit exams too rather than just coursework.
Original post by ifstatement
Maths is very different in Computer Science. It is a unique type of Maths since it's discrete and actually used for something, it's not random questions which has no meaning to anything. Most of the maths covered in CS aren't actually taught in A level maths.
This sounds good as everyone will be in a similar situation, starting from the start and learning new stuff together. Also, I think it is easier to learn something if it has a useful application
Original post by Delaney
If you can work hard, focus and have a logical mind you should manage okay.
If you can work hard, focus and have a logical mind you should manage okay.
I hope this is the case as I only have a GCSE equivalent of grade C in maths. However, I'm not scared of maths or working hard to figure out new problems or techniques and I chose a University which teaches from scratch and doesn't ask for A-level maths.
Fingers crossed...!
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by NextCS
What UCAS code is it where they teach you everything from scratch about Computer Science? Cause im thinking of taking G401
Most universities assume you have no prior knowledge of the subject anyway, so don't worry!
But ofcourse, some prior knowledge would aid you.
Original post by TheBritishBloke
You're the same PERSON!
Jokes aside, of course Maths is important, but as ifstatement mentioned, you won't use normal maths for it (although of course numbers will be important)
A BTEC will be a lot different to a degree though, especially as I can only presume you're doing an ICT BTEC, which probably won't relate to Computer Science too much. You'll also need to sit exams too rather than just coursework.
Jokes aside, of course Maths is important, but as ifstatement mentioned, you won't use normal maths for it (although of course numbers will be important)
A BTEC will be a lot different to a degree though, especially as I can only presume you're doing an ICT BTEC, which probably won't relate to Computer Science too much. You'll also need to sit exams too rather than just coursework.
Okay you are the only person in this thread who has mention ICT BTEC, FYI their is no such course that is a level 3. Their is a course that is called BTEC national diploma in IT. You do more work related towards a computer Science degree than you would in A level Computing FACT .
Why do these A level people think they know best :/
However i do agree with the statements about Maths on this page .
Original post by FinalMH
Okay you are the only person in this thread who has mention ICT BTEC, FYI their is no such course that is a level 3. Their is a course that is called BTEC national diploma in IT. You do more work related towards a computer Science degree than you would in A level Computing FACT .
Why do these A level people think they know best :/
However i do agree with the statements about Maths on this page .
Why do these A level people think they know best :/
However i do agree with the statements about Maths on this page .
I never said I 'knew the best' anything FACT. I said that I can only presume it's some kind of BTEC ICT, because obviously someone who's done travel and tourism BTEC wouldn't really have learnt anything which can be applied to a Computer Science course FACT. Why are BTEC people so overly protective and cocky? And you probably do more work related to it, because you're doing a single full time course on the subject, whereas an A Level Computing student will only have 8/9 lessons per week on the subject FACT.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by TheBritishBloke
I never said I 'knew the best' anything FACT. I said that I can only presume it's some kind of BTEC ICT, because obviously someone who's done travel and tourism BTEC wouldn't really have learnt anything which can be applied to a Computer Science course FACT. Why are BTEC people so overly protective and cocky? And you probably do more work related to it, because you're doing a single full time course on the subject, whereas an A Level Computing student will only have 8/9 lessons per week on the subject FACT.
Why did you presume it was something that's like A level ICT? (instead of Computing was my point).
I had no intention of being cocky and i'm sorry if i came across like that. BTEC people just don't like being looked down by A level students. i don't understand why you mention the Computer A level that was my point intended.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by NextCS
What UCAS code is it where they teach you everything from scratch about Computer Science? Cause im thinking of taking G401
G400 (Computer science). G401 is the same course with a placement in year 3. I hope to switch and take the placement year if all goes well.
Original post by FinalMH
Why did you presume it was something that's like A level ICT? (instead of Computing was my point).
I had no intention of being cocky and i'm sorry if i came across like that. BTEC people just don't like being looked down by A level students. i don't understand why you mention the Computer A level that was my point intended.
I had no intention of being cocky and i'm sorry if i came across like that. BTEC people just don't like being looked down by A level students. i don't understand why you mention the Computer A level that was my point intended.
Because I was just clearing up why you'd learn more in the BTEC than the Computing A-Level due to the extra lessons. And I presumed it, because there are 1000's of different BTEC's which are all called ICT in some way, it could be IT Practitioners or whatever, but I was just giving it a generalised point.
http://www.mdx.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/computing_it/computer_science_bsc.aspx
Here it seems as one topic of algorithms is where the maths will be involved with in depth, while the others sound like really great topics to take on too. Any thoughts on this?
Here it seems as one topic of algorithms is where the maths will be involved with in depth, while the others sound like really great topics to take on too. Any thoughts on this?
Original post by FinalMH
BTEC people just don't like being looked down by A level students.
I wouldn't worry about that. After the first week or two at Uni when all the "whats your name, what are you doing, what did you take at A-level" discussions are over, nobody will actually care whether you did BTEC, A-level or an alternative.
I would have thought a BTEC would be good preparation for a computing or CS degree as it goes in to a lot of depth on the one subject...........compared to 3 random A-levels anyway.
Original post by ifstatement
It's not random questions which has no meaning to anything.
Noo, maths has a meaning to everything! Where there's a question, there's an answer(s), where there's an answer(s), there's a way of applying it to something.
But you are right on everything else you said and I think what you meant is that it's just a different type of Math (I'm sure decision Maths is applicable to Computer Science - algorithms, graphs, sorting, flow charts etc). I would recommend that to the OP because Decision maths is much more useful than Mechanics and Statistics for a Computer Scientist.
*May I also add to your last point, it depends on which university he chooses. Some universities (Oxford, Cambridge, York) have a very mathematical course, for that Further Maths is 'very helpful' but for other universities, they offer a more practical approach, which means less Maths is needed. I still think it's A-Level standard however.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by TheBritishBloke
Because I was just clearing up why you'd learn more in the BTEC than the Computing A-Level due to the extra lessons. And I presumed it, because there are 1000's of different BTEC's which are all called ICT in some way, it could be IT Practitioners or whatever, but I was just giving it a generalised point.
So just so i get this straight, would you say Computing at A level doesn't related to Computer Science? Stop assuming ****, you don't know so why comment? Do you even what to do computer Science?
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