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How hard is a computer science degree?

I've been accepted at a university already doing a computer science bachelors degree and I've started to get a little bit worried that I won't be able to do the degree if it gets too much for me to take in.

I didn't do any A levels in school as I had no idea what I wanted to do in life but then I went to college for a level 3 IT course and I am getting the highest grades possible but I'm not sure if any of the units I'm learning about will actually help me at university.
I've been doing many different units from mathematics for programmers to actual programming itself but I don't feel like I'm ready to call myself a "trainee" programmer yet because we use programs like VB.net and I know this program is hardly used in the real world. I also am worried about mathematics because I can do the maths like vectors and matrices but I'm not sure what else I should know for university maths.

Can anybody help and tell me what I should start to learn ASAP so that I'm not overwhelmed at university?

Thanks.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 1
Programming at Uni will start right at the basics (i.e hello world) and assume nobody has any prior knowledge, so I wouldn't worry about that at all. Any prior programming experience will be an advantage.

Mathematics is a little different but I guess it depends on where you are going; some courses have a much higher maths content than others. I would say your best bet is to look at the module specs for the courses you are applying to and then figure out what you understand and what you don't understand..... if that information is not available then I don't think it would hurt to send a polite email to the admissions tutor asking what would be a good way to prepare. You could also have a look at the maths centre website, as there is lots of course specific info available.
Reply 2
You're unlikely to be overwhelmed, at least by programming, at University.

I'm in my third year and the actual practical, assessed programming has contributed very little. Indeed, this year none of my modules have included any programming (although there was the option to).

Straight CS is a very varied degree, my modules have included everything from writing legal essays on Tort law to developing business plans for new ventures, from dissecting automata and studying complexity theory to designing interfaces for smart meters. There was also some Java programming in the first year!

My advice: Relax, dont worry about learning anything more than you have already. Going in with an open and clear mind is the best

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