Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Discrete Maths at Warwick

Hi,
I have an offer for DM at Warwick, and I was at an open day there last saturday. One of the student tour guides made the (I guess mistake) of telling me that for computer science (he wasn't doing DM) 'If you've done FM and Computing A levels, you probably won't be doing much work in your first year.' This, coupled with the pie chart with 20% work, 25% sleep and 55% 'Beer', implied to me that Warwick might not be the best choice for my insurance. It's not that I wouldn't like a nice easy year -- it's just that I'd be spending £9k on it.

Does anyone have experience with specifically the Warwick Discrete Maths course, and in particular whether the content is mostly new, or whether, coming from a background in which the computing A level syllabus is basically ignored and where 'well done on your proofs' prizes are gems such as http://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/system/files/coursematerial/2011/2061/24/graph-theory-lecture-notes-2011.pdf? I'm specifically talking about the first year here.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1

SayItAintSoJoe

Original post by Bakes0011

One of the student tour guides made the (I guess mistake) of telling me that for computer science (he wasn't doing DM) 'If you've done FM and Computing A levels, you probably won't be doing much work in your first year.' This, coupled with the pie chart with 20% work, 25% sleep and 55% 'Beer', implied to me that Warwick might not be the best choice for my insurance. It's not that I wouldn't like a nice easy year -- it's just that I'd be spending £9k on it.

Don't take what tour guides say to heart. Even if they're students, they still get paid to say that sort of stuff.

Reply 2

username451352

Original post by SayItAintSoJoe

Don't take what tour guides say to heart. Even if they're students, they still get paid to say that sort of stuff.

I agree that in general, Warwick are trying to paint a good picture of themselves - however, one of them said 'There's a group that runs whole university open days who are basically paid to distort the truth - we've been told to tell you how it really is'.
I'm sure Warwick would not stoop so low as to lie blatently - if they did, I wouldn't want to go there anyway - so I'm assuming what they say was true.

bump!

You're going to get an easy first year anywhere for CS with Further Maths and Computing except Oxbridge.

Reply 5

Venomilys

Original post by tooosh

You're going to get an easy first year anywhere for CS with Further Maths and Computing except Oxbridge.

What about just further maths? damn, I wish I did computing A level.

Reply 6

tooosh

Original post by Ilyas

What about just further maths? damn, I wish I did computing A level.

The Computing stuff isn't that hard though. Further Maths is more important, wish I had a chance to do it to A2.

Reply 7

username451352

Original post by tooosh

You're going to get an easy first year anywhere for CS with Further Maths and Computing except Oxbridge.

Thanks. Seems that way (except for Imperial, where they've asked me for A* FM).

Reply 8

ttoby

I'm a maths student at Warwick.

Here's a list of the different modules in the different courses offered by the computer science department.

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/dcs/teaching/courses/

There's quite a difference between the year 1 modules for computer science and discrete maths. So take what your guide told you with a pinch of salt.

Looking at the core discrete maths modules: linear algebra, analysis, foundations, probability A are all also core modules for the maths degree (and Warwick is among the top 4 universities for maths in the UK). I've also done discrete maths & applications 1 and 2 myself as optional modules. I liked them but a lot of other maths students found them really hard. I can't comment on programming for computer scientists or design of information structures. Looking at list A, these are all core or optional maths modules as well.

Going on to year 2, combinatorics and all of list A are modules that are also available to maths students. I don't recognise any of the year 3 modules.

So basically, your first year will be heavily maths-focused, and you seem to drift more towards computer science in subsequent years. Although the pages do mention that you can choose other maths or computer science modules but this would depend on what you end up liking after the first year. The material in that pdf you linked to is roughly equivilant to about half of the discrete maths and its applications 2 module.

Reply 9

username1256732

How likely am I to get onto the discrete maths course if (due to serious circumstances) I only get a*(maths) a(chem) and b(fm) with a 3 in step? :/

Sorry, I didn't know where to post this :frown: