[kkid106]

Hi everyone, I am sure this has been asked many times before but before you post links to these discussions please read below.

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I have been looking at universities for the past few months fairly thoroughly in respect to computer science as I was advised by a connexions advisor that this was the standard course for anything to do with computers. However as he never mentioned IT at all I am starting to think that he didn't have much knowledge regarding these courses.


I love computers and would love a career regarding them. I currently do many help desk style things for free for people over the internet via a YouTube channel and forums. This would, as it is more the user interface side of computing, lean towards an IT qualification.


Then again, I do not want a mundane, standard career. An IT career seems like this whereas a CS career seems far more interesting (and better paid). As CS could involve research with large businesses and development of brand new computing devices whereas IT could lead to me essentially being a help desk worker forever.


So far CS seems to be winning in this respect. However I have never done any CS or programming and therefore would be unsure whether it was for me, especially in the programming side as I have never programmed. I have tried programming before but have given up so many times as I have never been able to fully understand it. I know I am already good at IT - I got 100% in my year-long IT AS coursework and and currently awaiting my exam results.

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Could somebody please offer their suggestions?

Thank you for reading

[kkid106]

Also,

Is Computing sort of in-between Computer Science and IT?

[xiyangliu]

If you had a choose. Driving a car or building a car ?

Driving: I recommend u to do IT
Building: Computing science



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[kkid106]

That's kind of different :/

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[kkid106]

From the bold text any other thoughts?

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[person287]

Computing is generally just another name for Computer Science, although perhaps focusing a little less on programming and more understanding underlying systems (e.g. Data Transfer).

As far as I can see generally a Computer Science degree would be much better, because as far as I see it if you know how to build something for a computer (Computer Science/Programming), then you're pretty likely to be able to understand/troubleshoot any decently well built program, and would be able to fix it perhaps if you have access to the source code.

[tooosh]

Really does look like CS is what you want.

[Iqbal007]

(Original post by kkid106)
Hi everyone, I am sure this has been asked many times before but before you post links to these discussions please read below.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have been looking at universities for the past few months fairly thoroughly in respect to computer science as I was advised by a connexions advisor that this was the standard course for anything to do with computers. However as he never mentioned IT at all I am starting to think that he didn't have much knowledge regarding these courses.


I love computers and would love a career regarding them. I currently do many help desk style things for free for people over the internet via a YouTube channel and forums. This would, as it is more the user interface side of computing, lean towards an IT qualification.


Then again, I do not want a mundane, standard career. An IT career seems like this whereas a CS career seems far more interesting (and better paid). As CS could involve research with large businesses and development of brand new computing devices whereas IT could lead to me essentially being a help desk worker forever.


So far CS seems to be winning in this respect. However I have never done any CS or programming and therefore would be unsure whether it was for me, especially in the programming side as I have never programmed. I have tried programming before but have given up so many times as I have never been able to fully understand it. I know I am already good at IT - I got 100% in my year-long IT AS coursework and and currently awaiting my exam results.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Could somebody please offer their suggestions?

Thank you for reading

Computer science, does get the respect, but you'll pick it up easily, but IT itself has programming modules in it, so either way you'll be doing some.

Computer science degree can get you any job the IT degree can get and more, due to it's content and what you learn in it.

[kkid106]

So there is no reason to get an IT degree as the CS is pretty much a better version of it?

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[kkid106]

bump

[TLHroolz]

Out of curiosity...what a levels other than IT did you do?

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[kkid106]

Maths, physics, business

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[Casshern1456]

I suggest CS, you could start programming in Java it's the most basic and many CS recommend starting with that, there's a lot of help online and on youtube where you can get guidance if you find the right material you'll get the hang of it pretty soon, and also reading, I got the Head First: Design Pattern by Eric & Elizabeth Freeman - it's all about Java programming.

[kkid106]

Is CS just software?
Until an open day i went to yesterday I thought it would contain things like hope components actually work etc...

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[The Polymath]

(Original post by kkid106)
Hi everyone, I am sure this has been asked many times before but before you post links to these discussions please read below.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have been looking at universities for the past few months fairly thoroughly in respect to computer science as I was advised by a connexions advisor that this was the standard course for anything to do with computers. However as he never mentioned IT at all I am starting to think that he didn't have much knowledge regarding these courses.


I love computers and would love a career regarding them. I currently do many help desk style things for free for people over the internet via a YouTube channel and forums. This would, as it is more the user interface side of computing, lean towards an IT qualification.


Then again, I do not want a mundane, standard career. An IT career seems like this whereas a CS career seems far more interesting (and better paid). As CS could involve research with large businesses and development of brand new computing devices whereas IT could lead to me essentially being a help desk worker forever.


So far CS seems to be winning in this respect. However I have never done any CS or programming and therefore would be unsure whether it was for me, especially in the programming side as I have never programmed. I have tried programming before but have given up so many times as I have never been able to fully understand it. I know I am already good at IT - I got 100% in my year-long IT AS coursework and and currently awaiting my exam results.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Could somebody please offer their suggestions?

Thank you for reading

Tbh Connexions won't know a great deal about the world of work in the IT sector, as they don't work in it.

Computer Science is not just software - you'll do modules on, say, artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum computing

This is how I see it: Computer Science is to IT as Physics is to Engineering.

[kkid106]

(Original post by Junaid96)
This is how I see it: Computer Science is to IT as Physics is to Engineering.

That's a nice analogy, I like it.


None of them modules seem very hardwarey. I take it CS is mainly software focused though?


What sort of course would you need to work in places such as Intel, AMD, Western Digital, Gigabyte eyc... i.e. component manufacturers?

Would CS be useful for these companies? I ask as i am unsure which computer industry to enter (hardware or software) at the moment and want a degree which can help in both.

[The Polymath]

(Original post by kkid106)
That's a nice analogy, I like it.


None of them modules seem very hardwarey. I take it CS is mainly software focused though?


What sort of course would you need to work in places such as Intel, AMD, Western Digital, Gigabyte eyc... i.e. component manufacturers?

Would CS be useful for these companies? I ask as i am unsure which computer industry to enter (hardware or software) at the moment and want a degree which can help in both.

CS is software focused? Not at all! You'll do logic, proof, maths, linguistics etc.
For example - how to make a computer recognise complex language such as idioms.
- how to organise processes so that they're done as quickly as possible

I don't see why you couldn't work for those companies with CS - in fact you'd probably have more scope as you'd be able to design new and revolutionary ideas, just as Physicists come up with the idea for a new telescope and then Engineers carry it out.

You don't even need a computing-related degree! You can do Maths or Physics and work for those companies.

I think you're distinguishing between hardware and software far too much - which one is maths? Which is artificial intelligence? It's both and neither.

[Psyk]

(Original post by kkid106)
That's a nice analogy, I like it.


None of them modules seem very hardwarey. I take it CS is mainly software focused though?


What sort of course would you need to work in places such as Intel, AMD, Western Digital, Gigabyte eyc... i.e. component manufacturers?

Would CS be useful for these companies? I ask as i am unsure which computer industry to enter (hardware or software) at the moment and want a degree which can help in both.

I'm sure they'd have plenty of jobs for CS grads, but it sounds like you're interested in something like electronics engineering, or computer systems engineering, or computer science and electronics. They're courses that deal more with physical hardware. Obviously computer science and electronics is a mix between the two, and computer systems engineering is pretty much another name for that (at Bristol they changed the name of the course from computer systems engineering to computer science and electronics).

(Original post by Junaid96)
CS is software focused? Not at all! You'll do logic, proof, maths, linguistics etc.
For example - how to make a computer recognise complex language such as idioms.
- how to organise processes so that they're done as quickly as possible

I agree that Computer Science is not strictly about software, but in most cases you'll be applying that knowledge using software, not hardware. And in the real world, you'd be mostly using software solutions for those sorts of things.

[kkid106]

I would like a job where i help to design new technologies (e.g. in googles research department).

what degree will help best with this?

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[Dealmaster13]

Either Computer Science or (*) Engineering

I'd seriously head over to your local bookshop, take some time to flick through the AS and A2 courses for AQA Computing, and if you feel adventurous, have a look through some of the lecture notes (and obviously the summaries) of the courses you may wish to apply for in Computer Science or any other degree.
Cambridge has theirs publicly available for a start: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/1112/part1a-cst.html