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Computer/I.T. Courses @ Uni

Hey,

There's so many computing courses at I.T. I have no idea what to do. I'm doing a National Diploma in I.T. at college at the moment. I've just been told I have 4/5 weeks to apply for Uni :confused:

I don't know if I should choose Computer Science, Computing, Internet Computing, Web Design, Web Development, etc...

And to be honest I don't know the differences between them all. I've researched but it's still hard to understand what I'll actually be doing on that course.

I also obviously want to choose a University course that I'm going to be able to get a good job and a good career afterwards.

I'm afraid that I'm going to choose a course and not like it. Or maybe I'll choose a course that I do like, but afterwards I won't be able to get employed.

Web Design or Web Development interests me, I like making websites. But still I don't know if I'll like the course (answer to that is go to open days lol) or if I'll be able to get a well paid job afterwards. Someone told me Web Development (coding websites rather than designing them) will give me a better chance of getting employed.

Friends keep telling me I should pick something in computers which is general, like Computer Science, then I'll have a better chance of being employed, is this true?

Ehh, help me guys :o:

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Reply 1
Yes, getting a CS degree will be a lot more transferable than a degree in "Web Design" (there's three years worth of full time education for web design!? :s)
Wherever the software market is right now, it's very hard to predict where the vacancies and job oppotunities will mostly be in 3-4 years when you'll be looking for a job. It might well be that the world is flushed out of webdesigners by then :p:. Decent CS degrees will be highly programming orientated as well as looking at the hardware that goes into a PC. Interesting?
Hi Chris :smile:

I know exactly how you feel, there are so many computer courses out there, it can be mind boggling. Although it is good to go into a particular field such as web designing, computer animation, I wouldnt recommend it unless you really enjoy the field.

I would like to do games design and development, but I'm not sure if I am chasing false dreams. Do you particularly enjoy a module in your course at the moment, and if yes can you see yourself doing it for the next 3 years of your life?

Personally I would recommend Computer Science. The subject is so vast and flexible, you can usually choose to go into those specific courses at some point - perhaps not in as much detail, but you may cover it nevertheless. However, a problem that may occur is Computer Science is a highly mathematical course, and some may require an A level in Maths. However, since you are doing a vocational course, they may be more lenient.

Computer Science and Computing are the same thing I believe, call it what you wish. Im currently studying A2 Computing at College, and sometimes it is recalled Computer Science.

Anyway, I cannot make the decision for you, but if you want a range of skills for a range of different careers, then computer Science could be for you :yep:

I'm applying for Computer Science, and also Computer Science & Mathematics. Yes there is even a possibility of joining courses together! So many possibilities!

Good luck!

Magical Moogles
Reply 3
Computing and Computer Science are NOT the same thing. Computer Science deals with very low-level stuff; the principles of hardware and software, low-level programming, the mathematical underpinnings of computer systems etc. Computing, on the other hand, is somewhat more vocational, dealing with the skills necessary to have a career in the IT industry (programming, systems development, networking, administration etc.). They're both very interesting courses, it's just that CompSci is unsurprisingly much more sciencey.
Reply 4
numb3rb0y
Computing and Computer Science are NOT the same thing. Computer Science deals with very low-level stuff; the principles of hardware and software, low-level programming, the mathematical underpinnings of computer systems etc. Computing, on the other hand, is somewhat more vocational, dealing with the skills necessary to have a career in the IT industry (programming, systems development, networking, administration etc.). They're both very interesting courses, it's just that CompSci is unsurprisingly much more sciencey.

I think that's often true, but it's not always true. Imperial's course is called Computing, but the content seems to be equivalent to courses at other unis called Computer Science.
Reply 5
Decent CS degrees will be highly programming orientated as well as looking at the hardware that goes into a PC.


Decent CS degrees will be heavily Maths orientated, programming should not be a core part of it, more like a side effect.
Reply 6
I'm a final year Computer Science student. My course has been varied and interesting. In the first year, we did the low level computer stuff like binary and how it all works, we also did a bit of web stuff and a into to Java and Object Oriented designs etc. 2nd year, it was advanced Java and some more web-ish type things like PHP and AJAX and databases stuff such as MySQL, Oracle etc. This year (3rd year) its can be more theoretical but thats good as well. This semester i'm doing Advanced Databases & Applications (distributed databases etc), Software Engineering (developing and processes that are used in industry).

I could have done Artificial Intelligence which involve stuff like Neural Networks etc.

Basically, in the first year you wont have much choice in what u do but in the 2nd and especially 3rd years you choose wat u want to do!
Reply 7
laser
Decent CS degrees will be heavily Maths orientated, programming should not be a core part of it, more like a side effect.


Thats total bull. Decent CS degrees will be programming and general computing with a bit of maths. Its not like u need heavy maths in most IT/CS jobs.
Reply 8
laser
Decent CS degrees will be heavily Maths orientated, programming should not be a core part of it, more like a side effect.


I'd be shocked if there was a decent CS degree out there which didn't require a pretty decent knowledge of a mid-level language. Yes, there's a large maths component, but this will largely be discrete mathematics which obviously ties in with CS.
Reply 9
tasGooner
Thats total bull. Decent CS degrees will be programming and general computing with a bit of maths. Its not like u need heavy maths in most IT/CS jobs.

IT and Computer Science jobs are completely different. Most CS jobs do require a lot of Maths. Yes, most CS grads probably end up in software engineering which doesn't require a lot of Maths, but that's not computer science, that's software engineering.


I'd be shocked if there was a decent CS degree out there which didn't require a pretty decent knowledge of a mid-level language.


That's not what I said, I merely suggested that most decent Universities teach programming languages as a means to an end (e.g., Assembler to demonstrate embedded systems, Python to demonstrate neural networks, etc), not an end of itself, at least for the most part. The point I was making was that most decent CS courses don't have many modules dedicated to learning programming just for the sake of it.
Reply 10
I am wondering, would taking the Software Engineering course make me any less employable than a Computer Science course? apparently the first 2 years are the same but in the last 2 years there is more focus on software/system design and stuff.
Reply 11
I agree with laser. If I think back, I've done a lot of programming for my course. Most units involve programming. But very few of them are actually about programming. Probably less than 10%.

I think this is something that does vary a lot between different universities. CS is a subject which varies more than most I think. I've heard complaints from people in computing industries that some CS courses basically just teach students to be Java programmers.
squid
Who would do anything if they didn't enjoy it? o.0


You'd be surpised :rolleyes:
Reply 13
Computer networking looks interesting. Is that a good course to do?
Reply 14
im applying to newcastle, loughborough, surrey, liverpool

u should try surrey
Reply 15
fraddiz
I am wondering, would taking the Software Engineering course make me any less employable than a Computer Science course? apparently the first 2 years are the same but in the last 2 years there is more focus on software/system design and stuff.

If you're wanting to go into software engineering, it doesn't make a difference imo.
Reply 16
Anyone know if computer networking is a good course to study and good job availability (and good pay?) ?
Reply 17
What is the actual course content?
Reply 18
I was actually torn between a Web course and Computing Science when I was picking my course. In the end, I went for Computing Science because I get a lot more flexibility (in terms of picking the modules I want to do, which included Web Development / Web Design, which I obviously picked) and it's a lot less specific.
Reply 19
Choosing a Computer Science certainly will give you more choice but yet not limit you in an area like web development. If the situation hasn't changed, web development is certainly one of those areas where a portfolio is important, and there are certainly lots of literature on which for you to self taught and enrich yourself if web development ends up being your career.

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