Should I take A-Level Computer Science?
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Original post by Maths is Life
Who cares about experience. Some that take it haven't done GCSE CompSci lol, even if they have, it wont leave you at a disadvantage even if they scored full marks.
I regret NOT taking it.
Peeps told me FM was hard all the way through school hence I didn't take it.
Now I'm loving the subject (name) and have the highest UMS in my college.
Don't listen to GCSE teacher randoms.
CompSci isn't for code monkeys, I know many 'casual' people who are brilliant at it.
I regret NOT taking it.
Peeps told me FM was hard all the way through school hence I didn't take it.
Now I'm loving the subject (name) and have the highest UMS in my college.
Don't listen to GCSE teacher randoms.
CompSci isn't for code monkeys, I know many 'casual' people who are brilliant at it.
Agreed. I didn't take Computer Science at GCSE and I'm doing quite well.
If you don't have previous experience or you don't enjoy coding and programming, I would not recommend it. Thats what happened to me and now I have to restart my A-levels in September because CS was so hard/boring. But if you enjoy those kinds of thing I would recommend it. Parts of it was fun and challenging (in a good way) and theres no better feeling than when your code runs smoothly. But overall I could not see myself getting anything above a D in it..
Original post by Vfsxl
Hii , I'm doing computer science AS , and I'm honestly struggling with it. Mainly because I have a rubbish teacher who just drones on. What motivates you because I'm literally hate it.
What are you struggling in particular? My teachers are actually pretty good but mostly I've been challenging myself and if I needed help I just email my teachers.
Original post by Ace2233
What are you struggling in particular? My teachers are actually pretty good but mostly I've been challenging myself and if I needed help I just email my teachers.
Well for one. It's litrarlly all boys and one other girl. I'm the type of person that gets distracted very easily if I'm not interested. I need to start recapping on both the programming and the theory work !!!
If you don't want to do compsci at uni. DO NOT TAKE COMPUTER SCIENCE A-LEVEL.
If you want to do compsci at uni, try take Maths and Further Maths first. The non-exam assessment for 2nd year is very challenging as you'll have to learn beyond the scope of the spec, in your own time, with little guidance, all for 20% of the final grade. The effort is simply not worth it, so I advise you drop compsci after AS if you take it - unless you already know how to develop software. My friend did the same and he has gotten offers from Bristol/Southampton/Warwick.
The non-exam assessment is a very good learning experience but you will have to go through many hardships as a result. With little experience you will be just suffering unless you're super committed.
The theory is pretty easy once it clicks. Programming is also quite easy if you had past experience. Skeleton code might be confusing for some.
The main problem with the subject currently is the lack of relevant resources and guidance for A-level specifically. You might find yourself learning uni level stuff online sometimes.
If you want to do compsci at uni, try take Maths and Further Maths first. The non-exam assessment for 2nd year is very challenging as you'll have to learn beyond the scope of the spec, in your own time, with little guidance, all for 20% of the final grade. The effort is simply not worth it, so I advise you drop compsci after AS if you take it - unless you already know how to develop software. My friend did the same and he has gotten offers from Bristol/Southampton/Warwick.
The non-exam assessment is a very good learning experience but you will have to go through many hardships as a result. With little experience you will be just suffering unless you're super committed.
The theory is pretty easy once it clicks. Programming is also quite easy if you had past experience. Skeleton code might be confusing for some.
The main problem with the subject currently is the lack of relevant resources and guidance for A-level specifically. You might find yourself learning uni level stuff online sometimes.
Original post by Vfsxl
Hii , I'm doing computer science AS , and I'm honestly struggling with it. Mainly because I have a rubbish teacher who just drones on. What motivates you because I'm literally hate it.
what exam board you with ?
Original post by Waveyalex
what exam board you with ?
I'm on AQA
)Original post by 0xFFFFail
It's not difficult at all but most of it is very boring :/
No it's not, which topic do you find boring and which exam board?
Original post by Echo00
No it's not, which topic do you find boring and which exam board?
OCR. Now I don't want to rant but the binary mathematics topic in my opinion has no relevance ANYWHERE in real life, when will I ever need to know how to do 2's complement on a binary number then proceed to normalise it using given mantissa and exponent values?
Ethical and moral issues topic is a complete waste of time and does anyone actually learn anything there?
Databases is a bit of a bore but I can respect it as a very important topic going into computer science at undergrad level.
Original post by kidb_
If you don't want to do compsci at uni. DO NOT TAKE COMPUTER SCIENCE A-LEVEL.
If you want to do compsci at uni, try take Maths and Further Maths first. The non-exam assessment for 2nd year is very challenging as you'll have to learn beyond the scope of the spec, in your own time, with little guidance, all for 20% of the final grade. The effort is simply not worth it, so I advise you drop compsci after AS if you take it - unless you already know how to develop software. My friend did the same and he has gotten offers from Bristol/Southampton/Warwick.
The non-exam assessment is a very good learning experience but you will have to go through many hardships as a result. With little experience you will be just suffering unless you're super committed.
The theory is pretty easy once it clicks. Programming is also quite easy if you had past experience. Skeleton code might be confusing for some.
The main problem with the subject currently is the lack of relevant resources and guidance for A-level specifically. You might find yourself learning uni level stuff online sometimes.
If you want to do compsci at uni, try take Maths and Further Maths first. The non-exam assessment for 2nd year is very challenging as you'll have to learn beyond the scope of the spec, in your own time, with little guidance, all for 20% of the final grade. The effort is simply not worth it, so I advise you drop compsci after AS if you take it - unless you already know how to develop software. My friend did the same and he has gotten offers from Bristol/Southampton/Warwick.
The non-exam assessment is a very good learning experience but you will have to go through many hardships as a result. With little experience you will be just suffering unless you're super committed.
The theory is pretty easy once it clicks. Programming is also quite easy if you had past experience. Skeleton code might be confusing for some.
The main problem with the subject currently is the lack of relevant resources and guidance for A-level specifically. You might find yourself learning uni level stuff online sometimes.
Rubbish. Computer Science A level is an excellent choice and very interesting too.
Original post by 0xFFFFail
OCR. Now I don't want to rant but the binary mathematics topic in my opinion has no relevance ANYWHERE in real life, when will I ever need to know how to do 2's complement on a binary number then proceed to normalise it using given mantissa and exponent values?
Ethical and moral issues topic is a complete waste of time and does anyone actually learn anything there?
Databases is a bit of a bore but I can respect it as a very important topic going into computer science at undergrad level.
Ethical and moral issues topic is a complete waste of time and does anyone actually learn anything there?
Databases is a bit of a bore but I can respect it as a very important topic going into computer science at undergrad level.
These are very useful topics. The binary mathematics topics are really interesting, especially mantissas and exponents. :-)
Original post by Echo00
These are very useful topics. The binary mathematics topics are really interesting, especially mantissas and exponents. :-)
It's most definitely the driest topic in the entire A level. How exactly is it useful?
Original post by 0xFFFFail
It's most definitely the driest topic in the entire A level. How exactly is it useful?
Most definitely not. One reason is that it's a clever way of storing integers.
Original post by Echo00
Most definitely not. One reason is that it's a clever way of storing integers.
That's not really what I was trying to get at, would I ever need to know binary maths for my degree?
Original post by 0xFFFFail
That's not really what I was trying to get at, would I ever need to know binary maths for my degree?
Yes definitely, what you study depends on the specific university but it's certainly taught at some universities anyway.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Echo00
Yes definitely, what you study depends on the specific university but it's certainly taught at some university anyway.
Can I see an example of this in a computer science course then please?
@0xFFFFail i'm with you on that one. I find further maths easy but cannot seem to get exponents and mantissa right :/ it's just so annoying
Original post by jasminglynne
@0xFFFFail i'm with you on that one. I find further maths easy but cannot seem to get exponents and mantissa right :/ it's just so annoying
Same with a few people in my class
It really is a pointless exercise :/
Original post by jasminglynne
@0xFFFFail i'm with you on that one. I find further maths easy but cannot seem to get exponents and mantissa right :/ it's just so annoying
Do you understand the method?
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