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Advice with course - Computing

Hey all,

I've just been given a conditional offer for Computer Information Systems at Liverpool. I have looked at the information they have sent me, and I am not sure I'm able to do the course. It looks far to complicated for me. I wanted something along the lines of creative computing. I'm going to struggle with the technical side of things like coding and scripting etc, which this course seems to mainly be about.

I have also applied for Lancaster's IT for Creative Industries, and not yet had a reply from them. Lancaster is my first choice and I am very keen to go there and do this course, however, I am not confident I'll get accepted with the BTEC I have.

Would anybody be able to provide any advice?

Thanks,
Matt :smile:

Reply 1

BigV

On the face of it Liverpool's course does appear to have a lot of programming and technical content, infact it looks pretty much like a straight computer science degree to me. Lancaster's website is quite shocking in the lack of detailed info it provides about the course really, although from what is there it certainly mentions less programming (3/8 modules in the final 2 years, but there could be more?). However, I suspect that modules like "Management Information Systems" or "Intelligent & Autonomous Systems" are still going to be 'technical'.

Programming modules (I'm doing Javascript) are tricky and do take up a disproportionate amount of time, but it is not unmanageable and most people do OK............... HTML/CSS coding (if you can call it that) for webdesign, is fairly easy though, so I wouldn't worry about courses with that type of thing involved.

You need to remember that any computing based course is going to have a fair amount of technical content in it. I don't see how it is possible to do a decent computing course without any programming or learning about the basics of computing.

If you are going to base your decision on the amount of technical or coding content then you need to make sure you have a complete understanding of exactly what is the content involved for every module of every course..... if Lancaster haven't sent you additional information (prospectus?) then I would certainly contact them and ask, as their website is useless IMO.

Reply 2

migy

Thanks, I believe that the Lancaster course is the perfect balance of technical and management information system type modules. My only concern is that I don't get in to Lancaster. The course will set me up for what I want to do as a career, and if I don't get into Lancaster, I'm probably going to struggle to complete a computer science course as I really don't know anything about coding etc. I can imagine I will find it pretty difficult.

Thanks for the advice