Final Year Com Sci and freaking out

I'm currently in level 3 of computer science and just constantly on edge. I do a lot of working during the day and it doesn't feel enough, everyone around me is telling me to calm down since we haven't been given any assignments or assessments yet except the final year dissertation but that is what I am worried about. I feel out of dept of it, but I don't know if I going to much since we only got it last week and our first deadline is in December. Am I just working too much?

Reply 1

Blue_Cow

22

Original post by Albrecht Durer

I'm currently in level 3 of computer science and just constantly on edge. I do a lot of working during the day and it doesn't feel enough, everyone around me is telling me to calm down since we haven't been given any assignments or assessments yet except the final year dissertation but that is what I am worried about. I feel out of dept of it, but I don't know if I going to much since we only got it last week and our first deadline is in December. Am I just working too much?

Moved to Computer Science and IT

Reply 2

Aqua boy

8

Don't worry bro, to get a job as a developer you just need high quality projects and skills in the chosen language.

Also for other fields such as networking, IT support you just needs certs, some voluntary experience.

Reply 3

Baleroc

13

Original post by Albrecht Durer

I'm currently in level 3 of computer science and just constantly on edge. I do a lot of working during the day and it doesn't feel enough, everyone around me is telling me to calm down since we haven't been given any assignments or assessments yet except the final year dissertation but that is what I am worried about. I feel out of dept of it, but I don't know if I going to much since we only got it last week and our first deadline is in December. Am I just working too much?

I would be worried if you have absolutely no idea what you're doing the dissertation on, since this should have been decided back in June/July of this year. The first dissertation deadline should be to complete the first part of your dissertation. You see, you do not complete the entire dissertation in a few months. The deadline to complete the full dissertation should be May 2019, shortly before exams start - though you should double check this, because it is your responsibility to check this, not mine.

The first part of your dissertation depends on your university. For me, I needed to complete the specification and design for the research project. That is, I needed to discuss my aims, objectives, outcomes, if I needed any participants, what my solution/research is going to be, etc. Your department should have information on what you need to complete by the december deadline - but I can guarantee, it will not be to complete your entire dissertation.

If you are in the process of completing the first part of the dissertation: that is, you are currently creating the background/introduction/specification and design document towards your dissertation, then there is nothing to worry about. It is perfectly normal to not have started it, especially since you were assigned it last week.

The first thing I would recommend would be to speak to your department about what needs to be completed before december. You need absolute clarity what you should be expected to complete, and what isn't expected before december. Then, once you know what needs to be completed, you can begin your research, and writing up a draft for what you need to turn in before december's deadline.

But, a final word of advice: START EARLY. Trust me when I say this, if you do not start writing your dissertation as early as possible, you will struggle. After the december deadline for the first part of your dissertation, you should start writing the remainder of your dissertation; if you leave it until March, you won't be able to get feedback from your supervisor's, and you will struggle completing it before the May deadline. Do note: the work you complete for your dissertation before the december deadline, is part of your dissertation, and you can use that work to add into your final dissertation. So, you essentially complete chunks of your dissertation over the year, and then, by the final deadline, you will already completed most of your dissertation. Obviously, you will get feedback from markers explaining what could be improved; after receiving this feedback, you would write-up the improved version, and include that in your dissertation. Plus, the earlier you complete your dissertation, the sooner you revise for exams.