JMC(Joint Maths&CS) or Computing?

Hi, I have a place in the JMC course, and I'd like to know if having absolutely no experience in computing is a real problem... they say it isn't, but I'm actually worried about it.
Thanks :s-smilie:

Reply 41

Hpaquet

If it is, what could I do to improve my skills quite quickly ??

Reply 42

GreyCloud

Hey,

congratulations on your place on the JMC course!

the first term programming courses are designed specifically to be levelers. the programming takes place in a language which very very few people will have used previously and under a very different paradime to the programming people may have done for the web or A-levels. so not havnig programmed is not a disadvantage. to be honest the the language we learned (haskell) is so different to the programming i had done before i started i was probably at a disadvantage to those who had no preivous experiance!

after the first term you should have had chance to learn the basics of programming and start the 2nd term on an equal footing.

I guess it is only fair to say that where experiance of programming does tend to show through is on the group projects - those who have been programming for years tend to be able to run faster and go further in a given project length. but this doesnt matter too much if the groups are well mixed.

I would very strongly suggest that during your course (after the first term) you practice programming above and beyond the lab exercises - these are great but do not give you experiance of coding on large projects nor of the design that goes into larger programs which you will need for the group / individual projects in later years and of course for an internship and job! although i'm biased i'd strongly suggested getting a strong grasp of C# using www.dreamspark.com but not until you've taken the first year courses in haskell and java. [software engineering 1 in first term of 2nd year is also an essential course!]

if you want to read ahead a little for the first term then read through these pages:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16918/beginners-guide-to-haskell
http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Tutorials

David

P>S> there is no substitute for getting out a thick book and reading through it - i'd recommend haskell the craft of functional programming for haskell - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Haskell-Functional-Programming-International-Computer/dp/0201342758 and if you want to learn c# nothing would beat reading through a few hundred pages of http://apress.com/book/view/1430225491

Reply 43

Hpaquet

thanks a lot for your answers =)

Reply 44

jayshah31

14

Hpaquet

thanks a lot for your answers =)

I wouldn't even recommend reading ahead - everything is taught from the ground up (having just done first year JMC) so you'll be fine.

Watch out for the maths though, it'll bite pretty hard if you're not careful.

Reply 45

namrobmal

forget about the 75% or 60% of each course garbage.

Its more like 300% and 300%, you actually do the same workload as two full bachelor degrees in your first year.

there are weekly fitness tests where you have to run 7 miles up a mountain with ankle weights and a backpack full of rocks,then 100 pullups, 200 pushups, and you run back on your hands, all under an hour.

the lectures start at 6 am and finish at midnight, you then have 8 hours of work to do before your next lecture at 6 am. We don't have any weekends either....

at the end of the year in addition to the exams you have to win a sword fight against two of the craziest maths lecturers mestler and corti. Except you don't get a sword.

Forget about christmas, we were locked in a room with a book full of differential equations that we had to solve by sunrise or esle we'd get expelled.

in the summer holidays, when you'r somewhere nice enjoying the sun, they will find you and they will test you right there on the spot.

BTW the pass mark for every exam and every little test they give you is 100% or else expelsion from the uni, and sometimes even death

Hope this clears things up a bit

Reply 46

firegalley246

2

Original post by namrobmal

forget about the 75% or 60% of each course garbage.

Its more like 300% and 300%, you actually do the same workload as two full bachelor degrees in your first year.

there are weekly fitness tests where you have to run 7 miles up a mountain with ankle weights and a backpack full of rocks,then 100 pullups, 200 pushups, and you run back on your hands, all under an hour.

the lectures start at 6 am and finish at midnight, you then have 8 hours of work to do before your next lecture at 6 am. We don't have any weekends either....

at the end of the year in addition to the exams you have to win a sword fight against two of the craziest maths lecturers mestler and corti. Except you don't get a sword.

Forget about christmas, we were locked in a room with a book full of differential equations that we had to solve by sunrise or esle we'd get expelled.

in the summer holidays, when you'r somewhere nice enjoying the sun, they will find you and they will test you right there on the spot.

BTW the pass mark for every exam and every little test they give you is 100% or else expelsion from the uni, and sometimes even death

Hope this clears things up a bit

I am intrigued about the sword fights with mestle and corti! Although mestle does like to make insanely hard exams...

JMC(Joint Maths&CS) or Computing?

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