Should I restart year 12 completely?

Hi guys, right now I am doing media studies, business and graphics. However, I have had a huge change of heart and wanted to change my career options and therefore study computer science in university.

However, I'm scared if it would be harder to get into uni with my subjects (I can still get in but it might be harder).

So, do you guys think I should just restart year 12 and take a computer science btec? For context I am going into year 13 this year.

Hi guys, right now I am doing media studies, business and graphics. However, I have had a huge change of heart and wanted to change my career options and therefore study computer science in university.

However, I'm scared if it would be harder to get into uni with my subjects (I can still get in but it might be harder).

So, do you guys think I should just restart year 12 and take a computer science btec? For context I am going into year 13 this year.

Hey there,

I studied A-Level Media Studies, Photography and Graphics and I will be starting a BSc Software Engineering degree at University Of Leicester this September.

It is harder to get in with your subjects but it also depends on what university you are looking for. If you want to get into 'top' universities, they would expect A-Level Maths or STEM subjects. However, as long as you have a good GCSE Maths grade you would be able to do a foundation year course which would prepare you before starting your degree.

Most courses do not expect people to have prior knowledge of Computer Science so they will be taught from the basics, but you would just need to put more effort in your own time to ensure you catch up with the content.

My GCSEs were decent and I had done GCSE Computer Science so I mentioned that in my personal statement alongside projects I was doing outside of my subjects. So you wouldn't have to restart Year 12.

Several things I need to point out:


I don't know what are your thoughts on the above, but if you're insistent on doing a computer science degree at bachelor's level, I would check the entry requirements of the specific degree that you want to do. If you need help with this, let me know.
It's going to make things a lot easier if you can also specify which area of computer science you intend to go into.

Hi I think this is the thing, I am very ignorrant on all the paths I could take to get into computer science. I was perhaps thinking of getting into software engineering (on the more coding side) but I'm not really sure what sort of degrees would be best to do.

Computer science should be fine, as it's a general degree for IT. (Degrees in software engineering are the most relevant, but you can also have degrees in engineering, maths, data science, and physics that involve programming.) On the other hand, if you intend to go into software engineering, it's significantly better to go into an apprenticeship instead of a degree (by what other people in the industry say).

One of the reasons why there is such a large array of pathways into the role is because the industry doesn't care about qualifications as much as skills and experience, and IT is an area where you can gain these skills and experience by yourself i.e. you don't need your experience to be marked off by a qualified senior in order for it to be credible like in law, healthcare, and accounting.

If you really want to push it, you can go into the industry with a degree in any subject or with no qualifications at all, so long you're very good at the skills that you need for the role. However, this is going to be really tough.

I think I'll be set on software engineering or comp sci, however do you think it would be beneficial to do a foundation year even if mathematics a level isn't a requirement in the course?

Hi! For me I really don't mind which uni I get into, as long as it's decent enough and the student satisfaction is the priority. How do you find courses that have foundation years included because I went onto UCAS and couldn't find it but perhaps it's because I was only looking for computer science degrees and not going more niche.

Regarding my maths grade I got a very strong 5 and was being moved to higher tier but I told my school to move me back down because there 3 months left until the exams (which I regret alot to this day).

Also, what sort of projects were you doing? Could I mention anything related to computer science that I am working on?

Maths would be covered in the courses, even though the maths isn't that complicated. Foundation years are recommended, otherwise they would go through the maths very quickly in the degree.

My recommendation is to do A Level Maths if you're completely set on the degree path. This would give you the most options with most unis,

If you do a foundation year, you're somewhat limited in your choice because it's very difficult to transfer to another university with the foundation year. Foundation years tend to be specifically made for the degrees at the uni it's taught at. The degrees at other unis might not find the material covered sufficient or appropriate.

As I haven't done a computer science degree before, I cannot specifically tell you what's included, but the following can give you an idea:
https://www.edx.org/resources/how-is-math-used-in-computer-science
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/dcs/blog/maths-computer-science

The topics mentioned covered in A Level Maths include: Probability, Statistics, Algebra, Logarithms and Powers, Calculus.
I have also seen matrix calculations used in computer science degrees, and it's a further maths topic.
Discrete maths would be one of the big ones because you need to deal with data and solving logic problems.

Hey,

I believe you can find foundation years on UCAS if you specifically search 'Computer Science foundation year'. If this doesn't work you can also go on specific university websites and find out if they also offer a foundation year option. If you were to apply for the first year and they don't think you qualify, they would most likely change your offer to the foundation year rather than reject you completely.

I got a Grade 4 in GCSE Maths (I did higher too) which limited my options, luckily for SE at Leicester you just need a 4 whereas the Comp Sci degree requires a 5 or above.

When I was applying, here are some universities I found out do not require any specific subjects at A-Level and just need a 4/5 in GCSE Maths for the first year:

University Of Lincoln
University Of Leicester
Brunel University
Aberystywth University
De Montfort University
Aston University
Liverpool Hope University
University Of Westminster

About projects, I would just do small programming projects like creating websites and games and mention how by doing a software engineering/comp sci degree it would allow me to develop my knowledge and turn this hobby into a career. Which was a small part of my personal statement but did get me 5/5 offers.

So in short, mention anything related to computer science or your interest in it. If you are worried you may not get an offer, it doesn't hurt to email admissions beforehand and say if you will be made an offer with the three A-Level subjects you are doing.

If I end up not liking the foundation year, could I always just transfer to another course that I'd be interested like business? Would I still be receiving the same maintenance loan for the rest of the 3 years?