Student advice

Hi want to do software engineering in uni but I'm not sure what alevels to pick.
I've decided on maths and computer science, can someone give me an idea of what to do.
And also can anyone tell me about the maths and computer science curriculum and whether it's really difficult.

Reply 1

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by Chimaaroh

I don't do software engineering at uni, but most of the degrees ask for A Level Maths + 2 A Levels of your choice as the entry requirements. Computer science and Physics are helpful to have, but they're not universally the main required A Level subjects. If you can do both Maths and Computer Science, so much the better. The third A Level can be anything you want, even as random as French, Art, and Religious Studies - the main thing is to get a high grade in it.

There might be some unis that don't require A Level Maths for software engineering, and computer science might be a good enough substitute but they aren't that common. You should check the entry requirements of individual degrees to be sure.

I haven't done Computer science as an A Level, but for maths it's quite challenging at first. If you are not focusing on past papers for maths and doing them often, you might have problems further down the line. In fact, you should finish the syllabus by the end of January in your second year so you have 4 extra months for revision.
The content isn't difficult to understand and there isn't a lot of content per se. What is difficult about maths (not just the A Level, but the subject in general) is the application and problem solving, especially under timed conditions. If you are not used to solving the sort of problems that come up, it can be difficult the first time you come across them (hence past papers). I think this is similar with computer science from what I have heard.