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March 19, 2024, 04:13:45 pm

Author Topic: Computer Science!  (Read 9831 times)  Share 

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schmalex

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Computer Science!
« on: August 01, 2010, 05:41:34 pm »
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What is it like? What is the best place to study it?
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IntoTheNewWorld

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Re: Computer Science!
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2010, 06:06:41 pm »
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I'm studying B.Software Engineering at Monash, which is basically the same as Computer Science with electives chosen for you + an extra year.

It's awesome. If you're interested in programming and how computing works, this is the degree for you. If not, well, stay clear =p

I would recommend studying a Software Engineering degree over a Computer Science degree though, although the differences depend on the Uni.




schmalex

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Re: Computer Science!
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2010, 06:51:55 pm »
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hm....see I don't know much about programming or how computers work but I hear there's some interesting maths involved in computer science, and I'm currently reading a book on chaos theory, which apparently relates to computers. If I'm mostly interested in computers from a more mathematical\scientific point of view is it still better to do software engineering? I'm quite confused because I don't know anything about computers so when I read the course guides I don't actually understand what any of it means:P
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IntoTheNewWorld

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Re: Computer Science!
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2010, 07:50:06 pm »
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OH in that case B.Computer Science/B.Science or B.Sci (Computer Science) at Monash or B.Sci (Computer Science) at UoM will probably suit you more than Software Engineering. Monash's single B.Comp Sci is far more "industry focused" than UoM's, with a far larger set of "cross disciplinary" IT core units which may bore you, but this can be overcome by doing a double degree with B.Science or just doing a Bachelor of Science with a Computer Science major as well as a another major (such as maths), which will enable you to not do many of the more "IT" subjects. UoM's course is far more flexible than Monash's though, with a tiny set of core units, the rest being up to you.

I'm still early in my degree, and due to me starting in Commerce/BBIS my course structure is all messed up so I haven't actually done any maths units or "real" computer science units which start in second year yet, so I can't shed too much light on that side ^^; My current understanding is that maths in Computer Science is largely discrete mathematics and logic, maths such as graph theory, number theory, as opposed to Calculus which isn't so relevant. There are applications in stuff such as AI, Natural Language processing, Machine Learning etc.

The first units are introductory programming which will teach you mainly just the syntax of a programming language (In Monash's case, Java), but from then on the focus is on algorithms, and basically how to formulate algorithms to get the computer to compute what you want it to. It gets a bit abstract in nature, being pretty removed from just "programming". It's a bit hard to tell if you hate/like programming if you haven't done it before though ^^; but people find out verrrryyy quickly whether or not they hate it.

That was pretty ranty but a Bachelor of Science with units in computer science will probably be more to your liking than a focused Bachelor of Computer Science which is generally filled with many IT units as well.

EDIT: have you read the wikipedia article on Computer Science? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science I have the feeling you're more interested in Computational Science http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computational_science
« Last Edit: August 01, 2010, 07:59:54 pm by SmRandmAzn »

schmalex

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Re: Computer Science!
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2010, 08:44:58 pm »
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Yeah I did actually. It confused me a bit though, because it used a lot of jargon and talked about things I didn't understand. Thankyou sooooo much for your help though! I'm still not sure whether that stuff is for me but you gave me a really good insight. The main concern I have about learning programming is that my biggest weakness in maths is that I'm not very meticulous and don't have very good attention to detail, which seems to be what programming is about. Thanks so much for your help though, and good luck with your degree :)

EDIT: Thank so much for that link! That's EXACTLY what I was after! How do I study that? Through a bachelor of science?
« Last Edit: August 01, 2010, 08:48:40 pm by schmalex »
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IntoTheNewWorld

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Re: Computer Science!
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2010, 08:57:37 pm »
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I think you would be looking at a Bachelor of Science, with a major in Applied Maths, like this

http://www.undergraduates.ms.unimelb.edu.au/new_generation/major_studies/applied/applied.html

This can be complimented with subjects in Informatics or Computer Science, more info here

http://informatics.unimelb.edu.au/about/

:D
« Last Edit: August 01, 2010, 09:06:12 pm by SmRandmAzn »

zhenzhenzhen

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Re: Computer Science!
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2010, 08:06:14 pm »
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It's awesome. If you're interested in programming and how computing works, this is the degree for you. If not, well, stay clear =p

obv havent done ENG1061 yet :D
2010 - 2013: Bachelor of Software Engineering - Monash (completed w/ alternative exit to B. Comp Sci)
2014 - 2016: Master of Laws (Juris Doctor) - Monash