KCL Computer Science (current and past students)

[xirokx]

Hi there

I am starting a computer science course at KCL next month and don't know what to expect...

Is the first year tough? Infact are all three years tough?

How many hours per week is it? do you go everyday?

How were the exams?

Is the maths and programming really tough?

Just initial concerns I have - any advise would be appreciated.

Any tips? i.e. books to start reading, things to start doing?

I know from previous posts there are some members on here that attend KCL hence my questions

Thanks for any help and advice

 

[SideWinder]

For the majority of degrees, they start off with the basics and get harder and harder. For the majority of degree courses, the first year doesn't count towards the overall grade. So the first year is more of a "ease you in" year. Sorry i couldn't be of anymore help but my post is more of a "it's going to be okay!" kinda thing.

 

[xirokx]

cheers

 

[tntcoder]

I dont know KCL specifics, but do make sure your maths skills are up to date. If it's a half decent course then it can be very important in the 2nd/3rd years.

 

[uvarvu]

Yep maths is a must. Where are you staying? Not KCH I hope!

 

[xirokx]

nah I live in London so not in halls

what type of maths?

 

[uvarvu]

Ok we studied Turing machines heavily in the first year along with lambda calculus in the third. Don't forget to pop to chilangos in fleet street for lunch

 

[xirokx]

anyone else????

 

[86JR]

Didnt go to KCL but instead went to University of Plymouth, Comp Sci BSc, it was very hard! Dont take any time off, even for medical reasons, you can get a form for ext circumstances however you just simply get left behind.

Theres lots of high end maths involved too, i totally wasnt expecting it having done Software Programming BTEC at college for 2 years before it.

 

[doddsy105]

Hi there

I am starting a computer science course at KCL next month and don't know what to expect...

Is the first year tough? Infact are all three years tough?

How many hours per week is it? do you go everyday?

How were the exams?

Is the maths and programming really tough?

Just initial concerns I have - any advise would be appreciated.

Any tips? i.e. books to start reading, things to start doing?

I know from previous posts there are some members on here that attend KCL hence my questions

Thanks for any help and advice

Ive just finished my first year doing computer science, the first year wasnt too bad, its going to get a lot harder tho. And im no genius lol. usually you go in for about an hour or so everyday, sometimes longer. Exams were not so bad. If you get good % in your coursework you can average it out if you do badly in exams. So exams wernt too bad. There really isnt any maths involved apart from binary etc. Programming is tough, i suggest u start reading the introduction to programming JAVA for dummies . I go to chester uni and its awsome

 

[xirokx]

twoblacklines - are you still studying computer science? what don't you like?

doddsy105 - what do you mean you are no genuis? weak at maths and programming? cuz thats me in a nutshell lol

 

[doddsy105]

yeh im going into my second year now. Im no genius as its pretty hard for me and im not a intelligent person really compared to a lot of the people doing the course. Programming is pretty hard, nothing you cant handle with abit of reading and copy and paste , and for the maths side, well there is none lol. Suprisingly, databases and cisco etc are the worst :s

 

[mjt]

Should've gone to UCL.


/runs

 

[Phil99]

yeh im going into my second year now. Im no genius as its pretty hard for me and im not a intelligent person really compared to a lot of the people doing the course. Programming is pretty hard, nothing you cant handle with abit of reading and copy and paste , and for the maths side, well there is none lol. Suprisingly, databases and cisco etc are the worst :s

If it's anything like the degree I did (at UEA) you'll find the first year doesn't have all that much Maths, but second and third years really increase the amount depending on the units you choose.

As a general bit of advice, although the first year isn't usually taken in to account when calculating your final result, I'd strongly recommend doing your best to get your head around programming in the first year as it can give you serious difficulties in 2nd/3rd year if you don't have the basics 100% by the end of the first year.

If you want to do some reading before the course maybe go with something like an introduction to object oriented Java programming.

 

[02goswej]

I'm just going into my second year of Computer Science.

The first year was very easy, especially if you already have a good knowledge of programming. Second year is supposed to be a lot harder (Yay!) so do you best in first year and make a good impression.

Computer Science is a great course Have fun!

Edit:

Maths is a very good tool to have when programming. I suck at maths personally but I excel in programming (Just developed a program for the Universities Health Department (Required by the NHS)).

/Johnathan

 

[edscdk]

Yep maths is a must. Where are you staying? Not KCH I hope!

maths.... very useful.... will they also teach anything that will help you get a job in IT?

 

[uvarvu]

My degree at Kings gave me a pointer in the right direction but it wasn't enough for work in IT. A lot of the relevant stuff I learnt only scratched the surface of what was really required. This was back in 2000 though so things may have changed since to make the content more relevant.

I took some further courses in Java afterwards to really get a grip of the language and got myself certified by Sun as well (SCJP & SCWCD).

 

[Microwave]

I'm currently on a placement year in industry at IBM after completing my first 2 years of comp sci at Loughborough uni.


I'd say first year is nothing about making a good impression.


Lecturers don't notice you so impressions don't count.

If you want to do a good placement first year results do count for SOMETHING, but not everything as some people will let you believe.


As has been said, first year is all about easing you in, getting the basics down and ENJOYING YOURSELF!


I had zero prior programming knowledge and I struggled, but it's still easy to pass.

I learnt to pass the exams but I still consider myself as useless when it comes to programming.


The maths side of things differs from uni to uni but I'd imagine there's some A-level maths in there for the theory side of things, but nothing too hard.


First year doesn't usually count at all, 2nd year is slightly tougher, it's easy to slack off after passing first year.

Can't comment on third year but it's kinda as hard as you want to make it as it's primarily your final year project / dissertation.

 

[Mul]

I'm currently a CompSci at KCL. I'm entering my 3rd and final year and unfortunately the first year structure has changed slightly since 08/09 so I'm not going to be entirely useful.

First and foremost, your first year will count. Assuming the 10/11 year has the same credit framework structure as us, the rough weighting of the years are 1:3:5.

With this in mind, do not mess around. Yes, there will be plenty of time to go out, have fun and join as many societies as you like but this is all dependent on how well you're taking to the course. If you're struggling at programming (you will be learning Java) then resolve your problems as you go along. Practice is imperative and you must follow the syllabus properly in order to do well.

Most people will pass their modules but you should try hard to complete your first year with a 2.1 or higher. In terms of complexity, you will not find it harder than A Level but remember that there is no one stopping you from not doing your homework.

In terms of mathematical complexity, it's not terribly hard. Much of what you'll cover will be decision/logic based mathematics with hints of C1/C2. Again, the sort of logic you develop from studying these courses should theoretically make you a better native programmer. Don't neglect these modules.

All in all, it should be an enjoyable year and the working hours aren't too high (~12hrs + tutorials/labs). Maintain a balance of work and enjoyment and you'll do just fine.

 

[xirokx]

thanks all

MUL can I PM?