Where is your DC studying Comp.Science?

[Mamam1a]

If not Oxbridge material. DS is More of a BBB type student. Where is the next best place to study Computer science with those grades? He ideally wants one with a placement year. We’ve looked at the league table but it all starts to get blurry as you read through. Nottingham seems good, but Surrey seem to have a very good placement programme, then there’s Bath with good links to industry, then Loughborough etc.

Anyone?

Friend's son is doing well and enjoying his course at Swansea (the brand new faculty buildings are opening in 2018). I think Reading is another good place with medium grades.

There's a website (can't remember the name sorry!) but it gives you the lowdown on which Universities are good for different things. Also the Times Good University Guide is very useful.

Which university gives you an option to put in grades and search for a computer science degree. See what comes up. You can then can filter out non sandwich courses. There is other info about starting salaries, student satisfaction etc.

Being brutally honest, the Russell Group universities such as Nottingham are likely to want more than BBB. Loughborough and Bath too I would have thought. There are plenty of others that offer the traditional 4 year sandwich course though with a lower entry tariff. You just have to go through all the options and see what suits. A University that suits student X may not suit student Y. It is a personal choice.

A friend’s DS did computer science at Bournemouth and hated it because the hall of residence was in Poole. Issues like that can matter a lot to some students. He also struggled with the maths. Your DS could also look at computer engineering.

Thanks for all the replies. Bubbles I appreciate your honesty. We’ll just have to wait and see how things progress.

Computer science is that - science so the science behind programming and a lot of maths a algorithms. If one of those Bs is higher maths (or he doesn't have higher maths) he'll very likely be looking at a foundation year (at most unis) which would likely mean no sandwich course as the SLC won't be funding for five years. You need to do a sandwich course/year out. I don't know if that's possible now though without needing to pay fees to the uni.

Computer science has one of the highest drop out rates after medicine and dentistry, students hugely misunderstand what the course actually is - yes there's programming but the majority of it is theory and it's the same for software engineering. It's a course where increasingly unis are offering foundation years which are reducing drop out rates a lot for the degree.

He needs to look at those offering exemption for the British computer society as well as other things which he would want from a department e.g. Mobile choice. Some unis have poor equipment and research departments.

Computer science has one of the highest drop out rates

And one of the worst rates of employment after graduation, which I find puzzling, because there are jobs about.

Becca - pls do you have any source you can refer to for your claim about the drop out rates? Also ebear re: Employment rates? I’m rather puzzled by this.

Try York- they have great links to industry and a placement year is possible.
York itself is a beautiful and friendly city (good value too).
If you interview well they offer at ABB.

Oh and employment rates for compute science following graduation are high.

I’ve just been looking at various links supporting what Ebear said.
The ones DS is looking at are all with placement yrs, but it seems there’s not much hope of a job afterwards.
. Madnskint - do you mean employment rates are good if you go to York?

No sources. Its well known. The dept I taught in at that time (before introduction of foundation year which improved drop out rate) had a drop out rate of over 60% because students didn't understand what it meant and it was too academic - most actually expected a computing degree which is more practical, and, less academic. There probably are statistics about it somewhere.

Unemployment only becomes a problem if students don't keep themselves uptodate with current trends in computer science and dont go the professional British computer society route. Some think they have the degree and that's it. It's harder than it was, because there are more graduates but that doesn't mean it's not worthwhile BUT it's not a 'get a degree and no more studying' sort of career if you see what I mean.

A computer science degree by its nature gives you the theory to do anything, and practical work like programming as well, but it is mainly theory, and therefore heavy on maths, and requires constant updating due to the changing nature of the subject. Someone who graduated in 2012 and has done no further study could find it difficult to get employment even if they've been employed because employers want to see that continuing commitment (a lot has changed in that time)

I'm sorry if I'm painting a poor picture of my profession here! That's not my intention!!. I just wanted to mention the common pitfalls of the course, misunderstanding what it is being the biggest.

If the OPs DS knows what computer science entails and the work needed throughout his working life he'll likely be fine.

Where are you looking for what graduates are doing? There's an official project via UCAS (I think!) that does that independently. If I can remember what it's called I'll post a link for you.

And look at stats for those who did an industrial year specifically - generally recognised as essential.

I’m not in any doubt about the benefits of an industrial placement (if you can get one). But it sounds like in the case of Comp science wether you do an IP or not, the prospects are generally not good. Of course in most courses where an IP is offered, one would expect those with an IP to have better outcomes initially, than those who didn’t.

Graduate prospects are around 80% which is the same as Durham et al.
My child has a job offer at a large multinational and is currently on placement year (so won’t finish degree till 2019).
I must admit though job prospects for computer science were better when they started their degree.

which would likely mean no sandwich course as the SLC won't be funding for five years.

If it's a five year course they'll fund for five years - why do you think otherwise?

My understanding was they wouldn't fund a foundation course as well as a degree with industrial year because there's a limit on funding and foundation year is on top of the degree (so in place of industrial year) and they won't fund an industrial year (fees are still payable then) as well as a foundation year - the maximum is four years funding unless a year is being repeated.

Apologies if I've misunderstood. I'm not completely up to date with student finance all around the uk. I know in Wales they won't fund all of it as I know someone who has been forced to miss out on industry placement as student finance refused to fund it, if they hadnt done the foundation they could have done the industrial year, but they needed the foundation year due to missing grades.

The maximum isn't four years - its course length + 1. Otherwise medics, integrated masters, architecture, vet etc wouldn't have their courses funded throughout.

Integrated foundation years are fully funded, even in Wales, with a placement year. If the FY wasn't integrated that would have been the problem, but a 5 year course, with FY, then 1st year, 2ns year, sandwich year, 3rd year is fully funded. And they can still repeat a year and be fully funded.

With BBB you can go to City University London or Brunel. Both are vocationally oriented universities.

SLC Wales said no. Shame it's too late now for him to appeal it. The letter said his foundation course was separate and he was then allowed 3 years of funding, maybe that's why. Anyway that's what's happened to him, it's a shame if it's wrong though that he missed out as it'll impact hugely on his job prospects (never had a job) .

Sorry for slight derail op.

Becca - that’s fine. It’s all interesting learning.

You can probably get into low tariff courses but are they going to be any good when it comes to getting a job? Computer science is a fairly new kid on the block and popular. Courses such as Engineering possibly have better job prospects.

Uxbridge would not float my boat as a university suburb at the end of the Picadilly line.

A friend’s DS did computer science at Bournemouth and hated it because the hall of residence was in Poole
No.

Believe it or not.

Bournemouth University is in Poole and the halls of residence are in Bournemouth.

A lot of people find it weird but it is true.

I know this as I live in Christchurch, I went to BU and now my DS goes to BU.

Watching all advice with interest as DS is in same position, he also wants to do computer science at university.

Unfortunately DS's school recommended he sit his comp sci GCSE a year early and we didn't realise 80% of his course had to be self taught. Trying to motivate a grumpy 14 year old didn't go well and he achieved a B grade. I was a huge wake up call for DS. He is now working really hard in year 11 and is forecast A* (grade 8) for all his other subjects.

At A level he wants to choose Computer Science, Physics and Mathematics. He is limited to only choosing 3 A levels with the new liner A level structure that has been implemented. If he doesn't choose further mathematics is this severely limiting his choice especially given that he did not do as well as he wanted at comp sci GCSE?

Really sorry to hijack your thread Maman1a!