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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Computer Science - DS needs help

55 replies

fernsandlilies · 15/05/2021 15:16

DS is in year 12 and wants to apply to uni next year to do Computer Science. He's studying Maths, Further Maths and a humanities subject, and will be doing a CS-based EPQ next year.

He's predicted A*-A for all subjects, and has good GCSEs, so he wants to apply to a couple of aspirational places, which will be very competitive indeed.

The real problem is that he doesn't have anything to write about in order to show his interest in CS, and he's just flailing and floundering about on his own.

He's done bits of coding by himself , but he always seems to aim too high, and can't possibly achieve the thing he has imagined. He has picked up some Python, and has tried to learn a bit of Unity, but when he looks at the code to try to modify a piece of the program, it is just too hard. Tutorials seem to be either very rudimentary, or very advanced. Raspberry pi is still in its box from Xmas.

I found him things like Bebras, and Cyber Challenge, and he did ok, but there isn't much to talk about.

Mostly he just watches YouTube videos of exciting coding projects that other people have done.

he also says he can't choose a uni course because he doesn't understand what the module titles mean or what they are about.

His college tutor is supposed to help with this sort of thing, but she has not even replied to the emails he's sent her previously.

Please can any of you wonderful people advise? Where can he look for guidance about what he should be doing now? What are the obvious things that an aspiring CS student would be doing? How can he get more detail about the uni modules?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

OP posts:
Middersweekly · 15/05/2021 17:27

Ask your DS to check out The student Room online. He will find some example (subject specific) personal statements that he can peruse. It may give him an idea of what other Comp-sci students have done as an extra curricular. Also their hobbies/ interests and what universities they have applied to. It sounds like he actually has done some further research. He won’t be expected to know everything at this stage either way. The fact that he’s trying to understand is better than him not trying at all.

titchy · 15/05/2021 19:25

Why does he want to do Computer Science if he's given up all the coding stuff he's tried? Does he think it's a sensible option because it doesn't sounds like his heart's in it if he hasn't really tried to find out what the module content involves.

twentyten · 15/05/2021 19:30

Have a look at www.unitasterdays.com/ for some ideas and on line or in person events.
Open days are worth exploring.

aurea · 15/05/2021 19:42

My son is in year 11 (Scottish equivalent) and also wants to do CS at a top uni.

He lives and breathes computers and technology and so far he has entered and won an international coding comp that anyone can enter ( Coderdojo - Google this). His competition entry used Python which he had taught himself through online resources. He has completed his Gold Crest award by building and programming a 3D room scanner. He has entered Bebras and gone through to the next round and got a distinction in the Oxford Computer Challenge. And all the usual UKMT kangaroo malarkey.

He goes to a standard, non-selective comprehensive school that doesn't even offer computer science as there is a shortage of teachers.

This is not a stealth boast, more a warning of the stiff competition your DC might be up against for a place at a top uni.

I genuinely wish them luck.

aurea · 15/05/2021 19:44

Ooh....just remembered another good opportunity.

These free of charge courses are open for booking now. My son went last year and will attend again this summer. He really rated it.

www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk/cyberfirst

fernsandlilies · 15/05/2021 20:44

Thanks everyone, some really useful things to think about.

Aurea, I will get him to look at that course today, thank you.

I really wish it was more acceptable to take a gap year ahead of a maths- based course - I agree with you Titchy, not clear his heart is in it.

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 15/05/2021 21:13

Does he know what he's going to do for his 'CS based EPQ'? Can he start on that over the summer - both to confirm his own interest and to have something to say?

DGRossetti · 15/05/2021 21:16

There's a lot more to computers than coding. Analysis, system design, documentation, testing ....

JohnsRaincoatLost · 15/05/2021 22:01

Did he do CS for GCSE? Why did he not choose it for A level? Universities wants maths and FM A levels for CS degree but it does seem strange that he is doing humanities instead.

I found him things like Bebras, and Cyber Challenge, and he did ok, but there isn't much to talk about

Yes there is, what did he enjoy about it, what did he find challenging? If parts were challenging how did he go about widening his knowledge to be able to solve the problems he faced? If he enjoyed parts of it what other things has he done in order to do more of that? There are summer schools run by universities for CS, my son was booked onto a residential one last year but obviously due to covid he did it online. He has also completed lots of other courses which are free.

You shouldn't be having to research this stuff for him though, he should be seeking it out himself. Ds lives and breathes CS has done since year 10.

he also says he can't choose a uni course because he doesn't understand what the module titles mean or what they are about

google the terms, seriously, he needs to get proactive about this. Ds says last year Codecademy was free and you can still do a free trial for it. It walks you through the basics teaching you. However Ds also says if you just google coding for beginners etc lots of suitable stuff comes up like learnpython.org so it is all available at his fingertips if he chooses.

Summer would be a great time to fully immerse himself into CS if that is what he wants to do at uni. At around £18k+ a year for uni from tuition fees and living costs he needs to be sure what he wants to do.

sunlight81 · 15/05/2021 22:07

Perhaps should look at apprenticeship technology placements - lots of industries offer them. This way he can earn money, be emerged in technology but also start at the very beginning!

titchy · 15/05/2021 22:20

Has he thought about a straight maths degree? Has he chosen CS because it's the only thing he can think of job-wise that a Maths nerd can do? It isn't! There's loads of other options out there!

I think asking why has he picked CS will be useful. What's his reasoning?

fernsandlilies · 15/05/2021 22:29

Thank you all - really useful. It's good to hear about DC who have been so sure for a while about what interests them.

OP posts:
fernsandlilies · 15/05/2021 22:34

Titchy - he says that the pure aspects of maths leave him cold. He is interested in the mathematical and theoretical underpinnings of programs but only because they are a means to an end.

There might well be a Maths degree that could suit him - we've just been looking at Discrete Maths at Warwick - but it's hard for him to figure out what he does and doesn't like. He'd like a course that has bits of linguistics, bits of philosophy, bits of game design, and a lot of maths, but all in the context of CS.

OP posts:
MrsIsobelCrawley · 15/05/2021 22:44

If your DS wants to apply to highly-ranked universities, he should continue to develop his maths skills as these will be of more interest to universities than coding projects.

parietal · 15/05/2021 22:51

If you DS likes things like game design, there are plenty of courses that focus on things like gaming & computer graphics rather than hard core maths. I know goldsmiths have a good VR & computing course that links to lots of arts / gaming too

titchy · 15/05/2021 22:51

@fernsandlilies

Titchy - he says that the pure aspects of maths leave him cold. He is interested in the mathematical and theoretical underpinnings of programs but only because they are a means to an end.

There might well be a Maths degree that could suit him - we've just been looking at Discrete Maths at Warwick - but it's hard for him to figure out what he does and doesn't like. He'd like a course that has bits of linguistics, bits of philosophy, bits of game design, and a lot of maths, but all in the context of CS.

Tell him to check out Artificial Intelligence degrees then! They'll be right up his street.

This is Sussex's CS plus AI;

https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/computer-science-and-artificial-intelligence-bsc

AppleBarrel · 15/05/2021 22:58

Cognitive Science BSc at Edinburgh might be worth a look.

dotdotdotdash · 15/05/2021 23:04

Consider data science as it combines statistics and computer science. It's broader and more applied than some CS degrees. Look at Kaggle for projects your DS might get into.

Which humanity is he studying?

fernsandlilies · 15/05/2021 23:07

brilliant, thank you, those AI courses look very interesting.

Why is it so hard to get a 17yr old to actually think about all this?

OP posts:
LostInTime · 15/05/2021 23:14

I agree it sounds as though a maths course may suit him better than a cs course.

Dilbertian · 15/05/2021 23:34

My boys have done various Smallpeice courses that helped clarify what aspects of Computer Science particularly appealed to them. They thoroughly enjoyed the courses and learned a lot, as well as having evidence of their interest. Summer term of Y12 may be a little late, but it's probably worth having a look.

https://www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk/cyberfirst

aurea · 15/05/2021 23:40

How about something like this?

www.ed.ac.uk/studying/undergraduate/degrees/index.php?action=programme&code=G500

aurea · 15/05/2021 23:43

I don't think link is working correctly. Search under degree programme G500 MInf Informatics.

balloonsintrees · 15/05/2021 23:53

Try Chartered Institute for IT...but why does he want to do CS?
My husband did GCSE CS and A-level in 1980's, apparently lived and breathed computers. Even he didn't do a pure CS degree and combined it with Management- this might be something to consider for your DS. Hubby is currently an enterprise architect having worked his way up from network technician - DS does need to think carefully about what outcomes he is looking for.

MarchingFrogs · 16/05/2021 02:45

It would appear that Exeter lets you combine Computer Science with Philosopy (or quite a few other things)
www.exeter.ac.uk/fch/studying/current-students/subjectcombinations/

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