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Jikky

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I like technology, I like computers.
I don't have a natural inclination towards programming and I'm not necessarily great at it, but I want to innovate.
I think IT might be boring, but it seems accessible to me.

And then there's the range of courses available.. CENG, SENG, CompSci, IT.
I don't know what to do! All I know is that I want to help develop things to further mankind (so cliche, but it's true).

Currently I'm invested in IT and the majority of my UAC preferences are IT. A safe pick if you will.

Do I just let life take it's course?

/vent
 

codislife

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Seems like IT might be perfect for you.

I strongly wouldn't suggest CENG, SENG, CompSci - programming is a big factor and high level maths is assumed knowledge.
 

Jikky

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Seems like IT might be perfect for you.

I strongly wouldn't suggest CENG, SENG, CompSci - programming is a big factor and high level maths is assumed knowledge.
It does seem that way but I want to be something more, you know what I mean?
IT is solid and will probably reap a stable income that will only grow through experience.
But the human impact is minimal - and development, not maintenance, is where the magic is at.
I like magic :c

But then again, I'm not blessed with such logical/technical prowess needed to enter and thrive in that world.
Am I aiming too high?
 

OzKo

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I like technology, I like computers.
I don't have a natural inclination towards programming and I'm not necessarily great at it, but I want to innovate.
I think IT might be boring, but it seems accessible to me.

And then there's the range of courses available.. CENG, SENG, CompSci, IT.
I don't know what to do! All I know is that I want to help develop things to further mankind (so cliche, but it's true).

Currently I'm invested in IT and the majority of my UAC preferences are IT. A safe pick if you will.

Do I just let life take it's course?

/vent
Loads of students don't already have a natural inclination to a particular field before they start uni. That's why you're going to university in the first place.

As long as you have the drive to learn, then there's no reason why you cannot succeed.
 

freddiegibbs

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Seems like IT might be perfect for you.

I strongly wouldn't suggest CENG, SENG, CompSci - programming is a big factor and high level maths is assumed knowledge.
This is terrible advice. While some maths is assumed knowledge for these degrees, most students entering these programs don't have any significant grasp of the important concepts anyway.

Jikky, you don't seem like you want to do IT at all. I doubt you have any real experience with programming and problem solving in general, so I'd suggest you take a real shot before you give up on what you want to do.
 

nerdasdasd

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Here is my two cents

Programming isn't assumed, they teach you that when you do the course, but the people who have done it will find it easier ....
 

Jikky

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Loads of students don't already have a natural inclination to a particular field before they start uni. That's why you're going to university in the first place.

As long as you have the drive to learn, then there's no reason why you cannot succeed.
Very true. I naively assumed students who were going into these courses knew exactly what they wanted, and were pretty good at it too. Welp, how did that go over my head, they're just like me!

This is terrible advice. While some maths is assumed knowledge for these degrees, most students entering these programs don't have any significant grasp of the important concepts anyway.

Jikky, you don't seem like you want to do IT at all. I doubt you have any real experience with programming and problem solving in general, so I'd suggest you take a real shot before you give up on what you want to do.
Considering I didn't make the immediate cut-offs for CENG/SENG/CompSci at UNSW/UTS/USyd. I'm planning to do IT @ Macq with a major in Software Technology and hopefully make a transfer into one of those courses. This way, I get a taste of both worlds. Is this realistic?

Here is my two cents

Programming isn't assumed, they teach you that when you do the course, but the people who have done it will find it easier ....
Sounds good, thank you.
 

iJimmy

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Bscience with major in Computer science?
 

freddiegibbs

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Considering I didn't make the immediate cut-offs for CENG/SENG/CompSci at UNSW/UTS/USyd. I'm planning to do IT @ Macq with a major in Software Technology and hopefully make a transfer into one of those courses. This way, I get a taste of both worlds. Is this realistic?
Just be sure to take into account the fact that transfers within a university are usually much easier than transfers between universities. You may want to being by enrolling into a program with similar first year requirements to the computing degree you want and take the computing courses as electives.
 

DannyBoy33

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I like technology, I like computers.
I don't have a natural inclination towards programming and I'm not necessarily great at it, but I want to innovate.
I think IT might be boring, but it seems accessible to me.

And then there's the range of courses available.. CENG, SENG, CompSci, IT.
I don't know what to do! All I know is that I want to help develop things to further mankind (so cliche, but it's true).

Currently I'm invested in IT and the majority of my UAC preferences are IT. A safe pick if you will.

Do I just let life take it's course?

/vent
Well, programing is one of the rare skills that gives you the opportunity to:
-inovate
-create and be creative
-use your professional skills for hobi-like-projects
-you can work from home
-get payed well

So, don't just ignore programing as an option. :)
 

Jikky

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Bscience with major in Computer science?
Some cut-offs are out of my range and some degrees don't even offer CompSci as a major, or it just isn't specific enough. :c

Just be sure to take into account the fact that transfers within a university are usually much easier than transfers between universities. You may want to being by enrolling into a program with similar first year requirements to the computing degree you want and take the computing courses as electives.
Damn, that does mean external transfers are possible right?

In my case, and since preferences have been locked. I'm almost sure I'll be getting an offer into B.IT (Software Technology) @ Macq. I've had a look at the units/electives and most of which are the same to a Software Engineering major in a B.Engineering course. Does this mean I'll be able to internally transfer?
I'll have to ask the uni about this.

Thanks though!

Well, programing is one of the rare skills that gives you the opportunity to:
-inovate
-create and be creative
-use your professional skills for hobi-like-projects
-you can work from home
-get payed well

So, don't just ignore programing as an option. :)
Definitely not ignoring it, I'd most likely want to be doing it!
 

ismeta

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Some cut-offs are out of my range and some degrees don't even offer CompSci as a major, or it just isn't specific enough. :c
This isn't helpful if you're not able to get into science @ UNSW, but you can take a Science degree, do first semester computer science subjects, and just transfer later into computer science. (I've a friend who did this)
 

freddiegibbs

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Damn, that does mean external transfers are possible right?

In my case, and since preferences have been locked. I'm almost sure I'll be getting an offer into B.IT (Software Technology) @ Macq. I've had a look at the units/electives and most of which are the same to a Software Engineering major in a B.Engineering course. Does this mean I'll be able to internally transfer?
I'll have to ask the uni about this.
It's definitely possible. I don't mean to make it out to be a difficult thing, only to state that people often don't have a clear idea of the actual requirements for external transfers, which you will want to be clear on. You also have to consider other sources of inertia that you'll have when moving schools, like the structure and the standard of your courses.
 

anomalousdecay

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This isn't helpful if you're not able to get into science @ UNSW, but you can take a Science degree, do first semester computer science subjects, and just transfer later into computer science. (I've a friend who did this)
Would you care to share on what COMP1917 is like?
 

ismeta

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Would you care to share on what COMP1917 is like?
Okay :) I did it in 2010, and it's changed since then, but I shouldn't be completely wrong. Hopefully.

If you have no programming experience? It's a difficult course. It's not anything I'd done before - the closest subject to it is mathematics, because of how much you have to think and figure out problems, draw things together to make a functioning program that does what you want it to do (and ideally with no bugs heh fat chance). if you have programming experience it's not bad.

But it's really rewarding. When stuff works, it's like - wow, I just made a computer do a thing. (Now that I think about it, this is more of a commentary on computer science than COMP1917. Sorry.)

Back to COMP1917. The lecturer was great - Richard Buckland. I think he's lecturing it in the upcoming semester - he made it fantastic, he's a very engaging lecturer (warning though: he is quite disorganised, this can be frustrating). The tutors were also generally quite helpful. The content, as I mentioned before, was difficult but rewarding to understand and grasp. To grasp it, though, you have to work hard - I guess that goes for any course but especially here. If you don't work hard enough, everything will start to not make any sense and that's painful to deal with.

i hope that was useful, I'm not very sure what to comment on so if you have questions please ask.
 

MrBrightside

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I like technology, I like computers.
I don't have a natural inclination towards programming and I'm not necessarily great at it, but I want to innovate.
I think IT might be boring, but it seems accessible to me.

And then there's the range of courses available.. CENG, SENG, CompSci, IT.
I don't know what to do! All I know is that I want to help develop things to further mankind (so cliche, but it's true).

Currently I'm invested in IT and the majority of my UAC preferences are IT. A safe pick if you will.

Do I just let life take it's course?

/vent
Eh, sounds a bit like me when I was trying to choose a course in 2011.

Rather than re-type everything out again, I recently replied here of my current view on computing degrees from various unis. http://community.boredofstudies.org...ogy-computing-degrees-2015-a.html#post6724910

There's also tonnes of conversational threads I've started or spoken in ranging from 2010 - 2013, search threads by my name or something. Or ask a more direct question. :) Happy to help.
 

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