Computer Science: So, what's it like?
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Firstly, be sure that you are really bored with the course and not just with things in general. Then rather than ask this bunch of (what's the word I'm looking for?) you should be talking this over with your supervisor.
Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus!
See you next Tuesday Sir?
Sort of a cross between Lawrence of Arabia and Dilbert.[^]
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A Dead ringer for Kate Winslett[^] -
I'm currently in my first year of Mechanical Engineering but I'm not sure if I'll enjoy ME after graduation. The reason I didn't pick CS, or something similar, is because I thought it would be repetitive, I'd always be working till early in the morning on a project with an impossible deadline and always on the computer. Now I'm starting to think I should have chosen the computing route. I find the 'materials and manufacturing technology' module in ME really boring but the others aren't all that bad-I somewhat enjoy science, maths and design but I only find half of the physics in them interesting. The other students also seem a lot more motivated for this career path than I do so I'm starting to doubt if I really want to do this. I like programming and enjoyed computing in college, but I really don't want to choose a career path that I'd find boring, repetitive and am unmotivated for. So, I just wanted to know-what's computer science, or a similar career, like and, typically, the course in a UK university?
Thanks, Hassan.
When you get to the point when you can choose, DON'T PICK THE RED PILL. :suss:
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. or "Drink. Get drunk. Fall over." - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre
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Newcastle Newcastle, the MSc was by far the best in the area at the time. At the time, the conversion course at Northumbria was really just a DB thing with enough generic Comp Sci to justify it not having a DB management type title. Sunderland (other than being Sunderland) had an emphasis on the "softer" Internet topics like how to design a pretty website and Dreamwaver. Seriously. Durham (where I did my undergrad degree) didn't lower itself to admit students to anything other than research MScs, though you can tack on an extra year to a BSc to come out with an MSci. And I didn't go to Teeside because I didn't need a skank ho' :-). I was aware about Northumbria Uni, my best mate's mother was librarian there, it was someone in the library who spotted it on the letterhead. Until I heard this, I though it was an urban myth!
Sort of a cross between Lawrence of Arabia and Dilbert.[^]
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A Dead ringer for Kate Winslett[^]Keith Barrow wrote:
I didn't go to Teeside because I didn't need a skank ho'
Both my wife and I went to Teesside. At the time it was the premier computing and maths department outside Oxford and Cambridge.
I'm not a stalker, I just know things. Oh by the way, you're out of milk.
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
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Firstly, be sure that you are really bored with the course and not just with things in general. Then rather than ask this bunch of (what's the word I'm looking for?) you should be talking this over with your supervisor.
Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus!
No fair Henry! I get to play tonight and you're telling them not to feed the inmates!
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. or "Drink. Get drunk. Fall over." - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre
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No fair Henry! I get to play tonight and you're telling them not to feed the inmates!
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. or "Drink. Get drunk. Fall over." - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre
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Hey Nagy, Are you doing more OU this year? if so which modules?
Dave Find Me On: Web|Facebook|Twitter|LinkedIn
Latest Article: Data Historians! You Bought It, Use It! Real World Example
Nope. I am finished, for now. I have my BSc(Hons) Comp Sys Prac (Open) (2.1) :-D
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. or "Drink. Get drunk. Fall over." - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre
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Nope. I am finished, for now. I have my BSc(Hons) Comp Sys Prac (Open) (2.1) :-D
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. or "Drink. Get drunk. Fall over." - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre
Congratulations. That's fantastic.
I'm not a stalker, I just know things. Oh by the way, you're out of milk.
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
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Nope. I am finished, for now. I have my BSc(Hons) Comp Sys Prac (Open) (2.1) :-D
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. or "Drink. Get drunk. Fall over." - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre
Well done. I'm not finished yet, 2 more years to go.... Doing M366:Natural and Artificial Intelligence and M364:Fundamentals of Interaction Design this year... :( Wish it was over.
Dave Find Me On: Web|Facebook|Twitter|LinkedIn
Latest Article: Data Historians! You Bought It, Use It! Real World Example
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Keith Barrow wrote:
I didn't go to Teeside because I didn't need a skank ho'
Both my wife and I went to Teesside. At the time it was the premier computing and maths department outside Oxford and Cambridge.
I'm not a stalker, I just know things. Oh by the way, you're out of milk.
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
The skank ho' bit wasn't referring to the Uni, but Teeside's secondary reputation, after smog. I had a friend who went there ages ago, called Neil Duffy, on the off chance you know him. It was (and probably still is) a really good department but I decided against it to keep costs down. I was self-funded and living with someone so the rent was low. Naturally enough, two months into the course we split up, so that plan went t's up & I had to take out a pretty big loan. Ho hum, still it worked in the end I suppose.
Sort of a cross between Lawrence of Arabia and Dilbert.[^]
-Or-
A Dead ringer for Kate Winslett[^] -
I'm currently in my first year of Mechanical Engineering but I'm not sure if I'll enjoy ME after graduation. The reason I didn't pick CS, or something similar, is because I thought it would be repetitive, I'd always be working till early in the morning on a project with an impossible deadline and always on the computer. Now I'm starting to think I should have chosen the computing route. I find the 'materials and manufacturing technology' module in ME really boring but the others aren't all that bad-I somewhat enjoy science, maths and design but I only find half of the physics in them interesting. The other students also seem a lot more motivated for this career path than I do so I'm starting to doubt if I really want to do this. I like programming and enjoyed computing in college, but I really don't want to choose a career path that I'd find boring, repetitive and am unmotivated for. So, I just wanted to know-what's computer science, or a similar career, like and, typically, the course in a UK university?
Thanks, Hassan.
I am an ex Mech Aero engineer. Computer engineering is (generally) dull by comparison, but, it pays better and you can travel a lot with it. Having said that designing radiator hose clips for BL isnt that much fun either... And then SW engineering can be fun too, especially military stuff, or anything in the kernel.
"It is a remarkable fact that despite the worldwide expenditure of perhaps US$50 billion since 1990, and the efforts of tens of thousands of scientists worldwide, no human climate signal has yet been detected that is distinct from natural variation." Bob Carter, Research Professor of Geology, James Cook University, Townsville
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I'm currently in my first year of Mechanical Engineering but I'm not sure if I'll enjoy ME after graduation. The reason I didn't pick CS, or something similar, is because I thought it would be repetitive, I'd always be working till early in the morning on a project with an impossible deadline and always on the computer. Now I'm starting to think I should have chosen the computing route. I find the 'materials and manufacturing technology' module in ME really boring but the others aren't all that bad-I somewhat enjoy science, maths and design but I only find half of the physics in them interesting. The other students also seem a lot more motivated for this career path than I do so I'm starting to doubt if I really want to do this. I like programming and enjoyed computing in college, but I really don't want to choose a career path that I'd find boring, repetitive and am unmotivated for. So, I just wanted to know-what's computer science, or a similar career, like and, typically, the course in a UK university?
Thanks, Hassan.
I have dual degrees - EE undergrad, CS grad. It's a great combination for what I do which is embedded software. Programming is fun, making things move is fun, and the level of creativity is fun. The meetings, documentation, long hours and high pressure are not so fun. But I think that is somewhat standard fare for any engineer, although probably a bit worse for us in software since we are always the last ones working on the product before it ships. For software engineers salaries are good and jobs are pretty plentiful even when the economy tanks. But that might change. The trend is to offshore software work. I think that trend will continue since it is particularly easy to do with software. I prefer not doing UI/HMI type work because everyone has an opinion about it and yours counts the least. Desktop and web technology changes all the time so if that is what you want to do be prepared to learn and relearn lots of things every year or two. Databases and server work would bore the hell out of me. With embedded I get to work with engineers from lots of different backgrounds - electrical, mechanical, motion and process control, and physics. I get my hands dirty and I have lots of input into other aspects of the products besides software. For me it worked out great. I'm not sure about the UK but here in the US typical coursework would include 1 year each of chemistry and physics, math thru Calc II or beyond, maybe a numerical methods class. Then they will get you into a core language like C++ and teach you the basics of algorithoms and data structures. From there they will probably touch on methodologies, computer architecture, language theory, networks, AI, databases. Often you get to chose a concentration from this list. Expect the first two years to overlap with the other engineering disciplines, so it will be easy to change up until the third year.
modified on Monday, January 17, 2011 8:18 AM
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I'm currently in my first year of Mechanical Engineering but I'm not sure if I'll enjoy ME after graduation. The reason I didn't pick CS, or something similar, is because I thought it would be repetitive, I'd always be working till early in the morning on a project with an impossible deadline and always on the computer. Now I'm starting to think I should have chosen the computing route. I find the 'materials and manufacturing technology' module in ME really boring but the others aren't all that bad-I somewhat enjoy science, maths and design but I only find half of the physics in them interesting. The other students also seem a lot more motivated for this career path than I do so I'm starting to doubt if I really want to do this. I like programming and enjoyed computing in college, but I really don't want to choose a career path that I'd find boring, repetitive and am unmotivated for. So, I just wanted to know-what's computer science, or a similar career, like and, typically, the course in a UK university?
Thanks, Hassan.
Computer Science (Programming) is for hardworking lazy people. You work very hard to create a program that will do the work for you. If the job is repetitive, you are doing something wrong. If you've already written it, you should never have to write it again. Don't rewrite, reuse. The general set of skills learned can be applied to a wide range of activities (process control, video games, report processing, web pages, etc.). So if you get bored, there are plenty of other programs to write.
Psychosis at 10 Film at 11
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I'm currently in my first year of Mechanical Engineering but I'm not sure if I'll enjoy ME after graduation. The reason I didn't pick CS, or something similar, is because I thought it would be repetitive, I'd always be working till early in the morning on a project with an impossible deadline and always on the computer. Now I'm starting to think I should have chosen the computing route. I find the 'materials and manufacturing technology' module in ME really boring but the others aren't all that bad-I somewhat enjoy science, maths and design but I only find half of the physics in them interesting. The other students also seem a lot more motivated for this career path than I do so I'm starting to doubt if I really want to do this. I like programming and enjoyed computing in college, but I really don't want to choose a career path that I'd find boring, repetitive and am unmotivated for. So, I just wanted to know-what's computer science, or a similar career, like and, typically, the course in a UK university?
Thanks, Hassan.
You might consider still majoring in ME, but look at a career path that leads more to the controls/SCADA side. Take CS type electives so you will be ready. I am sure that just about anything complicated that is built in ME has a computer attached to it. Heck, even new bridges have monitors and computers built into them to collect stress data and the like.
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I'm currently in my first year of Mechanical Engineering but I'm not sure if I'll enjoy ME after graduation. The reason I didn't pick CS, or something similar, is because I thought it would be repetitive, I'd always be working till early in the morning on a project with an impossible deadline and always on the computer. Now I'm starting to think I should have chosen the computing route. I find the 'materials and manufacturing technology' module in ME really boring but the others aren't all that bad-I somewhat enjoy science, maths and design but I only find half of the physics in them interesting. The other students also seem a lot more motivated for this career path than I do so I'm starting to doubt if I really want to do this. I like programming and enjoyed computing in college, but I really don't want to choose a career path that I'd find boring, repetitive and am unmotivated for. So, I just wanted to know-what's computer science, or a similar career, like and, typically, the course in a UK university?
Thanks, Hassan.
Software development ain't boring. It also ain't any easier than ME (or EE, or CHE, or PHYSICS). It depends on what you like to do. If you are an analyst type you will like doing software development. Any career path has it's repetitive aspects to it. In software engineering, though, you write libraries to beat that. However, if you're going to be a successful software engineer (or any of the others) you're going to have to LOVE it. Your first several years (decade) might not be at a very high salary as you learn the ropes. I've been writing code for 35 years and I still LOVE doing it. I was told by a senior S/W engineer that I would get tired of it. Sorry Carol ... you were WRONG! Whichever of the disciplines you choose is going to have to really "light your fire" in order for you to have the energy to excel with it. If you're not inspired by the work (I.E. you're only doing it 'for the money') then you're going to be far more likely to join the ranks of the unemployed during a recession such as is going on now. -Max :D
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If you think you're gong to be bored working in a field, why would you even consider choosing that for a career? I certainly couldn't stand to be miserable for 40 years of working! On the other hand, the first couple of years of most technical degrees (engineering, science, etc.) tend to require similar courses, so if you change you mind and switch majors it probably won't be wasted effort. I'd stick with what you have and find out what courses grab your attention enough that you could envision yourself working in that subject for 40 years. Then switch to a major that enables you to do it. I've been doing petroleum engineering professionally for 35 years and to me it's at least as interesting as when I graduated. I can't believe they actually pay me to do what I like. I hope you find a profession just as interesting to you!
CQ de W5ALT
Walt Fair, Jr., P. E. Comport Computing Specializing in Technical Engineering Software
Walt Fair, Jr. wrote:
I've been doing petroleum engineering professionally for 35 years and to me it's at least as interesting as when I graduated. I can't believe they actually pay me to do what I like. I hope you find a profession just as interesting to you!
Walt, Always nice to run into someone else who feels the same way. I've seldom felt that I was "working" as a software engineer. I get paid handsomely do do what I really like to do. What's to hate about that, eh? -Max
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I'm currently in my first year of Mechanical Engineering but I'm not sure if I'll enjoy ME after graduation. The reason I didn't pick CS, or something similar, is because I thought it would be repetitive, I'd always be working till early in the morning on a project with an impossible deadline and always on the computer. Now I'm starting to think I should have chosen the computing route. I find the 'materials and manufacturing technology' module in ME really boring but the others aren't all that bad-I somewhat enjoy science, maths and design but I only find half of the physics in them interesting. The other students also seem a lot more motivated for this career path than I do so I'm starting to doubt if I really want to do this. I like programming and enjoyed computing in college, but I really don't want to choose a career path that I'd find boring, repetitive and am unmotivated for. So, I just wanted to know-what's computer science, or a similar career, like and, typically, the course in a UK university?
Thanks, Hassan.
I'm not sure how things work in your university, but it may be possible to keep your Mechanical Engineering major and get a Computer Science "minor". It sounds like you really enjoy programming (which is great), but for some reason you did pick Mechanical Engineering as a career, probably because you also really enjoy making things. I am a strong believer that good programming skills are applicable to just about ANY career. So, if you can just trudge your way through ME, but pick up as many programming courses as you can, you may be quite qualified to do a wide variety of work. BTW, I don't care what major you take: you WILL have many courses that are boring (to you), tedious, difficult, and probably not applicable to real life. Suck it up. As for your job being repetitive, sure, there are meetings and documentation, but generally, as an Electrical/Computer/Software Engineer (and I know it's the same for my Mechanical counterparts where I've worked), no day of work is the same as another. Every day brings a new and exciting challenge. I might also suggest that you try to spend as much time as you can doing internships, "co-op" jobs, and other work outside of a university setting. This will will give a better taste of what things are like, plus it will help a lot to get a job when you graduate. Stuart
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I'm currently in my first year of Mechanical Engineering but I'm not sure if I'll enjoy ME after graduation. The reason I didn't pick CS, or something similar, is because I thought it would be repetitive, I'd always be working till early in the morning on a project with an impossible deadline and always on the computer. Now I'm starting to think I should have chosen the computing route. I find the 'materials and manufacturing technology' module in ME really boring but the others aren't all that bad-I somewhat enjoy science, maths and design but I only find half of the physics in them interesting. The other students also seem a lot more motivated for this career path than I do so I'm starting to doubt if I really want to do this. I like programming and enjoyed computing in college, but I really don't want to choose a career path that I'd find boring, repetitive and am unmotivated for. So, I just wanted to know-what's computer science, or a similar career, like and, typically, the course in a UK university?
Thanks, Hassan.
I started out doing Aerospace Eng. but switched to Comp Sci after 1 year. Basically I spent most of my time in the 1st year programming games etc as a hobby and fell behind on the engineering coursework etc - of which there was A LOT. For me, it was a smart move - computer science in comparison to Engineering was generally a breeze - there was about 60% the number of lectures and coursework to do, and for me it was all easy and stuff I mostly knew. It covered various advanced topics and specialisms in the 2nd and 3rd years which kept me interested and broadened my knowledge, but I never felt pressured doing something I was not interested in. In retrospect, in some ways it did not discourage my lazy tendencies, which could be a bad thing. However, if I had continued down the engineering path, I might have become overwhelmed and depressed and totally failed... who knows? If you feel you could overcome and become very hardworking and dedicated enough to get through engineering that would probably be a great thing, but if you feel it is getting you down, then a switch to Comp Sci is probably just what the doctor ordered :-) PS... As a follow up, 10 years after I graduated from Computer Science I am a seasoned software developer and enjoy my work. I moved to New York about 7 years ago from the north of England (where I'm from originally) where it is reasonably easy to find software development work as long as you are good, passionate and interview well. Not sure how this might compare to the UK as a whole, but New York is probably similar to London. As a side hobby I still write video games (published my first completed game for the iPad last year) There's not usually that much money in the game industry, unless you are lucky, which is why I have not made it my main career focus.
modified on Monday, January 17, 2011 10:31 AM
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I'm currently in my first year of Mechanical Engineering but I'm not sure if I'll enjoy ME after graduation. The reason I didn't pick CS, or something similar, is because I thought it would be repetitive, I'd always be working till early in the morning on a project with an impossible deadline and always on the computer. Now I'm starting to think I should have chosen the computing route. I find the 'materials and manufacturing technology' module in ME really boring but the others aren't all that bad-I somewhat enjoy science, maths and design but I only find half of the physics in them interesting. The other students also seem a lot more motivated for this career path than I do so I'm starting to doubt if I really want to do this. I like programming and enjoyed computing in college, but I really don't want to choose a career path that I'd find boring, repetitive and am unmotivated for. So, I just wanted to know-what's computer science, or a similar career, like and, typically, the course in a UK university?
Thanks, Hassan.
Any job no matter how exciting will eventually become repetitive. And lets face it, it will be work (as in you will have to put for effort an stress your potential). I often think of an amazing job that I would want to do but then realize that it would take just as much work if not more that what I am currently doing. So what ever you choose it will be work that will become repetitive and boring at some point.
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I'm currently in my first year of Mechanical Engineering but I'm not sure if I'll enjoy ME after graduation. The reason I didn't pick CS, or something similar, is because I thought it would be repetitive, I'd always be working till early in the morning on a project with an impossible deadline and always on the computer. Now I'm starting to think I should have chosen the computing route. I find the 'materials and manufacturing technology' module in ME really boring but the others aren't all that bad-I somewhat enjoy science, maths and design but I only find half of the physics in them interesting. The other students also seem a lot more motivated for this career path than I do so I'm starting to doubt if I really want to do this. I like programming and enjoyed computing in college, but I really don't want to choose a career path that I'd find boring, repetitive and am unmotivated for. So, I just wanted to know-what's computer science, or a similar career, like and, typically, the course in a UK university?
Thanks, Hassan.
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Walt Fair, Jr. wrote:
I've been doing petroleum engineering professionally for 35 years and to me it's at least as interesting as when I graduated. I can't believe they actually pay me to do what I like. I hope you find a profession just as interesting to you!
Walt, Always nice to run into someone else who feels the same way. I've seldom felt that I was "working" as a software engineer. I get paid handsomely do do what I really like to do. What's to hate about that, eh? -Max
Yep, I agree wholeheartedly. I can't imagine being like those people who can't wait for a weekend for 40 years of a career because they can't stand their job. I'd go insane (or maybe just more insane?) if I were in that position!
CQ de W5ALT
Walt Fair, Jr., P. E. Comport Computing Specializing in Technical Engineering Software