CA 4th year Subjects

The Bobster

So the time has come for me to choose my subjects for my final year and am looking for ex CA opinions. It turns out that there are too many subjects I would think about doing in semester 1 and not enough in semester 2. The subjects are:

Semester 1

• Security Protocols
  
• Database 2: Protocols and Systems
  
• Operations Research
  
• Digital Image Processing 1
  
• Concurrent Programming
  
• Multimedia Information Retrieval
  
• Cryptography
  
• Computer Graphics
  
• Software Quality Assurance

Semester 2:

• Operations Research/Management Science
  
• Statistical Machine Translation
  
• Software Process Improvement
  
• Distributed Programming
  
• Multimedia Technology
  
• Compiler Construction 2

In first semester I was think of Graphics and cryptography although I hear that they are very hard. I was also planning on doing AI but that doesn't seem to be on this year which is a shame. I was then looking at image processing as I am thinking of doing my project on something that will involve alot of it. Other possibilities would be security protocols or maybe information retrieval.

In semester two the only one that jumps out is multimedia technology but I am not even sure what that would involve and there isn't even any description. Also I presume that compiler construction 2 will be a continuation of some sort of the one in semester 1 which is compulsory.


Well that was a long post but any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

public_enemy

Graphics and Cryptography are traditionally considered the hardest two, but as with most things in CA, if you work at it you'll probably be ok. I didn't do either of them myself, but most of my friends who did got through in the end.

Security Protocols I found fairly tough in parts, the assignment takes a good deal of work and deals with some awkward formulas, but I did manage to pass it so it can't be too bad.

Concurrent Programming wasn't too difficult, some problems that can be tough to get your head around at first but mostly ok. The project, as I recall, was sort of a progression from the work in OS in third year.

I didn't do Digital Image Processing, but friends who did enjoyed it and said the lecturer was quite good. Matlab is involved, so I assume it has a fair amount of maths to it.

Software Quality Assurance and Software Process Improvement are both very easy, there's no coding involved so if you're good at waffling, business language and constructing diagrams that look reasonably legitimate there are plenty of marks to be had here. They're quite boring though. Multimedia Information Retrieval is interesting, but also rather easy and involves no coding.

Compiler Construction 1 is pretty good but the assignments get progressively harder and do take a fair amount of work to figure out. Very few people did Compiler Construction 2 in my year (as far as I can remember).

OR seemed popular among the IS crowd (might have been compulsory for them?) and I think the general opinion was that it wasn't too difficult. I can't tell you anything much about Multimedia Technology, sorry.

Hope some of that helps. There are a few older threads here about CA4 if you search through the archives that might give you more details, I remember checking them out before I chose my subjects. I repeated externally last year, so some of the course material may have changed a bit in that time and I understand some of the exams have gotten harder, therefore not everything I've posted here is guaranteed to still be accurate.

andrew163

They seem to have made a few odd changes to the course there. I never did crypto in 4th year, but I did something similar as part of a masters (same lecturer, parts of the course were related) and it is quite difficult. If you work at it though, you'll get through it.

I did Security Protocols - there's a lot of stuff to learn off there, and the continuous assessment is a bit tricky in places, but it's mostly alright. Just be prepared to spend a few days in front of your notes trying to stuff the various protocols into your brain.

Compiler Construction 2 is very hard. Really interesting, but hard. The continuous assessment for my year was to write the business end of a compiler for a Java-like language (the slightly easier end was done in compiler construction 1), which was really, really difficult. However, the upside is that if you can get your mind around that much of it (mine never fully worked, but bits of it did what they were meant to) you'll find the exam a bit easier. Also, if you do choose this module, I highly recommend that you buy/beg for/borrow the book to go with the course (Modern Compiler Construction in Java or something like that) - it's probably the main reason I passed.

SQA and SPI, as was said, seemed relatively easy.

Pity they got rid of AI. I can see why (tiny numbers of people did it, and most of the people who did it never showed up to lectures - most lectures was just me and one other guy), but it was fairly interesting, and some of the concepts you learn there (Markov models, etc) are useful in other areas.

If I was to send myself some advice back in time about this, I'd say don't pick the subjects that sound interesting. Pick the ones that sound easy (even if they're more boring). You'll come out with the exact same degree as the people who did the difficult ones, only you'll have spent less time tearing your hair out during the exam study period, and you'll probably have a better overall grade.

simonw

I did Concurrent, Digital image processing and OR in the first semester, and OR2, Distrib, and multimedia 2 in semester 2.

Concurrent was Java and a toy language called SR, it was grand really, just dining philosophers, byzantine generals and those kind of algorithms, and I found the CA for the class handy enough.

DSP with Alistair Sutherland was pretty interesting, but I think everyone in the class was disappointed with their results. Still, I was glad I did it.

I did the 2 OR's because they're the kind of thing you can work at and get a first - no waffley stuff, you either know it or you don't. The exam was pretty predictable, and once you do the first module, you've half of the work for the second one done.

Multimedia 2 was with Stephen Blott, and was probably my favourite module in 4th year. Its all about image/video encoding and compression and stuff like that. The CA was to write an implementation of one of the compression algorithms you do on the course. Didn't do brilliantly in this marks wise, but worth doing I thought. The 2 OR modules balanced out my DSP and Multimedia 2 marks.

Distributed was pretty outdated when I did it, we did an old Java framework called JINI which was already a dead technology. We did a tiny bit of web services at the end which was tacked on. Hopefully the course has been updated. Besides that, the CA was hard enough, I think alot of people didn't get it finished.

From what other lads in my class were saying at the time, SPI and SQA were handy waffley numbers, Multimedia 1 (all about information storage and retrieval) and Databases were DULL, and Graphics, compilers 2, Crypto and security protocols were pretty tough.

Statistical Machine Translation wasn't on the course when I did it, but I imagine it's an Andy Way type of thing, so I'd consider it based on how you did in his other modules.

If you're all about marks, I'd recommend the 2 OR modules, SQA and SPI, and then whatever you're having yourself. Otherwise, I'd choose one of those pairs as a bit of a backup and pick 2 modules which you're actually interested in. Even if you don't get great marks, you'll probably learn something, and at least you have the back up of the easier subjects to bring your grade up. You can also probably use it to sell yourself in interviews by explaining that you chose some of the harder subjects because you liked the topics and wanted to be challenged yadda yadda yadda.

BTW, I think security protocols was the follow on from crypto the year I did it, so maybe check that.

Security Protocols is fine. The second continuous assessment I found to be hard enough. This is essential if you have any interest in networking or security.

Concurrent Programming's exam I barely passed because SR combined with incorrect notes confused me to no end, but the continuous assessment was easy to get a first in.

Multimedia Information Retrieval isn't that interesting but it's easy. It'd a good choice if you want to know exactly how multimedia (text, images, video, audio) can be stored, analysed and retrieved automatically.

Cryptography is very difficult but it's fantastic. Mike Scott is a great lecturer. I spent by far the most time on this module and got 60 something; it requires a lot of work and decent mathematical ability (which I never knew I had until crypto).

Distributed Programming was woeful, I thought. The exam is fine, but the continuous assessment uses an ancient Java framework which is very poorly documented and difficult to understand at first, and the lectures are pretty boring.

Multimedia Technology is great. Very interesting, excellent notes, enthusiastic lecturer and it has real-world applications. The exam is tricky but the continuous assessment isn't difficult to get a first in.