Computer Systems question

HungryEmperor

I only got a B2 in ordinary maths in the leaving, how much of the course focuses on Maths because I really did not enjoy my experience in Leaving Cert maths. Is this the right course for me? I have been given a place but honestly didn't expect to get it.

Stuxnet

The maths are handy enough with a bit of work, Im 4th year comp sys, you only do maths in first and second year !

Believe me I felt the same as you, and I didn't even do the leaving back then ! The worst of it was series and sequences for a few weeks, it gets much easier after that.

So dont let it deter you,

wnolan1992

Would agree with Stuxnet there. I'm Computer Games but our Maths are pretty much identical to Comp Sys. I did OL Maths too, loathed HL Maths with a burning passion, and really as long as you work hard at them (especially at the start) you'll be fine.

One bit of advice though: Go to the tutorials in your maths modules. They help a hell of a lot, so don't get disheartened if you don't understand what's going on in the Lectures (seriously, there were days when I didn't understand a single word being said in a Maths lecture but once you start working though a set of problems in a tutorial it becomes clearer).

navosa

I'm dong computer systems this year too, any advice on what to expect as an incoming first year?

chrislad

The programming is going to be tough, if you've never done it before. There's an ICT learning centre in the CSIS with drop in hours where you can get help from other students, normally 3rd and 4th years. Use it. The initial start is the hardest and once you get through first year, doing well with it, you'll be fine.

aineb100

As chrislad said, don't be afraid to use the ICT learning centre.

Be ready to ask for help from your course mates and offer it in return.

Learn the basics at the start well and everything from there will be a bit easier

Chimaera

Are you comfortable with using logic to solve problems? At it's most basic, that's what computer programming comes down to and if you're not comfortable doing that perhaps it's a good idea to consider other options.

ethical

Anyone care to tell me what 2nd year Computer Gamer development is like?
Thanks!

D _what

2nd (going on 3rd) year Comp Sys here! And I agree with Stuxnet and WNolan... even if they're totally golden oldies, sheesh any time I google site:boards.ie comp sys you guys make up half of the posts :P The maths is... overall okay. Definitetly doable but you have to be willing to actually do stuff. We're not saying every week get out the notes and study, but GO to the tutorials, DO some exam questions, ask people (not necessarily the lecturers...) questions, and you'll do fine. Depends on the lecturer actually. In first year first semester we had Davide something something, enthusiastic guy, knew his stuff - but a terrible start to a course. He was frankly terrible. But I don't think he's doing that anymore - if you're interested, it was largely Vectors and Matrices and general 'mathy' math. Afterwards they began to specialise and it was much appreciated - Romina in 2nd sem took Logic and some other fairly straightfoward stuff, with a bit of study (instead of cramming) that subject's an easy A. Then in 2nd year we had Kevin - he may have been new though - doing Probability and Statistics, a bit of a challenge but very easily passed and he was sound out. And if you do games you've to deal with Paddy Healy's Computer Graphics maths eventually, which as far as I know gets difficult but if you make it to that part of the course then you'll be able for it. That's hearsay though since I'm in CS.


General tips: Use the ICT learning center! Go to any help courses they offer, you'll warm up to the guys working there faster and it gives the lecturers that see you in there a good impression.

Talk to the lecturers! They like it and the benefits outweigh the downsides 100% of the time. Particularly when group project mark division is concerned... it helps if the lecturer likes you. Kinda terrible I know but there's a logic to it. Norah's a great person to know (though she'll start targeting her lecture questions at you once she knows what your name is, Hi Norah ) Chris is a brilliant guy all-round and full of interesting information, Annette'll you everything about I.T. in the real world if you prompt her and it's valuable information, Paddy and Nic are very approachable and pretty helpful too, and Michael English is "open to suggestion" when it comes to reviewing your project marks providing you actually bother to talk to him about them! If Dermot is around then he's a must-talk-to kind of person. But use a bit of common sense - they're busy people so schedule a chat to suit them.

Start your study for exams in advance - by second year you'll be wishing you'd have started studying since the start since you'll be too busy getting in project deadlines to bother. And honestly a bit of study outside the classroom makes the subject WAY easier. Study groups (with the right kind of people) help. And accept that the hours that are covered by the timetable are not the same as the hours you will actually be doing - though I'm not sure whether Norah's serious when she says double the hours and that's the course. Study and projects take time but they're not that bad.

GO TO THE LECTURES AND TUTORIALS even when - especially when - you don't like anything about the module. So many people don't, and it's the ones that do that aren't saying things like 'god I hope I pass this'. Rather, they can just b*tch about the fact that sometimes, unfortunately, lecturers are incompetent, and their opinions are thusly backed up by solid evidence. Some of the lecturers will be total write-offs, of course - but then go to the ones in the beginning and middle and then take some justified time off when you need it pre-exams. Note: Most lecturers are good to very good. It's just that the very few ones that aren't stand out more and leave a longer impression.

Expect dropouts. By the end of the first year, you should be able to identify everyone who will 'definitely want to continue the course' no matter what. Everyone else you can assume will dropout eventually, as well as a few of the latter grou, it's just easier to expect it that way. If you're doing the work and still really don't like programming after first year - cut your losses and get out early. It will not get better.


Oh yeah. And last year Second Year Games was almost entirely like Second year Comp Sys, except in first semester you do an oblivion mod group-project-oriented course with Conor Ryan (taught Computer Science to first years). It requires some hours every week and comes with a lot of unforunate b*tching about group members. (And I tried doing this one as an extra module so I think I can have a valid opinion here?) Done right it's a good experience though. Second semester introduces you to Paddy Healy's Comp Graphics, which I WANTED to do but didn't have time for. Some math here. Practical lab work too, in typical Paddy style. Be prepared to get help from people - the topics open a lot of doors job-wise though. Otherwise... umm. It might be different for you but second year was kinda hectic. Michael English's programming module was particularly awkward. Important, but difficult. Norah does some SQL and that can be an easy A with adequate study, her next module is almost entirely theory but it's... manageable. Nicolai does some SQL too and that's pretty good but a lot of people skip it for some reason? :? Chris in second sem does a really fun Android App module with some good theory in there too, it's a blast done right. AND another easy A if you get a good group going. Some people find Computer Networks in second semester interesting... that's the only good thing I can say about it. It was dire from start to finish, okay? I refuse to pull any punches on that one. Oh yeah and Paddy Healy's Operating System course is in hindsight pretty decent (just finished helping a friend study for their repeats, it makes a lot of sense and it's very relevant) but you won't notice that during the lectures because they go really fast and the labs are, uhhh, you'll see for yourself. Paddy himself is sound though and he's open to input and help requests if necessary. Note that the course structures change regularly so my second year could easily be very different to yours - our modules had a lot of third and fourth years doing them, but that can't be the case now because the new third years are the ones that just did those modules.

tl;dr
WORDS

wnolan1992

ethical wrote: »

Anyone care to tell me what 2nd year Computer Gamer development is like?
Thanks!

I'm heading into 3rd year so I'll give a run-down of the 2nd year modules:

Semester 1
CS4013 Object Oriented Development
This is Java. If you did OK in the first year modules, you should do OK here. It basically continues on and shows a bit more advanced stuff. Go to tutorials, do the lab exercises, and work on the project from the start instead of letting go until the last minute and you'll be fine.
I recommend buying the book as well. It's expensive, but honestly, it's a superb resource for Java and you'll use it again and again even after you've finished the module.


CS4023 Operating Systems
I didn't do this. Course changed before I had a chance.

CS4075 Computer Games Programming: Tools and Techniques
This is the Oblivion Mod module. Literally.
The entire module is based around making a mod for Oblivion(or SKyrim). You'll have about four "lectures" altogether and the rest of the time is spent working on your project. Start coming up with a few ideas for a mod now, and even start playing around with the construction set.
You'll need a disk-based version of the game, DO NOT BUY THE STEAM VERSION.
It's very doable, the only drawbacks are it's a group project so you've to deal with all that entails. But if you work hard at it you'll be fine. They don't expect a Triple A game, they just want you to show you can use the CS and have a decent understanding of how to put a level together.
Part of the module also requires doing the documentation for your mod (they'll explain this to you in class). DO IT WELL. Honestly, the difference between a B3 and an A2-A1 can be made up with just this relatively simple stuff. Use the examples given, and put effort into it, don't just half-arse it because you're concentrating on the actual mod.

CS4123 Information Modelling and Specification
I think this is Norah's module that I did, just with a different name. It's a very handy module. Go to lectures, go to labs and tutorials. They really do help when it comes to studying for the exam.
Do the assignments. All of them. And work on them during the week as opposed to letting it go until last minute.
I don't really remember the actual content of the course so I won't gio into it further in case I confuse both you and me. :P

MA4413 Statistics for Computing
The module code gives it away, Maths.
This is, again, a fine module. See my post on Maths earlier in the thread. All that applies here.


Semester 2
CS4004 Software Testing and Inspection
This is a great module. Go to lectures and fill in the notes, they're important when it comes to exam time. If there's a guest lecture, GO, and TAKE NOTES. It will be examined in the exam. Ditto for ANY handouts she gives.
This is a module where going to tutorials is the difference between passing and failing. Go. Every week. She does great examples and they help immensely.
Do not be afraid to ask her if you don't understand something. She'll go through it again no bother.

CS4084 Mobile Application Development
Thought this was a first year module?
Either way, I haven't done it.

CS4416 Database Systems
No idea. Haven't done this. Guess it's databases. :P

EE4013 Computer Networks
This. Is. DULL.
It's not hard, it's just not that exciting. It's all about internet, protocols, networking hardware, etc.
Go to Labs. And sign in every week. The labs are worth 30% of the moduel (25% attendance, 5% simple lab exam in week 11/12). The labs are easy, but don't make the mistake of not going just because you think they're easy.
Tutorials are helpful to a point.

...

And last, but not least...

My nemesis...

CS4815 Computer Graphics
OK, straight up, I failed this. Bad. I also failed the repeat exam.
I linked in, and got an A2.
Wanna know what I did differently second time around?
I worked. Hard.
Seriously, this has the potential to be a killer module. There's lots of vectors, matrices, odd concepts, formulae, Paddy's style of teaching to overcome.
It's doable. It really is, but you need to work at it. Go to labs, submit EVERY lab assignment. Even if you can't do it, SUBMIT SOMETHING. You get attendance marks and they're better than nothing. If you go into a lab, and you read down through the sheet and you kind of know how to do the first part, and not a clue how to do the last parts, DO THE FIRST PART. It'll get you going and it'll get you marks.
Go to tutorials. I know I sound like a broken record here, but seriously, these tutorials will help you over the line if you're struggling, especially if ye get a decent TA.
The labs are done through C and C++, which you probably haven't touched yet, but it's fine, just read through the sample code he gives and be sure and understand it. If you don't understand something, ask the TA. Failing that, email Paddy himself. Paddy is one of the best lecturers in the department to help you out if you're stuck.




TL;DR -> Second Year is fine if you work. Go to labs, tutorials, do your assignments and put efrfort into them.



Also, I agree with basically everything D_what says. (Apart from calling me old that is! :mad:)

chrislad

I did Mobile Application Development (finished with an A1) - if Chris Exton is doing it again, it's a fun module. Great lectures to start you off, but expect do do a lot of reading (stackoverflow, ftw!) to do a decent project. Our project was a DIY one, where you just had to make any app using Eclipse and the Android SDK.

Operating Systems is tough. There's a lot of abstraction on it. I was lucky and scraped a B1 due to a easy enough exam paper in comparison to previous years. There's about 15% of the module for C programming in the labs, another 15% for the mid term. It's not impossible but to get a good mark, you need to be at the lectures and the tutorials. Labs are essentially mandatory as it's the only place to get help with the C stuff.

D _what

Okay, maybe you're not *THAT* old. I don't know. (Obligatory "some of my best friends are old.." comment) The thing about boards and CSIS is that people who do a CSIS course are more likely to chat on forums, so there's a disproportionately high number of CS guys on here. And given that our numbers are already so small, I find myself constantly wondering: Do I Know These People Already???

Also IIRC Norah browses Boards sometimes. If (this) == true, what are the chances that she compiles this thread into a Comp Sys/Computer Games: User guide? :B After whiting out the occasional lecturer-bashing and shameless boot licking. GOSH GUYS ISN'T NORAH GREAT

I would add some information on the two Comp Sys specific 2nd year courses but the first (E-Business) was a bit thrown together (it was interesting, but it became clear quickly that it was the first year it had been taught that way, I think it's supposed to be a combination of 4th year's old elective E-Business and old 2nd year's Document Architectures - with an impromptu final exam and sprinkle of HTML added). And Annette's Software Development Project would simply take too long to describe adequately. (for older CS guys: I think this used to be taught by Conor. It's probably the CS equivalent of Games' Tools and Techniques module.) The two are linked though - Certainly the guys going into 3rd year LM110 haven't had ANY web language modules yet... which sucks if they're into HTML5 browser games.

I think I went off track a bit. Thread Summary for future browsers: A strong knowledge of Higher Level Math (or even decent Ordinary Level) is not needed, but is appreciated. What IS needed is the drive to work at it if you find you're struggling, and a head that won't go *phut* if faced with a few numbers and|or a logical quandary. (Superb English skills are, alas, a valuable and rare if not sought-after commodity. I am truly wasted.)