2nd Year CompSci

Xhristy

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just improve your basic java programming skills would be my advice as i found it to be a big step up in second year and struggled.Databases and multimedia were handy though

rainbow kirby

Agree with flynner, just make sure you're ready to hit the ground running with your Java programming as this is probably the biggest hurdle for people in 2nd year. Databases and Multimedia are really easy, the hard part is staying awake in 9am databases lectures. Thank the good dude for coffee
Project Euler has some interesting problems to look at (and it's a good way to get some solid Java practise in) but the site appears to be down at the moment.

Also, I think Dave will come over and slap you if you don't do CogSci

remus808

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Project Euler has some interesting problems to look at

Interesting?? I nearly fell asleep just looking at them.. god I hate math.

Speaking of which I'm thinking the same of you in terms of self-improvement over the summer, I just finished 2nd year so I should really be able to help you.. Can't think of anything though.. Definitely make sure your up to scratch in Java though. DSA can be tough.

dhaddock

Yeh I'm starting to think Dave is Fred Cummins at this stage

For Datastructures 1 and 2 just make sure your programming is up to standard. Read up on Generics as it'll be there from the start and know inheritance etc

For Web Multimedia play around with image editing (think its paint shop pro you use for the practicals) and read a book/website on HTML and CSS. JavaScript is easy if you can program and it isn't necessary to read any books on it to get an A in the course. You'll only need to write some basic functions for the practicals.

Discrete Maths like all of Henry's courses so far I absolutely hated. No lecture slides/moodle/blackboard. So you better make sure you go to lectures or you'll be fooked! You can't really read up on it though I scoured the internet for something to help me out but I didn't find anything.

Databases was boring but easy. The exam is exactly the same every year too. Play around with Microsoft Access and it's an easy A too.

Software Engineering was fun but make sure you pick a team who can all program and care about the course or you'll end up doing ALOT of programming yourself only to share the grade :mad: So for this just read up. Its a big step up from Robocode but doable if you put in the effort

Anyway hope that helps.

rainbow kirby

karmabass wrote: »

Interesting?? I nearly fell asleep just looking at them.. god I hate math.

I just suggested them as a way of keeping up some programming proficiency over the summer. Then again, I'm also a huge maths geek so what I find interesting may be different to others :pac:

Also agree with what dhaddock says about Software Engineering - when I was in 2nd year I joined a group with people I was friends with, but who were lazy as hell. There were only 2 of us in the group doing any work by the end of it!

Xhristy

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Dave!

Yes I am indeed Fred Cummins! Do my course!

As others mentioned, work on your programming skills. In particular familiarise yourself with the object-oriented approach! The programming classes in first year were easy, but most (all?) of them that I recall just used one class with a main method. That kinda skewed my idea of what programming is.

From second year onwards it's all object-oriented. It's not difficult once you understand and are familiar with that approach, but I certainly didn't understand it enough in 2nd year and consequently I struggled a bit with the programming classes.

It's only in third year with the 'object oriented programming' C++ module that I began to get a grasp of OO design, and that made everything alot easier. I actually used to wonder why I did badly in second year, because I always thought I had a good understanding of programming, etc. I reckon now that it's cos I didn't 'get' OO programming.

As for the other classes....

COMP20020 - Digital Systems
-Dunno, didn't do that

COMP20030 - Web Multimedia: An Overview
-This one's easy if you know anything about web design, html, etc. There's a sh*tload of tutorials on the internet, so just continue to look at things like HTML, CSS, javascript. Make a few websites yourself, cos that's what the main project is at the end (IIRC...)

COMP20070 - Databases and Information Systems I
-I wouldn't bother looking at this before you start... I found it quite hard personally, but others found it easy. Nevertheless, I don't think anybody has experience of the material before starting, so you'll all be in the same boat.

COMP20110 - Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science
-didn't do it

COMP20050 - Software Engineering Project 2
-Object oriented programming Dunno who's taking this class now


BTW, I wouldn't recommend Computer Forensics for an elective. Too much work required, for an elective. And your attendance is (allegedly) taken into account when deciding your final grade, so you need to attend most lectures. Nahhh Intro to Psychology (think that's the name) is good, I'd go for that for your other one, if possible.

rainbow kirby

Also, don't forget the elective "soft option" of taking a language course. I did 3 semesters of Japanese and loved it.

Digital Systems is one of those subjects that people either love or hate (with a greater percentage hating it). When I did it, attendance was very low for this one on Friday mornings, and Damien Dalton would always start the class with sarky comments about our drinking habits. He doesn't teach it any more though, I believe Chris Bleakley does and Chris is a better lecturer anyway. Personally I find hardware subjects boring as hell, but each to their own.

remus808

rainbow kirby wrote: »

when I was in 2nd year I joined a group with people I was friends with, but who were lazy as hell. There were only 2 of us in the group doing any work by the end of it!

Snap!

remus808

Speaking of which, I hear there's no Software Engineering project for 3rd years next year, quite pissed off with that to be honest, despite the workload it was my favourite module this year, made me much better at programming.

Dave!

Yeah, think Tony said that next year they'll be doin a compiler creation class or somethin? Somethin comparatively dull anyways

rainbow kirby

karmabass wrote: »

Speaking of which, I hear there's no Software Engineering project for 3rd years next year, quite pissed off with that to be honest, despite the workload it was my favourite module this year, made me much better at programming.

Bad idea. 3rd year software engineering project is a lot of work, but it's definitely one of the more useful modules taken in 3rd year. I can see this leaving people at a disadvantage in final year when they come to their final year projects.

TDOie

Damn fellow second years! Trying to get ahead of me! I'll show you! I'll show you all! :pac:

Raphael

Xhristy wrote: »

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Fun story, a guy I know convinced the lecturer to let him use Python instead of Alice he hated it so much.

TDOie

Alice was so buggy that files made on version 2.0 (the stable release) wouldnt work on properly on version 2.2 (beta) yet they corrected on Version 2.2 , recommended Mac and Windows users use it but us Linux users got crapped all over because we had to use 2.0 and nobody realised the huge problems with the version differences till 2 weeks ago.

conchubhar1

dunno if this needs a new thread but


what would be the least maths-y type module for someone with no past modules done? any year
thanks

conbob

go visit your missus where she lives. meet the in laws and all that. surprise her be romantic. beats computer work i thinks :pac:

remus808

Raphael wrote: »

Fun story, a guy I know convinced the lecturer to let him use Python instead of Alice he hated it so much.

How does that work?

He just did a different project?

dhaddock

I'd guess that because he knows Python and therefore the basics of programming, he wouldn't need to use that ALICE thing. Looking at the video on its website it seems boring as hell.

remus808

dhaddock wrote: »

I'd guess that because he knows Python and therefore the basics of programming, he wouldn't need to use that ALICE thing. Looking at the video on its website it seems boring as hell.

I know, but he's hardly going to render a 3D engine in Python?

Xhristy

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Raphael

karmabass wrote: »

I know, but he's hardly going to render a 3D engine in Python?

*shrug* I don't know the specifics, tbh.

Zounds

karmabass wrote: »

I know, but he's hardly going to render a 3D engine in Python?

He built two 2d games using the pygame module.

WellCultured

Data Structures and Algorithms I-II - Improve your java. Start using eclipse if you don't already.

Digital Systems - You need to know all the stuff from COMP10040 really well, conversion from different number systems, multimedia logic etc However you don't actually learn much more than you did in COMP10040.

Web Multimedia: An Overview - learn HTML, mess around in paint shop pro, photoshop. This module is incredibly easy.

Databases and Information Systems I - I wouldn't bruden yourself with this ove rthe summer, its really dull. As for next semester: Go to the labs, do all the assessments each week as they all build up to the project, if you do all the non marked assignment then when it comes to the project it'll be a lot easier.

Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science - This is a fun module!

Software Engineering Project 2 - Get on a team with people who show up to college regularly and actually work.

Computer Forensics - I really liked this module, but as others have said there is a lot of continuous assessment and attendance is monitored. However, the course content is interesting if a bit basic and the exam is really easy.

Cog Sci - This is a really interesting subject! i'd recommend it.

TDOie

WellCultured wrote: »

Data Structures and Algorithms I-II - Improve your java. Start using eclipse if you don't already.

Digital Systems - You need to know all the stuff from COMP10040 really well, conversion from different number systems, multimedia logic etc However you don't actually learn much more than you did in COMP10040.

Web Multimedia: An Overview - learn HTML, mess around in paint shop pro, photoshop. This module is incredibly easy.

Databases and Information Systems I - I wouldn't bruden yourself with this ove rthe summer, its really dull. As for next semester: Go to the labs, do all the assessments each week as they all build up to the project, if you do all the non marked assignment then when it comes to the project it'll be a lot easier.

Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science - This is a fun module!

Software Engineering Project 2 - Get on a team with people who show up to college regularly and actually work.

Computer Forensics - I really liked this module, but as others have said there is a lot of continuous assessment and attendance is monitored. However, the course content is interesting if a bit basic and the exam is really easy.

Cog Sci - This is a really interesting subject! i'd recommend it.

How big are the teams in Soft Eng Project 2?

WellCultured

TDOie wrote: »

How big are the teams in Soft Eng Project 2?

It varies, in my year it was teams of 3, this year i believe it was teams of 4-5.

Another useful thing second years should know if you get Joe Kiniry for any module be prepared to learn everything yourself, seriously i'd even recommend not going to his lectures.

TDOie

WellCultured wrote: »

It varies, in my year it was teams of 3, this year i believe it was teams of 4-5.

Another useful thing second years should know if you get Joe Kiniry for any module be prepared to learn everything yourself, seriously i'd even recommend not going to his lectures.

Cheers for the help. Thank god you get to pick ur teams. I already know who I'll have on mine! :pac:

Im currently teaching myself C/C++ and plan on expanding my java over the summer too. aswell as expanding my Unix/BSD/Linux knowledge

WellCultured

You won't have to use C++ until 3rd year but its good to know.

carf

Is there anything specific students who didn't do denominated Comp Sci should focus on over the summer?
I didn't do the software project (10050) or Formal Foundations (10070). Will this be a big disadvantage?

Thanks, and great suggestions for background work already!

Dave!

Improve your java in general
http://www.java2s.com/Tutorial/Java/CatalogJava.htm

Learn about object oriented programming
http://www.devshed.com/c/a/Java/Java-and-ObjectOriented-Programming/

Familiarise yourself with data structures and algorithms.
Lists, trees, graphs, arrays, queues, etc. - DS
sorting, searching, etc. - algorithms
http://www.jdsl.org/

I'd invest in the Lafore book if I were you. I found it very good, and still refer back to it frequently.
http://www.ebookmall.com/ebook/178257-ebook.htm

Several of the solutions for assignments are lifted straight from the book. You're allowed to use your book during most of the tutorials, and there's a standard way to implement most of them, which is in the Lafore book. It's important that you understand all of the sh*t though, rather than just being able to do it. This is important because the written exams are a motherf*cker for Rem's class.