Computer Science UCD or Computational Thinking Maynooth

Aspiring

Hi, I'm doing my leaving cert next year and have narrowed my top 2 choices down to these to but really can't decide which is my number 1.

Points wise UCD has less points (UCD 470, Maynooth 520) , but this is because the Maynooth course only has less than 15 places. The UCD course is 4 years whereas the Maynooth one is 3.

I'm mostly interested in becoming a software developer and don't really care much for the hardware side of things.

The only thing swaying me towards UCD would be there is more people doing the course and I like the UCD campus. And of course there seems to be a huge problem with getting accommodation in Maynoot.

What do you think?
UCD Comp. Science Qualifax Page
Maynooth Comp. Thinking Qualifax Page

yoho139

I'd say go for UCD. You can specialise later into something more software based, without locking into one specific thing from the start.

Corvo Attano

Give us your rationale behind your two choices. I might be able to help since I'm in 1st year CS&IT in NUIG.

If you are looking for a more programming based course then UCD is the right one there since the one in NUIM has less emphasis on software development and more on maths and abstract logical thought.

But why are there your only 2?

Squidgy Black

Generally you don't actually go into software development properly until your final year of the majority of CS courses, it tends to be one of the optional modules.

randylonghorn

Aspiring wrote: »

Points wise UCD has less points (UCD 470, Maynooth 520) , but this is because the Maynooth course only has less than 15 places. The UCD course is 4 years whereas the Maynooth one is 3.

I'm mostly interested in becoming a software developer and don't really care much for the hardware side of things.

The only thing swaying me towards UCD would be there is more people doing the course and I like the UCD campus. And of course there seems to be a huge problem with getting accommodation in Maynoot.

What do you think?
UCD Comp. Science Qualifax Page
Maynooth Comp. Thinking Qualifax Page

They're very different degrees.

Ok, computers and programming and software development come into both, but they're very different degrees in terms of underlying philosophy and approach.

UCD's is a more "mainstream" approach for want of a better word. I'm not a CS person, Corvo and Co. could probably tell you more on this, but as far as I know it's a well-regarded degree in its field with a good record for graduate placement (admittedly, CS is one of the very few fields in Ireland at the moment where the job market is positive, but that applies across the board).

NUIM do a "mainstream" CS degree as well. This one is relatively new and quite different though. It focuses on learning how to think, both logically and creatively, and you will have input from not just CS and Maths departments but also from Philosophy.

From their own description:

The BSc in Computational Thinking provides an accelerated route through the essentials of theoretical computer science and their mathematical foundations. Further, it explores core themes in philosophy which ground the field and connect it with the broader agenda of a liberal education that seeks to understand and analyse human knowledge and thinking.

The structure of the degree has been informed by feedback from leading companies in the computing industry, who emphasise the need for graduates with critical thinking skills.

In this degree you will acquire hands-on programming skills and advanced problem-solving techniques, and you will learn to think logically and analytically when approaching complex issues.

(The underlining is my own, Aspiring, and more for Corvo and _Tyrrell_, who will have known me to rant on about issues like these recently, and may as a result understand why I personally like this type of approach.)

Btw, I'm not trying to suggest that any CS department won't be trying to encourage problem-solving and logical thinking among its students; ofc they will, and I've heard CS lecturers (as indeed staff from other departments) moan about the difficulty of getting students to grapple with this, and move from an emphasis (encouraged by the LC in modern times unfortunately) on facts and remembering to understanding and questioning and thinking critically.

The difference is that for most CS courses it's something they try to do along the way, and which can slip through the cracks despite their best efforts, whereas this course is pretty much organised around that central emphasis.

And that, I suspect, will be quite tough and challenging for students. If you're the type of person who finds it much easier to remember what you understand, who will spend hours wrestling with a puzzle, or find that your brain goes off on a canter of its own at times, and starts trying to find links between things in everyday life, and the logic behind them, you have a good headstart. If you're the type of person who likes to be given reams of "good" notes in your subjects, and will happily memorise them, you will struggle much more with this approach.

On a practical level, bear in mind that as you pointed out yourself it's a course which takes small numbers, partly because there are elements of the course which I suspect rely on small group interaction between students and staff. Points were 500 in 2012; 520 in 2013; while I hate trying to predict points, it's a mug's game, let's just say that I wouldn't be hugely surprised to see them creep up another bit this year.

Aspiring

Thanks lads for the replies. Think I'll go with the UCD course. Was talking to the head of CS there or whatever he's called, he was saying its pretty much all on the software side of things which is what I want. The Comp. Thinking Degree will still be my second choice, but the only way I would actually get it would be if the points for UCD go up over what I get and Comp. Thinking at Maynooth goes down the same year, which I can't see happening.

decisions

Why not Computer science in Maynooth? Why are you thinking of computational thinking? If you have a keen interest in being a software engineer, then CT is not really what you want to be studying as they gloss over a fair amount of software stuff. If software is your main interest then I don't see why CT would be your second choice

Aspiring

decisions wrote: »

Why not Computer science in Maynooth? Why are you thinking of computational thinking? If you have a keen interest in being a software engineer, then CT is not really what you want to be studying as they gloss over a fair amount of software stuff. If software is your main interest then I don't see why CT would be your second choice

Fair point, I haven't been to many open days so I don't know many courses yet. I'll be up in Maynooth around the end of the month and will have a look at what's on offer there. I just happened to know about CT from talking to somebody doing it and it sounded really interesting, also the website for it says "In this degree you will acquire hands-on programming skills and advanced problem-solving techniques." so I was under the impression it would be a suitable choice.

decisions

Its a great course I know someone doing it, but I'm not sure its what you are looking for.

If you have any qs about Nuim just ask, I'm a 1st yr science student.

Corvo Attano

Shh she's full of propaganda for NUIM. Don't listen to her. Now NUIG is where it's at.

Source: In CS&IT lecture now.

Aspiring

Corvo Attano wrote: »

Shh she's full of propaganda for NUIM. Don't listen to her. Now NUIG is where it's at.

Source: In CS&IT lecture now.

Nice haha, was it any good?

Corvo Attano

Today it was about the heart in medical informatics and ECG's. Good enough like :pac:

Aspiring

Corvo Attano wrote: »

Today it was about the heart in medical informatics and ECG's. Good enough like :pac:

How wonderful haha Oh yeah somewhat off topic, when getting a laptop for Comp. Science anywhere what kind of specs would be a minimum. UCD have 4GB RAM minimum listed on their site but that's all I think. I was looking at one 8GB RAM with a 2.6ghz Intel i5 3230 processor. Would that be enough for Java/C programming etc. For specs higher than that they to be quite pricey...

Corvo Attano

Aspiring wrote: »

How wonderful haha Oh yeah somewhat off topic, when getting a laptop for Comp. Science anywhere what kind of specs would be a minimum. UCD have 4GB RAM minimum listed on their site but that's all I think. I was looking at one 8GB RAM with a 2.6ghz Intel i5 3230 processor. Would that be enough for Java/C programming etc. For specs higher than that they to be quite pricey...

Grab two big potatoes. That I'll do ya.

Seriously though programming isnt very hard on the system unless your compiling some monster program which wont be happening in 1st or 2nd year.

I got mine for about 600 which has an i5, GTX 630M, 8GB of RAM and 750GB HDD. More than enough. Also dont get a screen bigger than 15" other wise the thing gets very heavy, takes up too much space and the battery lasts about two minutes.

Tell me your budget and priorites and I'll try point you in the right direction

Squidgy Black

First two years of college you can probably run the programs we use on something from Vtech to be perfectly honest.

Aspiring

Corvo Attano wrote: »

Grab two big potatoes. That I'll do ya.

Seriously though programming isnt very hard on the system unless your compiling some monster program which wont be happening in 1st or 2nd year.

I got mine for about 600 which has an i5, GTX 630M, 8GB of RAM and 750GB HDD. More than enough. Also dont get a screen bigger than 15" other wise the thing gets very heavy, takes up too much space and the battery lasts about two minutes.

Tell me your budget and priorites and I'll try point you in the right direction

< €500 or a little bit over

_Tyrrell_ wrote: »

First two years of college you can probably run the programs we use on something from Vtech to be perfectly honest.

I have a Vtech, I'm sorted so!

Corvo Attano

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lenovo-G500S-15-6-inch-Laptop-Black/dp/B00DPES0O6/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1384549954&sr=1-1&keywords=laptops
http://www.amazon.co.uk/X550CA-XX275H-15-6-inch-Notebook-i5-3337U-Integrated/dp/B00F43D29E/ref=sr_1_6?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1384549954&sr=1-6&keywords=laptops

These two are everything you need and in the 500 mark.

Aspiring

Corvo Attano wrote: »

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lenovo-G500S-15-6-inch-Laptop-Black/dp/B00DPES0O6/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1384549954&sr=1-1&keywords=laptops
http://www.amazon.co.uk/X550CA-XX275H-15-6-inch-Notebook-i5-3337U-Integrated/dp/B00F43D29E/ref=sr_1_6?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1384549954&sr=1-6&keywords=laptops

These two are everything you need and in the 500 mark.

Nice thank you! Think I've seen that Lenovo one on laptopsdirect but wasn't sure about it because of the processor, whereas the Asus there has an Intel Core i5 which apparently is good. Is there really much difference?

Corvo Attano

Really for what you'll be doing in 1st and 2nd and maybe 3rd there wont.

Now if you want to run more hardcore stuff like AutoCAD or render video then you'll have a problem. The Pentium wont have a look in on the i series in areas like multi threading and general speed however it will defo do the job and at over 100 pounds less I would seriously consider that Lenovo. They are a great brand and the rest of them specs are great assuming you dont want to do and intense gaming cause it has no card.