Programming?

[luce.rocks]

luce if you want to do a course for interest and self improvement sake and you've shown little interest in maths or computing up to this point how do you know if it will capture your interest in the future?

You also said you couldn't handle anything too heavy.

Personally I would choose something I know interests me and I know I will enjoy, and where the load is lighter.

Just being practical.

Oh, when I said I couldn't handle anything too heavy, I probably should have said 'too time-intensive'. I'm generally pretty good at maths and science, I just haven't done anything mathsy since high school. Although, I did a Cert IV in Audio Engineering out of interest a few years back, not that that really counts. But I'm pretty good with logic (studied philosophy and law), so hopefully that will help.

Anyhow, the problem with the tafe course was that it wasn't face to face, and I really do better when I have to turn up to tutorials, can talk about ideas, ask questions, etc.. So the course at the local uni is probably better for me.

And if I don't like it, I can drop out. No shame in that

 

[robbiejuve]

Why dont you do some free courses online to see if you like it? google brings up heaps of options and then you can learn in your own time.

I have a similar interest and I learnt quite a bit of java for free online and then picked up some discounted online courses ($10 through Udemy - came up on OzBargains) to learn other things I was interested in like android apps and more advanced java.

Based on what I learnt for free and discounted online courses I had enough knowledge to start building simple applications and thats when you really have some fun by letting your imagination run wild.

I'm still a newbie, hopefully I will learn enough to one day build a game where I can throw property spruikers through the air like angry birds.

 

[S.T]

Have to agree with the others that have talked about CS being so heavily maths involved. Might be a good idea to do some type of bridging course to brush up on advanced maths prior.

 

[luce.rocks]

Have to agree with the others that have talked about CS being so heavily maths involved. Might be a good idea to do some type of bridging course to brush up on advanced maths prior.

I don't want to sound like a douche, but the indicative ATAR for this course is only 65. Surely the kids going into it aren't maths geniuses?

Anyhow, there are only two maths subjects. The first one sounds kind of like a bridging course and the second one sounds like some of the maths I did for year 12 with a bit of extra stuff thrown in.

http://www.csu.edu.au/handbook/handbook14/subjects/MTH105.html
http://www.csu.edu.au/handbook/handbook14/subjects/MTH129.html

We'll see how much I remember and how much I struggle with it.

 

[Strannik]

programming is fun if you enjoy solving problems
i wouldn't go to uni to learn it though, it's about as useful as buying a textbook

TAFE would be a much better choice imho

 

[S.T]

I don't want to sound like a douche, but the indicative ATAR for this course is only 65. Surely the kids going into it aren't maths geniuses?

Anyhow, there are only two maths subjects. The first one sounds kind of like a bridging course and the second one sounds like some of the maths I did for year 12 with a bit of extra stuff thrown in.

http://www.csu.edu.au/handbook/handbook14/subjects/MTH105.html
http://www.csu.edu.au/handbook/handbook14/subjects/MTH129.html

We'll see how much I remember and how much I struggle with it.

Yeh sorry would depend on Uni and subjects, was just going off my personal experience as I was going to do CS at Monash here in Melb and have a strong maths background (Maths A & B at high school, plus 2 years of Mech Eng) and I would have opted for a bridging course, but it had been some time since I'd done serious studies.

 

[BayView]

Heck, I only got a smart phone last year...

Heck, I don't have one yet.

First world prob

 

[jrc77]

Reading this thread while on a IT conference in Las Vegas ... IT does have some benefits

 

[datto]

From memory the maths is only in the first year. There is also an accounting subject. At UWS they gave me a 5 day refresher in maths but I still dropped out.