Uni Advice

[old.Bill Gates]

Hello, I realise this is very off topic but i figured theres alot of ppl here who are in the same situation as me or have been through it.

Basically the 6 uni's i will apply to, to do Computer Science are(in no particular order)

Exeter
Warwick
Umist
Bournemouth(software engineering)
Imperial
Teeside(comp games)

thing is

1) anyone been to these uni's, and have anything to say about them?
2) i was thinking u would learn C++ programming at uni on comp sci courses, but nearly all i've looked at are java

is java better then C++ ? i haven't really heard much about it.

cheers.

 

[Testin da Cable]

java vs. C?
depends mate, what you intend to code.
par example an FPS in java would suck, and a platform independent applet thingy in C would be difficult

 

[old.D R E ad]

No offense, but that an odd choice of Uni's for computing. The ones that are good but the cities they are in are very dull. You are there to sudy at the end of the day, but study is just part of the University experience. It won't be until the second sem of the second year and the final year that you will really have do some serious work. The rest will be meeting new people, messing about, getting pissed, clubing and having lots of sex.
I went to Leeds (which im going back to next year to do my MSc) which not only has one of the most highly regarded computing courses but probably the most fun city in the UK at the mo (London is way to expensive to have a lot of fun without rich parents or a part time job).

Anyway, as for programming languages;

Actual coding is a small part of most computing courses but most courses will have some C++ on. The rest will be a lot of boring stuff like system spec, analyisis, design etc. Its the most popular language and the best way for learning an OO (object oriented) language if you are serious about a job in software development. Java will be easy after you have learned about classes, objects, inheritance and polymorphism etc which you will do if you do C++ as they are 'must know' concepts. Java can be a hard lanuage to break into if you don't understand the fundemental OO concepts but easier than C++ to progress with once you have. Thats why most uni's start off with C++ then give you the choice when you get to the second year.
C++ is a much lower level language than Java and a lot harder to master. Games, powerful apps (such as Windows) etc are usually programmed in C++ (or a mix of C++ and assembly). Java is used for writing smaller muti platform 'windows' apps. A program writen in Java should run on a Unix, Win98, Win2k, PalmOS etc without (or very little) modification to the code as it not really compilied until run time. Where as C++ programs will only run on the machine they were compilied on. There are many other things defferent but I could go on for hours. Either way there is good job prospects in both fields, it just depends on what kinds of software you want to work with. You will probably learn both but it will depend on what route you opt to take in the second year. I very much doubt any of those courses will have no C++ on them, especially the games one. Its kind of taken for granted that a compuing degree will have some C++ so they might not advertise it. I bet if you look in more detail at the content of the modules you will find some C++.
Basically it not an easy choise to make until you have some experience in both so choose a course that has both if you can.

Good luck mate.

 

[old.Bill Gates]

thanks alot D R E ad, what you've taken the time to write is really helpful.

I'll have a look at Leeds Uni, as I just about found 6 unis that did courses I'm interested and listed them.

 

[Wij]

I HATE Java. But that's a whole essay so I won't start

Mind u I prefer C to C++ so I'm probably just an old weido

 

[Testin da Cable]

Originally posted by Wij

Mind u I prefer C to C++ so I'm probably just an old weido

you're not old Wij

 

[Mellow-]

C++ is a very powerful language though. (according to several books i've read on comparisons between Java and C++)

I think a Java applet also needs some files in order for it to actually work. Where as C++ is standalone.

 

[~Lazarus~]

Originally posted by testin_da_cable



you're not old Wij

 

[old.frankie]

as far as i know java is a server based and "other than windows" based lanuage, wheras C++ caters for Win and others?

 

[stu]

Leeds isn't fun, it's fucking boring

The uni is good though

My mate did Comp Sci at Warwick, he learned Java rather than C there. Dunno about the rest, but I'd say Warwick and Imperial are the best on that list for Comp Sci (that is, regarded by industry).

 

[Wij]

Originally posted by Stu-
Leeds isn't fun, it's fucking boring

I can vouch for that statement

 

[Summo]

Originally posted by Stu-
My mate did Comp Sci at Warwick, he learned Java rather than C there. Dunno about the rest, but I'd say Warwick and Imperial are the best on that list for Comp Sci (that is, regarded by industry).

Try. My girlfriend's at Warwick and has a friend learning Java. Good university.

 

[Wij]

Mmm, dopy student chicks

Me: "Would you like some Thunderbird Red ?"
Student chick: "More ? heeheee I'm getting squiffy."
Me: "Would you like a toke on my bifta ?"

 

[Testin da Cable]

grrleh: you won't take advantage of me while I'm passed out drunk on your lap?
Wij: no, I won't [but my 6 mates might]

 

[Wij]

They get the fun and I get the vomit ?

NO DEAL !

 

[Testin da Cable]

hehe I thought you'd say that

 

[Summo]

Oh. You've met my girlfirend.





























(Nothing, dear. Sorry. )

 

[Wij]

Originally posted by SomeGuy
Oh. You've met my girlfirend.

Met ? Yeh, that's one way of putting it

(she needs to shave her legs btw m8 )

 

[Testin da Cable]

uke:

 

[old.D R E ad]

Originally posted by frankie
as far as i know java is a server based and "other than windows" based lanuage, wheras C++ caters for Win and others?

No, java is usually client side, just like the normal C++ programs. You are thinking of Java servelets maybe. As for the "other files" it needs, thats correct. In order to run a Java program you must have Java Virtual Machine installed on the machiner you want to run it on. But thats not a problem - If you have Internet Explorer installed you will have VM automatically and most systems have it without you realising. Thats one thing what makes Java so great, you can write a program in Java and then give a copy to someone with Unix, someone with Win98 and someone with PalmOS or PocketPC. The program will run on all the machines without convertion/modification!
Java is a fantasic language and anyone who says otherwise does not know what they are talking about or works for Microsoft. Microsoft thought Java was so good they tried to nick it. Fortunatly Sun Microsystems won the court case before MS could wreak it.
Anyway, Java and C++ are very different beasts. If you wanted to create, say, something like the Napster client then Java would be great. If you wanted to create a 3d FPS C++ would be best.
C is a good language to learn programing concepts but not that popular anymore compared to C++, Java or even Visual Basic. C++ is a superset of C so learning C++ is kind of like learning C anyway. Basically C++ is C with Obects and Classes and some other bells and wistles and OO is the way to go now anyway, C++ and Java are both OO. C is other used for more lower level tech stuff like hardware control, drivers etc. more nitty gritty and generally more boring beardy type stuff.

 

[Wij]

Originally posted by D R E ad
generally more boring beardy type stuff.

Oi

Mix up a load of Operator Overloading and Function Overloading and you get some unreadable code. I'd seen it too many times in C++. That's why most of my C++ looks like straight C

 

[gremlin]

Originally posted by Bill Gates
1) anyone been to these uni's, and have anything to say about them?
[/B]

I didn't go to any of those (Surrey for me), but Imperial has a good reputation for Computer Science. Plus out of all those places London is the most fun to be

I've also heard good things about Umist, but it's more Engineering orientated there afaik.

Just my 0.02 euros.