Gaming World Forums
General Category => General Talk => Topic started by: SupremeWarrior on October 06, 2009, 12:51:11 pm
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Ok, so I started university two weeks ago and I'm finding it all a bit overwhelming, I'm studying a Masters degree in Computer Science. The lectures are so boring and I can't help but lose focus after fourty-five minutes or so. I would like to know how you all are studying or have studied for your degrees.
I'm doing these modules this term!
- Programming Practice
- Elementary Logic with Applications
- Computer Systems
- Foundations of Computing.
I got my exams in january which is in three months and I'm really worried about and and don't know what to do at all. The lecturers just put up slideshows and just read them out! I got one lecturer with a strong russian accent and he also does not speak clearly.
I have ordered a book and awaiting for it to arrive but till then the only material I have is the slideshows that the lectureres use!
EDIT: I forgot to state I am an undergraduate.
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just keep at it like you did for your undergrad
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I'm entering the very same program next spring. I'm rather glad I'm not in it now, I'm hoping I can find a job so I'll have an excuse not to put as as many hours on a single semester as I did for the undergrad. (Plus undergrad loans, what a pain.)
But yeah keep at it. You wouldn't be perusing your masters in that particular field if you didn't at least have a little interest. Lectures are overrated anyhow, and I usually depended on my own interest in perusing the material. If professors do anything well, it's letting you know exactly what you have to do in order to make the grade you need in his/her class. (Grad school isn't supposed to be the make-or-break session undergrad can be early on. You usually have to have a good enough record to have proven yourself already before you've even gotten in.)
Oh yeah, and are the slideshows available online? That usually makes pre-exam prep surprisingly simple. (I hardly use the book, and keep it just for further reference after the class is over. Unless it seems frivolous information I usually won't sell my books back.)
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just keep at it like you did for your undergrad
By masters he means 4 years straight to masters. He doesn't have a Bachelors already.
Make sure you buy your books cheap off amazon marketplace. I usually get the current edition -1 and they work out at under a tenner each.
When you are at uni you have to understand that you are not being taught anything, they are just telling you what you have to learn. That's why you can have a lecturer with a really strong russian accent. They are just there to give you an idea. Everything that you will remember you will learn outside the lecture theatre in private study and it will reinforce what you have already learnt. Make sure you get in your private study, do any examples you receive and moderate your drinking enough to learn.
Don't drink to excess all the time and do not let women take over your life. Wash behind your ears etc.
Bob's your uncle.
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If you really have no interest in doing it then uhhhhhhhhhhh
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45 minutes is pretty good, I usually daydream/doodle as soon as I sit down, lectures are such a pain
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Watch some porn and then study. It gets you super relaxed and it makes you lose interest in everything besides studying.
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go to a library, sit your ass down and study. if you can't concentrate or learn then university isn't for you.
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From my experience, the lecture classes a Computer Science takes are kind of meaningless for the actual degree (besides Discrete Math, Calculus and Linear Algebra). Maybe you can just scrape by in those and really excel at the real stuff?
Hell, that's what I do and my professor nominated me for awards and shiz.
edit: heh i guess im...a prodigt.....
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or just brazillian and the bar is set so low you can walk over it
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I don't pick a text during the class periods but I go to every class.
GLORIOUS TIMES.
Time invested in leisure: 6 months minus 5 weeks.
Then I read the important stuff during exam periods.
HORRIBLE TIMES.
Time invested in some studying: 5 weeks.
I think that's good business. Never had problems.
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or just brazillian and the bar is set so low you can walk over it
american and if I "keep up the good work" I'm practically guaranteed a job at EA by the end of sophomore(this year) because my school has connections
edit: heh...proidgy....
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damn, my school just has connections to lexmark (main hq is like ten minutes from campus), which is way way more boring
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You pay a gazillion dollars for your books for a reason. Use them. As much as it sucks to read a textbook, you will probably get more information from it than you will from your professors. In fact, for my math class I sit in the back and read my textbook throughout the period because my prof blows.
I just started school myself and I'm getting the hang of some study habits because in high school I was extremely loafy. Better study habits pretty much start with good food and sleeping habits though -- and God knows that I had terrible food/sleeping patterns back in high school. ANYWAY, good health goes a *long* way. Helps you stay awake in classes at least. As for paying attention to your teachers, you'll get a knack for it. You've got at least 4 years to develop the necessary ass muscles. And it's computer science, anyway. Haha, you'd better learn to sit down awhile.
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I have a Bachelors in Psychology and studying for my masters + specialist degree in School Psychology.
Find new ways of motivating yourself. We don't need anymore studies, it's completely normal for a human being to lose focus after 45 minutes.
1.Drink caffeine.
2.Find motivation anywhere you can.
3.Balance studies with fun stuff but dont let one or the other take over. (get outside every once and a while, so you're not looking at numbers and computers all day everyday.)
4.Generally, all you need is the stuff from the lectures. Usually textbooks are intellectually dishonest, but you should at least skim over them for computer science.
5. Order your books from dealoz.com
I like this metaphor for studying: If you want to get into better physical shape and you do so by running 20 miles a week. Will you get in better shape by running all twenty miles at once or if you spread the miles out over different times. Jogging 20 miles gets a bit mindnumbing and monotonous, so can studying. Study (sprint) for 1 hour, take a break, go get a coffee. Study another hour. etc.
College is fun man. I know it's new for you but you'll see.
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Oh yeah and
http://lifehacker.com/software/sleep/take-a-caffeine-nap-154237.php
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I think I already suggested you go find something you like instead
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Thanks for the tips guys, I guess everyone is kind of alike then. I try to get home and study at least once every day. I'm actually finding it easier now since I am getting the hang of one of my modules. I just need to draw some kind of study plan or agenda so that I can organize myself. I also found out one of my exams will have four questions and I have to answer three of the four questions.
@Mince Wobley: I think I'll stick with this for a year and if I don't pass I'll probably switch but I really have no idea what to switch to.
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The first thing you should get into the habit of doing is reading a unit ahead before each class session. *definitely* helps.
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The first thing you should get into the habit of doing is reading a unit ahead before each class session. *definitely* helps.
nah
don't read and have a good time, life is short.
when it's exam period, suffer and read.
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yeah, you prolly figured this out already but don't listen to shepherd on this matter.
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Make friends with mature students. it may not be appealing to hang out with OLDER PEOPLE but they'll be much more helpful in helping you with your studies!
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Make friends with mature students. it may not be appealing to hang out with OLDER PEOPLE but they'll be much more helpful in helping you with your studies!
Hmm, maybe that is true. I am just having a hard time trying to summon some motivation and get myself to studying and stuff, mostly my fault for choosing a subject I don't really have an interest in. Although I heard we were going to be programming little robots to do things using C programming language which got me interested in the open day that I went to.
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what i do is look for inspiration outside the classroom. teachers and lectures are a great help for me but only if i have a way to frame the information in my mind. so i am always looking at things that inspire me to do little projects or make me happy.
here are two things that inspire me a lot to do whatever i need:
http://www.ted.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/jwcfree?blend=1&ob=4#p/a
also i know this sounds obvious but make friends in your classes, they don't have to be older or anything, just make friends everywhere you are. say "hey, im supremewarrior. what's up??"
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Although I heard we were going to be programming little robots to do things using C programming language which got me interested in the open day that I went to.
Yes I am also interested in this but we only do it third year for like a little while. It's kind of cruel to label it "Gaming, Simulation, and Robotics" when only ~1 month(dunno the exact amount but I heard it is very very short) is spent on actual robots. HOW WILL I WORK FOR IROBOT OR BOSTON DYNAMICS AND MAKE ROBOTIC SLAVES?
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http://www.youtube.com/user/jwcfree?blend=1&ob=4#p/a
that kid is incredible, holy shit.
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-Focus during the lecture and stay alert like your life depends on it. I didn't learn to do that until my third year of college.
-Do everything right away, regardless of when the deadline is. You might think "It'll probably take me an hour to do this homework, and they gave me until next Tuesday to do it, so I'll allot myself an hour on Monday night to work on it." That's definitely the wrong attitude for numerous reasons: a) you might have dramatically underestimated how long it will take b) that gives you no extra days to ask the teacher or classmates about anything that confuses you c) you might have forgot what you heard in the lecture a week ago
-Don't think that college is leisure city. You have to treat it like it's the challenge of your life, like you would boot camp, a professional fight, or something along those lines. I don't know how you got the money to pay for college, but a lot of people get the money fairly effortlessly, whether it involves getting scholarships based on your high school gpa, signing a promissory note for some loans, or getting money from your parents. It's easy to not see the significance of the money spent when it was so effortless to obtain. But in actuality, it's dead serious. If you drop out after 1, 2, or 3 years; and don't work in the meanwhile, then you'll have to reflect on how you could've had a stupid job and been up $60,000, instead of down $60,000. I'd probably be correct to assume that you've never had anywhere near $60,000 in the bank, but for motivational purposes, at least take one second to imagine how good you'd feel about that, and remember you're giving that-up to try to successfully complete college.
-Study at least a little bit for every class, every day. That helps a lot to prevent you from forgetting information, compared to studying in big chunks, one day a week.
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yeah, you prolly figured this out already but don't listen to shepherd on this matter.
You are envious.
I have a winning formula. Never had problem with my exams and my marks oscillated from 7 to 9 (that's good). And I have supersplendid time.
I AM LIVING PROOF IT WORKS.
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i use the same method and i'm having a really really horrible time. it works until you get a busy patch.
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Although I heard we were going to be programming little robots to do things using C programming language which got me interested in the open day that I went to.
I thought this was cool as shit until I actually had to do robot assignments. Pain. in. the. ass.
But then again so are regular programming assignments :welp:
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Well what's so bad about robot assignments?
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have as much sex with as many college girls as you can
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Well what's so bad about robot assignments?
Like any other programming assignments, they drive you up the wall when they don't work properly.
The difference is that on top of that you literally have a machine trying to drive itself up a wall instead of turning to avoid it.
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That's simple inverse kinematics I'm surprised you'd have trouble with that
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the key is to study things you're interested in. if you find your brain incompatible with the subject matter presented in the class, it might be wise to consider changing your area of study, or at least to be a bit more discerning over the classes you choose. on a professional level, college is really just there to give you a degree; the rest is purely for your own personal benefit and growth.
nobody should ever feel ashamed or reluctant to change their area of study. it's impossible to really understand going into college how much you will get a kick out of your initial major/minor. i was lucky in that my major choice was spot on. i was a good writer and thought i'd get a lot out of an english major, which was a lot more accurate than i had expected going into it. my minor was totally off. i was going to study journalism but learned very quickly that the topic is of absolutely no interest to me whatsoever, so i dumped it and studied film theory for my minor, which i enjoyed an awful lot.
i guess this is a lot more complicated than i'm giving it credit for, but it really bothers me how many people i know genuinely dislike attending lectures in college and generally participating in the academic side of college. because of my interest in the topics, and the quality of the professors i had, i found attending lectures effortless and enjoyable. everyone should endeavor to enjoy college as much as possible, and this should naturally include the in-class time as much as it does the out of class time.
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That's good advice hundley thanks! I didn't really know what to choose when I was deciding on subject area I really have no interest in most of the subjects the degrees are in, so I was really just hopeless I just chose computer science as it was what I was doing in college but in more detail.
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i guess this is a lot more complicated than i'm giving it credit for, but it really bothers me how many people i know genuinely dislike attending lectures in college and generally participating in the academic side of college. because of my interest in the topics, and the quality of the professors i had, i found attending lectures effortless and enjoyable. everyone should endeavor to enjoy college as much as possible, and this should naturally include the in-class time as much as it does the out of class time.
i really agree with this, i mean i complain about assignments as much as anyone else but all in all i really love going to my classes (well, most of them, being a liberal arts college i have to take some classes i really don't like)! i love going to my film class, i love going to my computer graphics class, hell i even like calculus this semester. i see these people doing subjects they cannot stand and i don't get why anyone would want to do that. even if it seems like a bullshit major, do it. all that matters is that you have some sort of degree.
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But doesn't that limit your jobs to the degrees that you have? Example: If I did a degree in Geography I won't be able to work for Microsoft! :fogetlaugh:
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Most CS job interviews ask you technical questions. If you know all the information (no matter where you learned it from), you'll get the job. The degree just means you can stick to something for four years.
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man you guys are really overthinking this whole college thing
(http://pub.gamingw.net/61648/college.png)
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Most CS job interviews ask you technical questions. If you know all the information (no matter where you learned it from), you'll get the job. The degree just means you can stick to something for four years.
Is that the same with every other high paying job out there?
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Is that the same with every other high paying job out there?
It just depends on the job. However most of those jobs require skills that you have to get through school (i.e. law school) in which case if you aren't liking the classes you probably aren't going to like that job anyway. However I can see how you could enjoy CS and not like CS lectures, which is why I used that as an example--you can get jobs like that with skills regardless of degrees.
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Funny enough I'm enjoying programming in java. I don't know what it is, maybe because it's java but I am really liking it and I usually don't like programming in anything.
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Funny enough I'm enjoying programming in java. I don't know what it is, maybe because it's java but I am really liking it and I usually don't like programming in anything.
Just be sure you can still program in lower-level programming languages, i.e. C++. It's a lot easier to go higher-up than to drop down. Java also does a lot of things like garbage collection that C++ makes you do manually.
But I have to say, it's really nice having all the built-in functionality of the higher-up languages. It's just nice to appreciate them instead of relying on them as a crutch. :)
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Oh sure, I will be learning C programming language in my later years of my degree possibly in my 2nd or 3rd year if I ever make it that far.
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But doesn't that limit your jobs to the degrees that you have? Example: If I did a degree in Geography I won't be able to work for Microsoft! :fogetlaugh:
yes and no. most employers are more interested in your prior work experience than what you studied at your university. it really depends on what you want to end up doing, and where your career starts. some jobs have more obvious pre-requisites than others, microsoft being a pretty good example, but a lot of jobs and places to start are really more concerned with finding people who have demonstrated a capacity to learn and a dilligence to stick with something until it's finished. this is why just getting a degree is important, because it shows you can learn higher concepts and work hard. learning certain skillsets before actually getting jobs is not always a requirement, which is another one of the huge myths about the college/job market relationship. in reality, most places expect you to learn things relevant to the job as you go, not dive into it knowing absolutely everything immediately.
this is why i always encourage people to study things that they enjoy in college, unless they're really aiming for an occupation that requires specific experience in some field of study. unless you DEFINITELY have your heart set on being a bio-engineer or something specific like that, you might as well take the time in college to expand the parts of your mind that you cherish most, since you won't really have the opportunity to do it again in some formal setting. i can't stress enough that just because you studied geography doesn't mean you're condemned to a life of map-making.
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again, that is a huge over-simplification and doesn't account for the possibilities of JOB MARKET SUCKING and shit like that, but i think most of what i said there holds true and is a pretty realistic way of looking at how your college studies directly impact the way your career progresses
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Well I wish I knew that way before I applied for the subject, I think a change in the subject area may be in order. I was good at geography in school, I scored full marks in my exams and got the highest grade there I was doing foundation tier but I still got full marks I found it easy and kinda enjoyable.
EDIT: So just wondering, does a Masters degree make a bigger difference than a Bachelors degree or not? Because if it's not a big difference than I might as well see if I can change to a bachelors.
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Well I wish I knew that way before I applied for the subject, I think a change in the subject area may be in order. I was good at geography in school, I scored full marks in my exams and got the highest grade there I was doing foundation tier but I still got full marks I found it easy and kinda enjoyable.
EDIT: So just wondering, does a Masters degree make a bigger difference than a Bachelors degree or not? Because if it's not a big difference than I might as well see if I can change to a bachelors.
You don't "study for a Master's." You earn your Bachelor's degree, and then enter a postgraduate program to earn your Master's.
And yes, you definitely want to be studying something you like. Someone shouldn't study computer science just because they like computers or because it's good money. To study computer science, you should honestly like computer science.
EDIT: Also, according to one of my professors, by the time people in computer science earn their master's degree, the people who entered the workforce right after they graduated will still be about on par, pay-wise. They'll also have more real-world experience, as opposed to academic experience. So it's really your preference. I would maybe work on a master's part-time while working in a real job setting, especially because some companies will reimburse some of your tuition to get the postgraduate training/degrees.
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You don't "study for a Master's." You earn your Bachelor's degree, and then enter a postgraduate program to earn your Master's.
And yes, you definitely want to be studying something you like. Someone shouldn't study computer science just because they like computers or because it's good money. To study computer science, you should honestly like computer science.
EDIT: Also, according to one of my professors, by the time people in computer science earn their master's degree, the people who entered the workforce right after they graduated will still be about on par, pay-wise. They'll also have more real-world experience, as opposed to academic experience. So it's really your preference. I would maybe work on a master's part-time while working in a real job setting, especially because some companies will reimburse some of your tuition to get the postgraduate training/degrees.
A lot of people in the same lectures as me don't like or enjoy computer science and apparently are doing it for the money just like me. Well apart from the programming robots part and cyber crime there isn't anything I particularly like in the subject area. :welp:
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If you are doing something purely for the money, you will most likely hate it.
Do something you love, and you will never work a day in your life. :)
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Do something you love, and you will never work a day in your life. :)
Ha, well ain't that easier said than done? I don't really know what to do, things I like to do? I like to travel go sight seeing, I like engaging and debating trivial things with big groups of people, I also like to lounge around doing nothing, I like playing video games, I like having varied activities from day to day as I have lived a life full of everyday routines.
EDIT: I'm also pondering becoming a firefighter... The only thing stopping me I guess is my parents as they don't want me to do any dangerous jobs.
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A lot of people in the same lectures as me don't like or enjoy computer science and apparently are doing it for the money just like me. Well apart from the programming robots part and cyber crime there isn't anything I particularly like in the subject area. :welp:
If you hate your major, you're not likely to do well in it, and you're not likely to get the jobs where you get the nice money. Plus, CS is more of a lifelong thing--once you get out of college, you're not done learning. Computers change so quickly that you have to constantly keep on top of those changes to keep your job. If you don't like CS now, you're not going to like it later on when you're still learning CS in the workplace (and I don't mean YOU in particular, I mean anyone doing this).
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A lot of people in the same lectures as me don't like or enjoy computer science and apparently are doing it for the money just like me. Well apart from the programming robots part and cyber crime there isn't anything I particularly like in the subject area. :welp:
Just so you know, you'll probably be asked "why computer science" for any job that wants your degree and "I want money" is not the response they're looking for. You should pick a degree you're passionate about (as everybody else has suggested)
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A lot of people in the same lectures as me don't like or enjoy computer science and apparently are doing it for the money just like me. Well apart from the programming robots part and cyber crime there isn't anything I particularly like in the subject area. :welp:
I hate to break it to you, but those other people and yourself will not ever make it to the point where you will make good money. You will be hated by your co-workers because you won't hold the same passion and because of this be a detriment and burden to any team you are on, and due to that lack of passion will only ever hold the lowest level jobs. Computer science is not a field where you get your degree and then can remain complacent. You have to love this stuff cuz like Velfarre said, if you want to remain relevant, you have to keep learning. If you do not like Computer Science get out now. There is a guy at my work that has the same exact attitude as you, he is completely worthless, everyone on the team hates him, and he recently got moved to a different team because he is really just a funding drain. Don't be that guy.
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EDIT: I'm also pondering becoming a firefighter... The only thing stopping me I guess is my parents as they don't want me to do any dangerous jobs.
holy shit if possible (like if they fund your studies directly, i don't know how you do it in america but uh get diplomas or something?!?! STEAL IF NECESSARY (very VERY good advice)) you really shouldn't let your parents opinion weigh that much
like uh advices are good and welcome but if you are interested and want to become a fire fighter or anything RISKY JOB or whatever then do it. almost anything is better than your current no-interest plans in CS, it's a waste of money and time.
feel free to shoot my opinion down... :fogetbackflip:
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Hell, I chose computer science not because of the 'good money' but because of the good job prospects as it's so broad I could go into anything I want if I ever get bored some years down the line, I mean we all know how heavy we rely on computers these days especially in business.
@Johnny Casil: Have you tried telling the guy he's more of a burden to the team than anything? Also what do you do for a living? What degree did you do?
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@Johnny Casil: Have you tried telling the guy he's more of a burden to the team than anything? Also what do you do for a living? What degree did you do?
As for your first point: This (http://www.apa.org/journals/features/psp7761121.pdf) is required reading in my opinion for anyone working on a team. There is no point talking to him because he is so unskilled he can't even comprehend it.
As far as your other questions, I am a software engineer with a degree in computer science. So I have some personal experience in this.
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Hell, I chose computer science not because of the 'good money' but because of the good job prospects as it's so broad I could go into anything I want if I ever get bored some years down the line, I mean we all know how heavy we rely on computers these days especially in business.
@Johnny Casil: Have you tried telling the guy he's more of a burden to the team than anything? Also what do you do for a living? What degree did you do?
This also applies to things like English, Math, Science, etc. Just find what you're good at and enjoy, and then do that. I'm not saying you might not eventually grow to like CS. But if you hate it now, it just gets harder down the line...
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I'm not saying I totally hate computer science but the modules I'm currently doing I find really boring. There are certain things I do enjoy like programming in java and programming practice. Computer Science is so broad I could just about do anything with it, I like having variety in my subject and this gives me just that I just have to get past this year or semester and then I get to enjoy the other modules.
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Well, CS will get a lot more interesting, but a lot harder. So it's hard to tell if you being bored means you should drop it or not...
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I'll give it a year and see what happens then!
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never work
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I'm not saying I totally hate computer science but the modules I'm currently doing I find really boring. There are certain things I do enjoy like programming in java and programming practice. Computer Science is so broad I could just about do anything with it, I like having variety in my subject and this gives me just that I just have to get past this year or semester and then I get to enjoy the other modules.
While a lot of the assignments you are doing right now may seem boring (and rightly so), they are also teaching you important coding practice and principle. You will also notice significant growth when you look back on your earlier assignments. :)
Just hang in there if you're serious about this. If it's boring you, you can always do fun projects on the side. If you find yourself too busy to do this, then perhaps the fact that your classes are taking up your time indicate that they aren't so pointless after all...? :)