The academic year will be split into two semesters – one running from September to January and a second one from late January to May.
All Computing streams have this common year one, and as such you are allowed to move between computing streams after your first year.
Each semester you will study different modules covering different areas of Computing.
The first semester aims to get you started into the world of computing, you will study some elementary computer programming in the C# language, Investigate and shape your way of thinking to support a programming mindset and finally, investigate the professional skills and expectations of the work place.
The second semester aims to deepen your core knowledge in preparation for advance topics in year two, you will study further C# programming, build up math knowledge and its application in computing, and finally, develop a core understanding of computers at a hardware level.
Year 1 Core Modules:
Semester 1 & Semester 2:
- Programming Design and Development
Semester 1
- Computational Thinking
- Ethics and Employability
Semester 2
- Math for Computer Science
- Fundamentals of Computer Systems
You will largely be assessed through assignments, and there will be some presentations and class tests to match tasks that are undertaken in industry. You will need to attend University at least three days a week (typically, but this may vary) during semester time.
We will be able to provide you with a full timetable once it has been finalised over the summer. There may also be times when you need to work with others on other days either face-to-face or remotely via technology.
If you would like to undertake a task and have your own computer then we would suggest the following website would be a good starting point to understand how computer programming works, if this is something you have not done before. You can download the software for free and make use of the tutorials to create simple apps for Android phones:
Under the resources menu option there are several tutorials, at different levels from Basic to Advanced. Try a few basic tutorials before you look at Intermediate or Advanced ones. This will help you learn how the tutorials guide you as well as using the App Inventor Interface before you try more complex tasks.
Other information
We recommend you don’t buy any particular software as much of the software you will need over your degree will be available to you for free or a much-reduced price once you start. You will find having your own computer exceedingly useful. This will help you to do your assessments in your own time and attend addition online content. If you are looking to buy a computer then we would suggest that you look at reviews of different computers online as we find it hard to recommend a particular product. As a computing student you will find that you will need a computer with an above minimum specification for the chosen operating system (look at what is required for Windows 11 ). We would suggest that you look at the recommended specification for Visual Studio Professional as an absolute minimum specification. Higher specifications will help safeguard you against future increases in minimum requirements, and higher processor speeds/ core count will help run multiple programs at once. For hard disk space higher is required to fit additional software, and a minimum suggested size would be 256GB. You should note that we use the Windows environment predominantly in the Department of Computing, so if you buy an Apple system then it would benefit from being dual boot Windows and MacOS. If you buy a Linux only system then you may find you will need to install a Windows operating system at a later date, and this is generally more expensive than buying a computer with Windows already installed on it. You may find that if you are doing a lot of studying on your computer, having a web-cam, headphones and possibly even a second monitor really useful. If you use a laptop, do consider a mouse and full-size keyboard may help. We have found that students who are trying to study at home appreciate having a good, stable internet connection.
Your welcome and induction will be w/c 16th September 2024 - we look forward to meeting you then.
Community
On the social side, the Student Union (CCSU) has a huge range of clubs and societies – all of which have unique social calendars of their own and offer endless opportunities to make lifelong friends and discover new hobbies. And you can always create your own society and cultivate your own community!
CCSU will be hosting their Welcome Fayre on Wednesday 18th September 2024. Make sure you keep checking the CCSU website for further details and how to get involved.
We understand that you may be nervous about your first few weeks on campus but rest assured - you'll be joining a nurturing and supportive environment where diversity, equality and individuality are part of everything we do.
Find out more about our welcoming community and making friends
If you are an International Student joining us then please see our International Student Support pages for further information and guidance.
