Computing - info please

[dbgtz]

Basically I would like to know what you do on this course in AS/A2 level as I keep getting told different things by different people and the prospectus and stuff, well, I don't trust these ever since I signed up for ICT for GCSE and it turned out utterly crap to how they described it. I know someone briefly touched upon it in another thread but I would like to know in detail the sort of stuff you do, software you use etc.

[Nemo]

Im only doing computing in AS so far so i can only talk about that.

My sixth form has chosen that in our practical lessons, we learn the coding language Visual Basic 2005. Remember though, that most colleges choose a different language to learn (but u do learn a coding language) as VB is usually thought of as the hardest one out of the options.
You also have the theory part, which im not gonna lie is pretty boring and tedious, and is, i believe, 60% in AS, and 40% of your mark in A2. But its pretty simple and not hard at all to learn, and by half term we were already apparently 3 quarters of the way through the year. So its really not tough at all :P

I'd definitely recommend it, by far the funnest subject and best subject that i have, but only take it if you have an interest in computers and coding (its so different from ICT, you'd be amazed), otherwise you will struggle. Also you have to be a logical thinker (so generally good at maths, although saying that, even if you are good at maths, you wont always be good at this, dont get me started on this kid :P)


hope i helped.

[Conservative,]

My friend is taking AS Computing, it's pretty much as Nemo said. But in A2 part of your coursework is you have to go and code for a company (so you have to contact companies ask if they need a programme coded ect.) which has put him off keeping it to A2. However I regret not taking GCSE Computing - it's basically learning coding in whatever programme your school/college use and then making programmes with it ect.

[Nemo]

My friend is taking AS Computing, it's pretty much as Nemo said. But in A2 part of your coursework is you have to go and code for a company (so you have to contact companies ask if they need a programme coded ect.) which has put him off keeping it to A2. However I regret not taking GCSE Computing - it's basically learning coding in whatever programme your school/college use and then making programmes with it ect.
Ehhhh thats not exactly right, atleast not in my sixth form. Its true you have to do a project and create a full on program in A2, but you dont have to actually do it for a company, however it could be a theoretical company

[cocaine]

ive done AS computing and am carrying on for A2 computing, my exam board is AQA.

there are 2 AS modules. one is theory, on things such as data types (binary, denary, hexadecimal, twos complement etc), network layers of the internet (application, network, transfer and link), graphs and sounds, internet structure, hardware devices etc. the other module is practical, coding in Pascal to create programs and edit them and aquire skills in different functions and procedures, and the exam will require you to take a skeleton program (mine was tic tac toe) and improve it to add different functions and all that.

it's ite. thats all i'll say

[Conservative,]

Ehhhh thats not exactly right, atleast not in my sixth form. Its true you have to do a project and create a full on program in A2, but you dont have to actually do it for a company, however it could be a theoretical company

Not in your sixth form. My school like to be complicated PLUS it's a computer & maths specialist school so I guess they'd take the hardest options to make it look good? idk, but I know he has to go and make a programme for a company/business if he takes it onto A2.

[dbgtz]

Thanks all
+rep when i can be bothered :P According to the college site, we will use "computer languages such as Delphi and Visual Basic".

[MrPinkPanther]

To clear it up, for A2 you are SUPPOSED to do it for an actual company in line with the specification however no points are awarded or taken off if it is for a fictional company simply because it can never be proved. My lecturer essentially said to do whatever we wanted and she wouldn't care ^^. Be ready for loads of work in the project by the way, mine was 150 pages although that did earn me an "A" in the end so I'm not complaining.

[Soy]

I did it with WJEC

seriously boring as **** wish i dropped it this year.

[Jin]

In terms of the A2 project whereby you code for a company. You can do it for pretty much anyone, when I did it I did it for Habbox as it killed 2 bird in one stone. Other class mates did it for people like self-employed plumbers. Independent shops for their stock system.

I really enjoyed computing.

I can't really say much as for what you do now, as the specification has changed greatly from when I did it and when I taught it but I suggest you find the examining board which is more than likely to be AQA if you're in england and check out the specification and past papers on their website. It will give you a good idea as to what to expect.

[jackass]

What Exam Board is yours? Mine was EdExcel, and most of it was boring. Well, the theory part was (plus the three hour exam following...), but the actually practical work is awesome, where you create systems/games and whatnot in vB and various other languages.

[iLogan]

The way my teachers described it:

ICT: Designing websites, and powerpoints.

Computing: Learning how to make the computer that runs the websites and powerpoints.

[Recursion]

Just to point out, if you intend on doing something like Computer Science at Uni, Maths and Physics is more widely accepted than "Computing" or "ICT"

[Nemo]

Just to point out, if you intend on doing something like Computer Science at Uni, Maths and Physics is more widely accepted than "Computing" or "ICT"
Further maths is also helpful but not required

[PaulMacC]

Just fyi if you are planning to go into programming, computer science @ uni. Do computing, maths, physics. Some universities dont care at all, I'm applying for Staffordshire, Lancaster, QUB and UU. My teachers foolishly preached to me that I only needed ICT for CompSci. Quite wrong were they. ICT is a lot of balls, repetitive copy and paste job.

[Robbie]

Just fyi if you are planning to go into programming, computer science @ uni. Do computing, maths, physics. Some universities dont care at all, I'm applying for Staffordshire, Lancaster, QUB and UU. My teachers foolishly preached to me that I only needed ICT for CompSci. Quite wrong were they. ICT is a lot of balls, repetitive copy and paste job.

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