Computer Science Canada computer science @ uoft |
| Author: | onemorehour [ Mon May 24, 2010 10:50 am ] |
| Post subject: | computer science @ uoft |
hey is anyone doing computer science at university of toronto sg? I was wondering how is the work load difficulty and student life there. I know that uoft is big and has alot of competition, and would like to know if people in cs drop out alot. thanks in advance! |
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| Author: | Tony [ Mon May 24, 2010 12:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:computer science @ uoft |
CS at UofT:SG is similar to Waterloo's. That is, there is a lot of work and it is difficult, but both of those are subjective to an individual's study habits. Yes, a lot of people in CS drop out (I think Waterloo's numbers are along the lines of 40% no longer pursue a CS degree after 2 years -- although much of that number just means a switch in the major, not that they left academia). There are a variety of reasons: some figure out that Computer Science is not about making video games (although it helps), and that it's not even about writing code (although it's introduced and you are expected to pick up on it, mostly on your own). Others can't put in the required amount of hours into the demanding Math courses (hint: it's much more than you've used to do in high school); while some abuse the new-found freedoms of living on their own. Then again, many do put in the required effort, are genuinely interested in the subject, and do quite well for themselves. |
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| Author: | aqazwsx1 [ Mon May 24, 2010 9:18 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: RE:computer science @ uoft |
Tony @ Mon May 24, 2010 12:39 pm wrote: CS at UofT:SG is similar to Waterloo's. That is, there is a lot of work and it is difficult, but both of those are subjective to an individual's study habits.
Yes, a lot of people in CS drop out (I think Waterloo's numbers are along the lines of 40% no longer pursue a CS degree after 2 years -- although much of that number just means a switch in the major, not that they left academia). There are a variety of reasons: some figure out that Computer Science is not about making video games (although it helps), and that it's not even about writing code (although it's introduced and you are expected to pick up on it, mostly on your own). Others can't put in the required amount of hours into the demanding Math courses (hint: it's much more than you've used to do in high school); while some abuse the new-found freedoms of living on their own. Then again, many do put in the required effort, are genuinely interested in the subject, and do quite well for themselves. you said "it's not even about writing code" ? I 'm curious, what is it about then? Thanks |
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| Author: | jcollins1991 [ Mon May 24, 2010 9:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: RE:computer science @ uoft |
aqazwsx1 @ Mon May 24, 2010 9:18 pm wrote: you said "it's not even about writing code" ? I 'm curious, what is it about then? Thanks
Coding is just the applied part of CS, there's A LOT of theory behind it too... I'm sure Tony will respond explaining himself, but in the meantime I'll redirect you to Wikipedia to show what I mean -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science |
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| Author: | Tony [ Mon May 24, 2010 9:35 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:computer science @ uoft |
Wikipedia has a good starting point http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science Quote: It is frequently described as the systematic study of algorithmic processes that create, describe, and transform information. Computer science has many sub-fields; some, such as computer graphics, emphasize the computation of specific results, while others, such as computational complexity theory, study the properties of computational problems. Still others focus on the challenges in implementing computations. For example, programming language theory studies approaches to describe computations, while computer programming applies specific programming languages to solve specific computational problems, and human-computer interaction focuses on the challenges in making computers and computations useful, usable, and universally accessible to people. So there _is_ some programming. Programming is a useful tool to implement systems and to demonstrate them. It's the "applied computer science". When one studies algorithms, the ability to write a working implementation (I mean "code compiles and runs" type of "working") is much less important that being able to analyze exactly how it works and write out mathematical proofs regarding the algorithms various properties. For example, in my CS240 -- Algorithms and Data structures there were 2 "write code" assignments and 6 "write a bunch of math" assignments. Even in courses such as Compilers or Operating Systems, where all assignments lead up to a working software, the emphasis is on theories and concepts that relate to those types of systems. Code you write is just a tool to demonstrate the uptake of that theory. |
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| Author: | Prabhakar Ragde [ Tue May 25, 2010 7:52 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: RE:computer science @ uoft |
Tony @ Mon May 24, 2010 9:35 pm wrote: When one studies algorithms, the ability to write a working implementation (I mean "code compiles and runs" type of "working") is much less important that being able to analyze exactly how it works and write out mathematical proofs regarding the algorithms various properties.
The point being that the theory permits one to generalize, to implement in many different languages or on many different systems, and to adapt and modify code to fit new situations without making it incorrect or inefficient. |
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| Author: | onemorehour [ Tue May 25, 2010 7:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:computer science @ uoft |
thanks everyone for this! i hope the other part of cs is fun |
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