What is the hardest Computer Science class in university?

[SmokeMonster]

What is in your opinion the hardest CS course in university and why? IMO Discrete Math and Algorithm Analysis have so far been the hardest courses. There are other courses which are tough but that's primariy because of the amount of work not necessarily the hardness of the material. Discrete Math and Algorithm Analysis on the other hand take the cake in terms of the pure difficulty of the material. Discrete Math esp is such an abstract course that unless you are a math wiz I don't see how anyone can find that "easy". I've heard 4th year students complain a lot about parallel programming but I haven't taken it yet so I can't comment.

[Tony]

At the University of Waterloo, the "Big Three" CS courses are (in about this order): Real Time Operating Systems, Compilers, Graphics.

Considering that concurrency (parallel programming; taught as 3rd year course at UW) is a suggested (although not required) pre-req for RealtimeOS, I'd say it is at least as "hard".

[rdrake]

Tony @ Tue Dec 14, 2010 1:43 am wrote:

Compilers, Graphics.

Universally hated among all undergrads. Ridiculous material, insane assignments.

My OS class wasn't too bad, but we mostly looked at things theoretically. For the other two we used straight C. Had to build a C compiler in C.

Enjoy!

[Tony]

oh, so CS350 (Operating Systems) and CS452 (Realtime OS) are completely different things. My OS wasn't too bad. But Realtime is known is ruin relationships and drive people into the "no pants zone (tm)".

[Bobrobyn]

Compilers and Graphics are hard courses at Guelph as well, but the course entitled "Software Systems Development and Integration" is highly hailed as our weeder-course. It's a second year course where each assignment builds on the previous one, and it usually involves integrating multiple tools. For example, when I took it, we had to use C, lexx and yacc, Java (for swing), and JNI (to integrate the C and Java). We also ended up using python or bash (our choice) to write an installer script...and used MySQL for a database in one of our assignments as well.

There's usually an assignment due every 2 weeks, and each assignment takes 20 to 40 hours to complete, depending on the assignment and the students ability to complete it. And you get to take this course while taking microcomputing (learning assembly), algorithms and operating systems...

Surprisingly, this course and Compilers have been some of my favourite courses while here

[[Gandalf]]

Any 'advanced' algorithms course worth its while should be one of the hardest courses you ever take. Of course, it really depends on your strengths and if you're measuring in terms of amount of work assigned vs how difficult it is to solve each problem.

[A.J]

Well, I was going to switch into CO and Pure Mathematics and drop CS because of having to take courses as such. I am taking the algorithms course next term (unless the CS advisors think I am jumping the gun). What is this 'advanced algorithms course you speak of, [Gandalf]?'

[OneOffDriveByPoster]

I have to agree with Compilers and Graphics as taking a long time assignment-wise, but you can keep plugging away at those. Difficultly on exams goes to Real-time systems for the amount of time the questions take.

Conceptual difficultly goes to Semantics of Programs and Computability & Complexity (if you do get stuck, you are stuck).

[jcollins1991]

A.J @ Sat Dec 18, 2010 11:45 am wrote:

Well, I was going to switch into CO and Pure Mathematics and drop CS because of having to take courses as such. I am taking the algorithms course next term (unless the CS advisors think I am jumping the gun). What is this 'advanced algorithms course you speak of, [Gandalf]?'

A bit off topic, which "algorithms"?? CS240 (if so may I ask what prof?) or somehow already CS351? And I'm guessing Gandalf is talking about any algorithms course you'd find in upper year (something like CS466 at UW)

[Brightguy]

jcollins1991 @ Sat Dec 18, 2010 7:58 pm wrote:

A bit off topic, which "algorithms"?? CS240 (if so may I ask what prof?) or somehow already CS351? And I'm guessing Gandalf is talking about any algorithms course you'd find in upper year (something like CS466 at UW)

You mean CS 341? Apparently it requires CS 240, CS 245 and MATH 239. Though now that I think of it, I got the CM advisor to sign me in without CS 240 or CS 245.

[A.J]

Well, I took MATH249 in my 1A term (which would be this term). So that would count towards CS341. I am just skipping the rest of the prerequisites. Though CS341 conflicts with my French course next term. So I might take french if the algorithms course isn't worth it.

[Brightguy]

A.J @ Sun Dec 19, 2010 2:43 am wrote:

Well, I took MATH249 in my 1A term (which would be this term).

WTF! How the heck did you manage to pull that one off? Doesn't that require linear algebra 1 at a minimum?

[A.J]

Oh, you forget that I have a passion for math (well, that and the course is made up of two topics that I was familiar with already: Enumeration and Graph Theory). This course is the reason that I possibly will switch into Combinatorics and Optimization. The professor was very thorough and his homework assignments were nice.

[Brightguy]

A.J @ Sun Dec 19, 2010 3:36 am wrote:

Oh, you forget that I have a passion for math (well, that and the course is made up of two topics that I was familiar with already: Enumeration and Graph Theory).

And I just checked the requirements, you also need calc 2! You or the prof must have pulled some strings!

[[Gandalf]]

A.J @ 2010-12-18, 11:45 am wrote:

Well, I was going to switch into CO and Pure Mathematics and drop CS because of having to take courses as such. I am taking the algorithms course next term (unless the CS advisors think I am jumping the gun). What is this 'advanced algorithms course you speak of, [Gandalf]?'

Yes, depending on university, a course focused entirely on algorithm design and analysis in 3rd or 4th year that at least covers dynamic and linear programming. Other topics vary, but the common thread must be insane difficulty. However, A.J, I did say that it depends on your strengths. If you're a living, breathing algorithms contest solution then you may find problems of a different nature more difficult. I guess that is why courses like Compilers are universally regarded as difficult. Tons of work is always tons of work.