Electrical Engineering or Software Engineering/Computer Science (6 Viewers)

[D94]

First year is not the biggest problem, it's 2nd and third. Here's EE as an example. You have to do Elec. Circuits in first year to do 2nd year circuit courses meaning I'd have to put off computing courses until second year which in turn means I'd have to wait until 3rd year to do all the 2nd yr EE courses and I'd have a one year gap between electrical circuits and other circuit courses. Not sure if that's the best idea.

Referring to: https://www.engineering.unsw.edu.au...ec/files/u12/Programs/ELECAH3763(BEBArts).pdf

You delay MATH2069 and MATH2099 until 3rd year. That means in 2nd year, you will be doing 4 Arts courses.

You then delay ELEC3115 and ELEC3105 until 4th year.

Then you push your Thesis A/B and the two 4th year Design courses to 5th year, meaning you mix more Arts courses with Elec courses in your 3rd and 4 year.


It may seem messy, but plenty of students do this. Also, if you're going to spend 5.5 years, then 1 extra semester makes basically no difference (unless you intend on travelling). If you intend on working, then part time study is the way to go, should you need to spend an extra semester. Also, the extra time is a good buffer, if you intend on going on exchange or you want to spend time doing a full time internship during the semester.

This is assuming you haven't decided against UNSW based on the length of the degree.

 

[clementinez]

Referring to: https://www.engineering.unsw.edu.au...ec/files/u12/Programs/ELECAH3763(BEBArts).pdf

You delay MATH2069 and MATH2099 until 3rd year. That means in 2nd year, you will be doing 4 Arts courses.

You then delay ELEC3115 and ELEC3105 until 4th year.

Then you push your Thesis A/B and the two 4th year Design courses to 5th year, meaning you mix more Arts courses with Elec courses in your 3rd and 4 year.


It may seem messy, but plenty of students do this. Also, if you're going to spend 5.5 years, then 1 extra semester makes basically no difference (unless you intend on travelling). If you intend on working, then part time study is the way to go, should you need to spend an extra semester. Also, the extra time is a good buffer, if you intend on going on exchange or you want to spend time doing a full time internship during the semester.

This is assuming you haven't decided against UNSW based on the length of the degree.

does this mean I could keep 1 of Digital Circuit Design/Circuits and Signals/Embedded Systems Design/Analogue Electronics for each semester. Is there any advantage to taking maths 2 while taking these courses?

The length of the degree doesn't bother me much. Half a year is not much of a difference.

 

[clementinez]

At UNSW, you can do Arts courses in the first year, for example, replacing the two 'first year engineering electives' with Arts course. Those first year electives can then be completed at any time, not restricted to your first year.

https://www.engineering.unsw.edu.au...3763-BEHons-BA-MECH-Plan-from-2015_5.1.15.pdf

There's plenty of flexibility. It would be similar for Electrical as well.

https://www.engineering.unsw.edu.au...ec/files/u12/Programs/ELECAH3763(BEBArts).pdf

You can push back ENGG1000 in your first year, and pretty much move a lot of courses since 1.5 years are designed to be dedicated for Arts. This actually gives more flexibility, bar first year.

Mechanical would be less "messy" to work around if I pushed back the electives to second year as you said and did 2 Arts units in yr 1 and 2 instead of 4 in 2nd year.

 

[Danoraptor]

Can confirm, still the hardest subject I've ever taken so far.

what degree do you do?

 

[Danoraptor]

Also, about CS. Apparently UNSW starts with C and USYD starts with JAVA... any thoughts on that?

C is a more 'real' programming languages, and java is a bit easier and more restricted. I think its better to start with java then work your way up to c. We do C in second year.

 

[clementinez]

C is a more 'real' programming languages, and java is a bit easier and more restricted. I think its better to start with java then work your way up to c. We do C in second year.

What do you mean by real?

I'v heard so many opinions on this ranging from yours to the opposite. I guess it isn't too big of a deal considering both are good unis yet start with different languages. If starting with JAVA was very wrong they probably wouldn't be doing it anyway.

 

[Danoraptor]

What do you mean by real?

I'v heard so many opinions on this ranging from yours to the opposite. I guess it isn't too big of a deal considering both are good unis yet start with different languages. If starting with JAVA was very wrong they probably wouldn't be doing it anyway.

There is a spectrum between machine code (ie binary) which computers understand and high level code with humans use. The higher you get the easier the language is and the less flexible it is. Java is a high level language, while C and C++ are closer to machine language.

 

[clementinez]

There is a spectrum between machine code (ie binary) which computers understand and high level code with humans use. The higher you get the easier the language is and the less flexible it is. Java is a high level language, while C and C++ are closer to machine language.

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Flop21]

Thanks for clarifying.

It's still considered a high level language compared to machine code though lol.

It's pretty easy to understand. But like he said, java is a higher level language when compared to C. And I've had absolutely no difficulties learning C with no programming experience. I quite like it since they teach you about memory and what's actually going on while teaching C.

 

[turntaker]

There is a spectrum between machine code (ie binary) which computers understand and high level code with humans use. The higher you get the easier the language is and the less flexible it is. Java is a high level language, while C and C++ are closer to machine language.

This is completely false. C++ is considered a high level language and it has a hard syntax. Just because its high level, doesnt mean its not flexible and/or useless.

Pretty sure no modern software company uses C.

 

[turntaker]

Java is NOT easier than C.

Just because its lower level, doesn't mean its harder.
Object oriented programming has a lot of concepts which are somewhat hard to grasp.

C is not object oriented.

 

[D94]

does this mean I could keep 1 of Digital Circuit Design/Circuits and Signals/Embedded Systems Design/Analogue Electronics for each semester. Is there any advantage to taking maths 2 while taking these courses?

The length of the degree doesn't bother me much. Half a year is not much of a difference.

Those elec courses should remain, but instead, if you move the maths courses, you will complete 2 more Arts courses in 2nd year (totalling 4), and 2 more in 3rd year, since you will need to delay ELEC3115 and ELEC3105 until 4th year.

I'm not sure about the advantages/disadvantages, maybe MATH2069 would be better to retain (meaning you'll do 3 Arts in 2nd year) though.

The fact that 3 whole semesters are dedicated to Arts implies there is a lot of flexibility. This is key to the elec combination with arts. Delaying elec courses until later just means escalating arts courses to earlier semesters. As long as you complete the elec courses in the correct order, you will complete both degrees without issues.

 

[clementinez]

Those elec courses should remain, but instead, if you move the maths courses, you will complete 2 more Arts courses in 2nd year (totalling 4), and 2 more in 3rd year, since you will need to delay ELEC3115 and ELEC3105 until 4th year.

I'm not sure about the advantages/disadvantages, maybe MATH2069 would be better to retain (meaning you'll do 3 Arts in 2nd year) though.

The fact that 3 whole semesters are dedicated to Arts implies there is a lot of flexibility. This is key to the elec combination with arts. Delaying elec courses until later just means escalating arts courses to earlier semesters. As long as you complete the elec courses in the correct order, you will complete both degrees without issues.

I was worried that kicking it to 3rd year would put me behind others doing MATH2069 and 2nd yr units.
It's doable I suppose, a little messy but possible. I want to avoid having semesters with 3 EE courses and 1 Arts because I feel the workload would be too stressful though many students are doing straight engineering (have no idea how they manage tbh)

 

[clementinez]

It's still considered a high level language compared to machine code though lol.

It's pretty easy to understand. But like he said, java is a higher level language when compared to C. And I've had absolutely no difficulties learning C with no programming experience. I quite like it since they teach you about memory and what's actually going on while teaching C.

yes! some good news lol

Do you feel confident with your programming skills? I've heard that UNSW emphasizes the practical workplace applications of CS during the degree (which I'm sure USYD does as well but apparently UNSW does it better).

 

[clementinez]

C is NOT easier than java.

Just because its lower level, doesn't mean its harder.
Object oriented programming has a lot of concepts which are somewhat hard to grasp.

C is not object oriented.

So they are different and each has its challenges. Does it matter at all which order they are taught in or not?

 

[turntaker]

yes! some good news lol

Do you feel confident with your programming skills? I've heard that UNSW emphasizes the practical workplace applications of CS during the degree (which I'm sure USYD does as well but apparently UNSW does it better).

No one after a semester at uni of doing 1 programming subject feels confident

 

[turntaker]

So they are different and each has its challenges. Does it matter at all which order they are taught in or not?

No.
Don't dwell on what programming subject is taught first year it really doesn't matter at all.

 

[clementinez]

No.
Don't dwell on what programming subject is taught first year it really doesn't matter at all.

ok, thanks

 

[clementinez]

No one after a semester at uni of doing 1 programming subject feels confident

I didn't mean after 1 semester, not sure which year Flop21 is in though

 

[turntaker]

1st year.

Also please realize uni barely teaches enough for you to be employable. You have to spend a lot of hours learning extra skills and doing projects on your own.