CompSci + Media Arts, should I drop? (1 Viewer)

[skyren]

I started a dual degree in CompSci and Media Arts this year...
I have no experience in coding whatsoever, and I'm struggling with it so far and it's making me feel very overwhelmed, making me panic, etc
I try to do all my work given, but it's taking up so much time... the lecture vids on top and stuffs...
I also go to the lectures, haven't missed one yet except one cus the lecturer said he wouldn't be there.

I'm feeling very trapped and actually suffocating to some degree, I think I'll fail something either this sem or next sem.

The reason why I chose this degree was due to the flexibility of it when I graduate and possibly allowing me be easily employed,
cus you get to create your ideas with the technical things that you've learnt from computing...


Now, being so overwhelmed, I'm doubting myself and thinking if I should drop compsci and just do media arts alone.
I also considered architectural computing, but I'm not sure about the job opportunities for this one,
archi comp looks pretty restrictive and random(someone plz answer me on this one)

PS: I do COMP1917 and MATH1131
and they're core, so don't think I can drop it

 

[Thief]

Depends on whether you enjoy 1927. I'm doing 1131 and 1927 as well. From the wondrous 8005 activity onwards I've started to fall behind. The wondrous one is so hard and I don't even want to try the chessboard activity Definitely get as much help as you can from friends for the comp activities. Sometimes it's just a small error that you don't notice yourself.

If you find comp hard AND you don't like it at all (like you think it's a terrible subject or something) then you should probably switch degrees. I find it fun, but it's just hard at the moment.

As for maths, are you doing alright in that? If you can get an average of 6-7 in the topic tests you should be fine.

Try and catch up in the mid-sem break. I know I have a lot of work to do.

 

[skyren]

@Thief

I do score around that for topic tests so far

I hear 1927 is very hard and there are no 2nd chances...likely to fail, is that true?
And yes, wondrous killed me and even my programming-experienced friends...I didn't even attempt it anymore.
At first, I don't mind Compsci, i found it alright, but then after all these tasks that are taking up so much time, and also eating away my leisure and social time, I'm starting to lose interest.

I do get some friends to help, but i feel that if i continue to do this, I'll be too dependant and unable to work on my own. And i feel like i'm bothering my friends sometimes.

 

[Thief]

@Thief

I do score around that for topic tests so far

I hear 1927 is very hard and there are no 2nd chances...likely to fail, is that true?
And yes, wondrous killed me and even my programming-experienced friends...I didn't even attempt it anymore.
At first, I don't mind Compsci, i found it alright, but then after all these tasks that are taking up so much time, and also eating away my leisure and social time, I'm starting to lose interest.

I do get some friends to help, but i feel that if i continue to do this, I'll be too dependant and unable to work on my own. And i feel like i'm bothering my friends sometimes.

I have no idea about COMP1927. Was it just from like wondrous 8005 onwards where you found the activities hard? Or was it from before that?

And yeah I get that feeling that I'm annoying my friends too. There's COMP help labs every week somewhere, and try and ask your tutor as much questions as you can in the labs.

 

[matchalolz]

hey, i'm also doing comp 1917 (one of the high school kids who are doing this course). one of my tutors said that when doing the comp 1927 course, u are assumed to know how to program quite well so u will fail if ur understanding of programming is weak

if it makes u feel any better, i haven't yet completed the wondrous 8005 but i'm getting there. have u asked ur tutors for help? sometimes i feel so much better when they clarify things a little don't let yourself suffer in silence, ur friends shouldn't get too annoyed if you're asking them different questions, just not the same ones over and over again which tends to mean that you don't really understand the content. u shouldn't be getting dependent on people if u ask them questions, isn't asking questions just solidifying or clarifying ur knowledge?

how much of your progress bar is full? i think you should still try and give the activities a go, take a break if you're stressed but definitely don't give up if u still have interest in this subject. the activities should take a little more time to complete especially if u have no previous programming experience so don't be discouraged by this. some of my friends are behind and i'm sort of behind myself but i think a lot of people are like this.

 

[Squar3root]

i did COMP1917 then that was too hard so i moved to COMP1911 and it's so much better, you dont have to watch the lectures online and the tutor i have now is far better than the one i had previously. but buckland was still a good guy taylor is also pretty good

 

[skyren]

@thief @matchalolz
i have about 13 activities undone so far including an assignment with a partner that is due this week (not started)
But the last few activities were all from the help of my friends.
I know about the consultation labs, but I can't make it to both of them. I'm already staying back an hour extra after my tute and asking for help, etc.
It's not only wondrous, i think ever since arrays, calling functions, frames, etc, are introduced, i've been having trouble.
I was able to do doomsday fine on my own (with a bit of a help, but mostly done by myself)...so pretty much I'm alright with If Else statements (printf and scanf as well) but not really on the rest.

 

[Squar3root]

@thief @matchalolz
i have about 13 activities undone so far including an assignment with a partner that is due this week (not started)
But the last few activities were all from the help of my friends.
I know about the consultation labs, but I can't make it to both of them. I'm already staying back an hour extra after my tute and asking for help, etc.
It's not only wondrous, i think ever since arrays, calling functions, frames, etc, are introduced, i've been having trouble.
I was able to do doomsday fine on my own (with a bit of a help, but mostly done by myself)...so pretty much I'm alright with If Else statements (printf and scanf as well) but not really on the rest.

printing and scanning wont get you very far in COMP1917, considering it is designed for computer science majors. The things you've described above should be second nature to you when you start COMP1927. If you got doomsday working then i guess that shows you can problem solve quite well, but more is required from you. (i dropped comp1917 before doomsday way due so i didn't have to do it lol)

 

[Thief]

@thief @matchalolz
i have about 13 activities undone so far including an assignment with a partner that is due this week (not started)
But the last few activities were all from the help of my friends.
I know about the consultation labs, but I can't make it to both of them. I'm already staying back an hour extra after my tute and asking for help, etc.
It's not only wondrous, i think ever since arrays, calling functions, frames, etc, are introduced, i've been having trouble.
I was able to do doomsday fine on my own (with a bit of a help, but mostly done by myself)...so pretty much I'm alright with If Else statements (printf and scanf as well) but not really on the rest.

I'm sure a lot of people are in the same boat. Tbh I only vaguely understand the pointer/address thing myself. I have 14 uncompleted activities but if you look at the page a heap of those are actually just lecture videos.

Just do as best you can since you might as well complete the course now that you're halfway, and see if it kind of "clicks" for you.

 

[froogle]

If you like the subject, then stay. If not switch.

You really won't go far if you don't like it. If you like something, you tend to pull through when things gets tough. Just from experience and life in general

Try to keep up with things. Seek help if you get stuck. The next comp courses get harder and you will be expected to be competent at programming.

Before making a big decision like changing degrees, think hard about why you chose it in the first place.

 

[ismeta]

I'm sure a lot of people are in the same boat. Tbh I only vaguely understand the pointer/address thing myself. I have 14 uncompleted activities but if you look at the page a heap of those are actually just lecture videos.

pointers can take a looooong time to sink in, don't worry (it's normal). I took a while to completely get them - when I finally understood I was so happy

 

[skyren]

Is it possible to transfer to Architectural Studies if I drop to Media Arts in Sem 2 and try to do well in it?
The WAM for transfer nxt year into Archi is WAM of 75

So pretty much Comp Sci + Media Arts ---> Media Arts ---> Architectural Studies.

A follow up question would be, what will be considered for my WAM?
It says minimum of 36 units for transfer, what if i'm doing 6BMA courses and 2 Compsci courses throughout this year ?
(since i'll be dropping to BMA only in Sem2)
would they count only the BMA or all of the 8 courses?

EDIT:
Source:
https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/academiclife/program_transfer/program_trans_FBE.html