A Level and Uni Choices

Im currently in the 5th form at school and in a week or two we hav to make our A level choices. I really want to get into programming or hardware manufacturing as a job when i leave uni, but am unsureof the best root to follow in terms of subjects to take to follow this path.

Currently i am thinking of taking Maths, Computing, Physics and History (to show diversity ). I would be aiming to get around 5-6 A* this year for GCSE's and around 4 A's. However would my above A level choices enable me to get into a decent uni. I have aslo looked into going abroad to MIT for example, but i hear to get in there you have to be super right, something i am not. Do people have any reccomendations or advice on choosing A levels and Uni to go to, in order for me to enter a field of work situated in computing

I have some knowledge in computing as i started programming in C++ around 2 years ago (and have explored other languages such as Java and Perl) and built my first of several computer around 3 years ago, however by the sounds of it many people here were into programming at like 7-8 years old will this possibly disadvantage me in anyway?

Thanks alot

 

From personal experience, and people are not going to agree with me here so im putting on a flame proof suit:

The "top lot" are overrated as teaching establishments. You get a degree at the end of it and it looks good, but experience from friends going to Oxford (i dunno about Cambridge) is that they "teach" you less and expect you to get on with it. However, dont go to a poly-uni, waste of your time and money with those grades.
Going abroad also costs a **** load unless you get a scolarship. I dont know the american system but iirc its all self-funded - hence MIT = very right cause only rich people can afford to go there (?? guesswork).

Do a degree that is universal, non-specific so then you can go do anything else when you leave. The more options you keep open now gives you more choice to change your mind - you've got 2+3/4 years till the end and you may find other areas of interest later.

 

For computing they'll be looking for a general aptitude with computers (obviously) so IT and computing are good choices, maths is pretty much essential to get into any technical course and will boost your chances many fold.

Other than that, get the grades and you'll get in. Unis don't tend to be too fussed about subjective things like "i wrote my first shell script when i was 4".

 

Hi, i work with getting people into higher education (Aim Higher) in since inbetween my degree course, so i can tell you what A-Levels people like for what sort of things.

First of, Maths, this is the most important one, a lot of top 20 uni's won't give a monkies uncle if you have this at B or higher (often a D if you're carismatic in ur interview). This is for any decent degree. (in science, but the world only needs so many typeogrophists).

Next comes Physics, most engineering degrees look favourably on pysics but don't require it. Below a grade C and your not going anywere good.

Then comes Electronics, not many places do this degree, if your 6th form does, jump at it. grade isn't important (thou <D makes you look bad). It will add a talking point to your interview most admitions tutors will jump on (what did you make as your project in your first year, oh really, thats intresting what about this......) They will also use this to test you on it (well most will).

Further Maths, ooh daddy, just get a grade C and ur instantly on the top of the pile, even if you only do AS further (like me!) they really like it, most will lower your offer for this.

If you're applying for a good uni in your subject, ie York for software, manchester for hardware, reading for cybernetics. The person interviewing you will read and think up some question, some conversation starter based on your personal statement, so include any projects you've done that are clever.

For instance, i got my un-conditional for one of my reserve choices by him mentioning what i was doing on the netMD hacking team, i also got brough up at either bath or exeter on my half-life client bot (winamp interface) i'd made and about software security.

so getting the interviews is piss easy. Most don't really care about subjects that much, as long as you've got at least 2 of the above your all set for oxbridge level

so with your others (this advice is frowned apon by lots) take easy ones, that will give you A's. Then make sure you practice been good at interview, that will do more than say History.

(note media studies is hated by a lot so avoid it, easy ones are often Computing, IT,History)

Also General Studies is never used to decide if you get in or not, no matter what you're told. (enless you wern't interviewed/phoned in which case that uni sucks, apply again!).

 

well i did maths, computing, physics and art, its demanding and the maths is very difficult compared to gcse, but u should be able to do it if ur getting those grades at gcse.... although i do know sum1 who got A* gcse and ended up quitting maths after AS cuz they found it too difficult. in terms of uni course, u should be able to do pretty much any physical engineering course with those a-levels, im currently doing mechanical systems engineering at sheffield... most decent university engineering courses will require maths and maybe a science and by the sounds of things an engineering degree is what your after. In other words, go for it (but remember, you only need 3 a-levels to get into uni so dont worry if u need to drop history or computing)

oh yeh, they dont seem too bothered if uve done computing or not (even though it is difficult) but it is very useful if your course involves computers in any way as it gives you less to learn

edit:
btw, i aplied for cybernetics at reading and it looks like a great course, but ended up going for this course at sheffield instead and im glad i did. although the cybernetics course at reading is a very good degree, i didnt see myself living in the area, remember you will hate your uni choice if u dont like the place its in (this is also the reason i avoided manchester ).

I applied to york aswell but the closest course they had to the ones i was interested in came across as very academic and didnt involve alot of practical experiments, which is fine if u dont mind that sort of thing, but i wanted to get my hands on the big labs they have in sheffield (rolls royce jet engine anyone?).

i ended up putting sheffield as my first choice and reading as my second as i liked both the courses and thought i would preffer to live in sheffield

 

To be fair Computing A level is unnecessary.
Do it if you like though, with maths, physics and history you're sorted.
Get all A's and you'll have the choice to do a lot of varied degrees.

 

also its dull as dog****

 

and history isnt??
i did computing and didnt find it dull, had fun in those classes, probably why i only scraped a B then (no1 else in the class got above a D)

 

If your sure thats what you want to do as a career path then I would recommend Physics, Maths, Electronics and Computing which coincidentaly is what I did at college. The maths is a defo since it compliments the other three plus with the electronics and computing under your belt you should be set for what you want to do. As for going abroad I wouldnt recommend it, it would cost far too much plus you would have to find a grant from somewhere as it was pointed out, the furthest I'd go is ireland because Intel do a joint program with some uni's over there if you choose electronic engineering, which I considered for a while, which would do you great for hardware manufacturing.

 

yes i know what you mean, a lot of people find problems with area (why i didn't want to go to manchester or a london uni).
But now i know better, its more a case of what you're hall is like (and how good its JCR are at aranging events!).

Everyone tends to either love the uni their at, and think its the best place, or they just hate their course (normally because their failing, or have personal issues ie, living away from home for the first time, first 'true love').

Biggest upset i've had was family berevement and gf issues, so i'm still a member of its not the uni, or the city its you that screws it up.

 

I can live with that. Course pisses me off at times, but its alright i suppose. Manchester isnt my favourite place really either, but i get on with it.

You just have to stick it out.

 

I choose a uni that was offering a course that was slap bang in the middle of what i wanted to do, lotsa electronics, losta programing, losta robotics.
also i love AI as a way of philosphising.

I'm the happyest i've been in my life doing this.

OT thou, the advice in my first post will get you into ANY decent uni, assuming you've got enough charm to do wow them in interview.
if you do good there, you find even hard to get into uni's have un-conditionals or 3*C's to offer!

 

If you are only doing History for diversities' sake then do English instead. There are no courses out there where a good grasp of the English language is not an asset.

Other than that, I would say Maths and Physics were essential for any kind of technology course. As for having to have learned programming when you were 7---that's just ridiculous. Get good grades in your A-levels and you're sorted.

Sam

 

I disagree.

If your looking at computing at uni, dont feel pressured into taking any computer courses for a-level. I have a friend doing comp-sci at cambridge, and he has "no" formal computing qualifications, just good a-levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry.

Personally, I took maths and further maths - and the sheer mass of maths involved just made it so much easier, and better! I actually ended up enjoying maths by the end (well... to a degree anyway ) - and i so wish i had taken chemistry rather than computing... or even (dare i say it)... biology ? IMO, Computing is useless, and you'll be hard pushed to get a good teacher for anything computer based.

IT is useless. You know what they say "Information Technology - Sponsored by Microsoft!" - everything MS in IT And i wouldnt worry about the diversity thing do history if it interests you or something - qualifications dont always have to be gruelling like maths or science may be

Remember though, btw, if you dont do a computer baed subject, youd do well to work on your own doing lots in your spare time, computer wise.

 

i'm doing my homework for computing now and i'm so bored i'm giving serious thought to tidying my room.

 

york rocks my socks!! Although I do economics and not software.

Computing is a hard a level so be prepared to work a hell of a lot for it

 

no its not, computing is piss easy

 

no... there is "one" hard module in it otherwise i agree 5 of the 6 modules are easier than fat chicks at a drinking convention. the trick is making it all very simple - so the examiners think they know what your on about, that will get you marks

 

which module?
hardest bit is doing the writeup for the project imo

 

module 4 of OCR - the technical one. I found that quite tedious (took me from an A to B, grrr). The project write up i found quite easy in the end, you really just have to write EVERYTHING, and assume (quite rightly) that the person examining it is well stupid, and knows nothing about what your programs background/working/subject is about. Its tedious and long i grant, but i didnt find it hard at all