BSc ITM - Advice Please

Col

Your c# experience should help you with cos111 and cos112 (They both based on C++) but if you might not have enough time to work through all the exercises & assignments rather leave a module or two for next year.

I did say that it was a bit crazy for me to enrol for 11 modules in one year, but I suppose that’s my problem ... besides, rather spend an extra year on you course than to have to flank a module causing you the spend another year again(and paying for it again).
Also I think if you flank a module you can say goodbye "cum laude". So rather be safe than crazy...

PS. I wish I new that a month ago. lol

Riaan, I hope you get through them all succesfully man! It'll save you quite a lot of time.

Mattiemutare, its good to hear its possible to get through without some of the prescribed books. I'll have a look at the coursework when it arrives and make a call at that point.

Thanks Tracey, I have included 113 and 114 for my first years studies.

Ilan, thanks for your advice too. It sounds like you had been a c++ programmer for quite a while before starting this programme. With a bit of luck, I'll find it easy and boring too. Great blog. I'll keep an eye on it.

I've applied for RPL on both CEM101 and CSS101. The only one I'm not sure about is CSS101 (Comprehension skills for science), as the part 2 calendar doesn't give much information on it. What the heck is that all about? If they put me through a challenge exam, do you have any idea what I should expect?

Thanks guys.. You have made my choices so much easier.

They try to teach you how to read scientific text in CSS101. I suppose it is a bit more applicable to the other BSc degrees, but I found it extremely boring.
It consists of 7 sections: Reading Processes, Skimming and Scanning, From Words to Sentences, Finding the Facts, Logical Relationships, Scientific Terminology and Visual Information.

It took me like 12 hours to read for all the study material & do the 4 assignments… I just thought it was a bit of a waste of time? Especially if you got some experience under the belt.

Regardless of your experience then I'd definitely do COS111 & COS112 together. Putting COS112 off for a year is just a waste of a year.
COS111 is an intro to C++ and COS112 is an intro to Object oriented programming in C++. The 2 should go together.
The sooner you get to move onto COS211 the better.

Thanks Riaan and Andre.

I might add COS112 onto my first year choices too, along with the COS113 and COS114 that I originally planned. But, lets say I am finding it difficult to cover all these modules with the time I have, am I able to cancel the module/s at all, or is the only option to fail it?

If I can cancel, at what point can this be done and is there a cut-off period?

Thanks!

I had absolutely no experience in programming and I tried to do COS111 and cOS112 in one year and it just didn't work.

Hi Col

D2 of section 1 - General Information and Rules of the 2008 Calander document addresses cancellations.

You'll forfeit at least the minimum amount payable on registration if cancellation is received before 15 May.

I agree with Andre cos111 & cos112 goes hand in hand, but as tracey stated if you hadn't had programming experience before it can be tough.

WIth your C# & VB experience cos111, 112 & 114 should ok, I find it is just new syntax that you need to learn, the principles remain the same. And alot of the c++ syntax is the same as c#.

My final advise though is to make a decision soon, cause the longer you wait to register, the later you going to start, and time is probably to most important factor in the first year modules.

a lot of the c++ syntax is like C#?

What? Like loops and decision constructs?

Or like templates, memory allocation and the STL?

You idiot.

 
  ,= ,-_-. =.
 ((_/)o o(\_))
  `-'(. .)`-'
      \_/

http://ilanpillemer.com
Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem

O nasty, at least both language's names start with a C

True.

And Java and Javascript both start with the word Java.

 
  ,= ,-_-. =.
 ((_/)o o(\_))
  `-'(. .)`-'
      \_/

http://ilanpillemer.com
Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem

If you take someone with at least some programming experience in something like VB/C#, then you will find similarities - even if it is only with loops and if-statements. At least the programming environment won't to something from outaspace like for a total non-programmer.

I agree that if you know 1 or 2 languages, learning another is much easier and faster. Lots of concepts can be used from one language in another. C# syntax looks like a mix between c++ and Java syntax.

I love javascript.

Hi Riaan,

I just tried to register all my modules (via my Dad in SA), but the guy wouldn't let me have COS111, COS112 at the same time. He says that I have to pass COS111 this year, and then only do COS112, COS113, COS114 next year.
How did you manage to register them all in the same year?

Cheers
Col

The guy your dad spoke to is wrong! I register for 12 first level modules in my first year without any problems. Go speak to another person or do a web registration.

Hmmm. great...
Well, I am now registered for only a few of the modules I wanted, but I'm planning to add on the other modules through the web. This can be done through myUnisa right?

From the 2008 Calendar:

COS112V Introduction to programming 2 (3 hours)*
Prerequisite: Mathematics as in Sc1(1)(b) or Sc10(1)(b) – see Part 7 of the
Calendar as well as proof of sufficient programming experience. Such
proof may be any ONE of the following:
(i) Computer Studies Higher Grade at matriculation level;
(ii) Any one of the following modules: COS111U, COS114X, DEV1M2I;
(iii) Any one of the following non-formal certificates: CSDP1DF,
CSDP1SW, CSVB1DG, CSVB1Y8, CSCP1DB, CSJA1DP;
(iv) Any other approved programming qualification (subject
to confirmation by the School of Computing subsequent to
registration);
(v) An approved one-page wri􀄴en summary of programming
experience in the workplace (subject to conformation by the School
of Computing subsequent to registration).
Co-requisites: (COS113 or INF101) and COS111U
Advice: Students are advised to complete COS111U prior to registering
for COS112V if they have any doubts as to whether their programming
experience is sufficient.
Purpose: to introduce students to the detailed design and implementation
of algorithms as programs, and includes the fundamentals of simple data
structures, including object-orientation.

yes, go to Edit Registration.

Ok, I'll do it online, but according to Tracey's post, it is correct. I should have passed COS111 or get prior approval from the School of Computing before proceeding.
Will adding them in myUnisa without any prior approval cause me hassles when I start submitting assignments and writing exams?

(v) An approved one-page written summary of programming
experience in the workplace (subject to conformation by the School
of Computing subsequent to registration).

Go to UNISA and give them a summary so that you don't have any hassles.

Co-requisites: (COS113 or INF101) and COS111U
Advice: Students are advised to complete COS111U prior to registering
for COS112V if they have any doubts as to whether their programming
experience is sufficient.

(i) Computer Studies Higher Grade at matriculation level;

Thats the important one, if you have that then ignore all the others

--
"Knowledge has much better uses than self-pity and superiority"

Ok, don't have that, so I'll see what I can arrange with the one page summary.
Thanks guys.

I registered online for everything, and they just excepted it (After I made payment of cause... maybe they saw I made payment already and thought let this sucker waist his money, we'll let him register for everything and if he fails he need to pay us again. lol).

I did however have CS HG at matric, so that probably helped...

i once saw someplace that if you have computer science in matric you can skip your first year...

I thought I'd just end off my UNISA experience with a quick post on the thread I started almost 5 years ago.
I've just got my results for my last BSC-ITM exam and I'm happy to say that my degree is now complete.
Thanks to all students and lecturers that have helped me along the way.

To those who are about to start their studies.... GOOD LUCK!!! It may seem like a long road, but it's over before you know it.

Regards,
Col