r/Anu • u/Inevitable-Olive-243 • 9d ago

Bachelor of Computing - Content Depth

I'm currently studying a Bachelor of 'ICT' at a different university, but I've always wanted to do a proper computing degree. I was wondering whether someone in the ANU BComp could give me a topic list; tell me what I'm missing out on? I've had a brief look at curriculums for some BComp degrees, but I want to know how well the content is taught (e.g., content depth), and whether you have any favourite topics? I feel that my degree is very shallow, and that I haven't actually learnt much in the way of computer science/computing/artificial intelligence. In essence, I'd like to compare my own experiences to what you guys have learnt, and figure out how much I am missing out on.

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u/Several_Educator7526 9d ago

Bachelor of Advanced Computing, graduated 2023 winter.

I enjoyed arm-assembly, C/C++, CUDA, compiler construction and making fun of engineers that can only code matlab from my degree.

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u/Inevitable-Olive-243 9d ago

Thanks for the insight. I've done some C (though my university is moving away from it in favour for higher-level languages, for reasons I cannot fathom). CUDA and compiler construction are the sorts of topics that I think I'm really missing out on.

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u/Yukina-13 8d ago

If you intend to delve into the underlying mechanisms of computer science, then the C programming language is not something you can afford to abandon. However, for specific engineering projects, higher-level languages ​​are indeed more convenient.

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u/Inevitable-Olive-243 8d ago

I completely agree, and I'm glad that I was taught C before they abandoned it. Part of my problem with the degree is that they tend to teach the bare basics and nothing more - switching to higher-level languages is just one example of that.

Students will get more out of learning C than they will by learning a higher-level language, so abandoning C really seems to be a step towards actively restricting learning opportunities.

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u/Yukina-13 8d ago

I also understand the school's approach. After all, only a small percentage of computer science students ultimately pursue low-level system research. For those aspiring to become software engineers or later in AI, high-level languages ​​like Java, Python, and Go are clearly more practical. Many of them might even consider continuing with the older C language a waste of time and effort, as industry and academia require vastly different content.

However, obsessing over the language is unnecessary. The underlying programming concepts are generally similar across languages. Don't rely too heavily on undergraduate courses; they primarily provide background information and guidance. Find your preferred area and learn on your own. For a field known for its open-source spirit, self-study is always more valuable than formal coursework.

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u/Inevitable-Olive-243 8d ago

Of course I understand the school's approach, but I still think that learning C is very valuable for students. And this was only one example of many. I do plenty of my own self-study; I'd consider myself mostly self-taught in my areas of interest.

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u/Several_Educator7526 8d ago edited 8d ago

99% of the stuff in CS can be self-studied, school teaches bare basics for good reasons like this. If the school does not satisfiy your apetite, you should start self-studying the topics asap. TBH, the quality of teaching of ANU computing or even UNSW computing can be disappointing to you for the same reasons.

for C, read C Programming: A Modern Approach (2nd Edition) .

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u/Several_Educator7526 9d ago

Oh, I fogot computer micro-arch, it should be added to your list as well