h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

OK...this is going to sound like a really boring question, BUT...

Is arts/cs a good (worthwhile) course to do? What can it lead to?

I'm in y12 this year and I've got NO idea what to do with my life...I've done 3&4's of French and Further Maths, and by the end of this year will have passed (hopefully) English, Methods, Specialist, History and Info Systems....sooooooooo as the guinea pig - tell me!! WHAT should I do?! Are my subjects good for the pre-req's and stuff?

sorry for the school-related questions....

Hey, no probs about the questions.

Well, I can only answer about Monash (and I think they're the only ones who offer it), but yes, it's a pretty funky course. I especially recommend it if you're thinking about it cos you want to continue French (the theory being this will make you a 'valued employee' (which I think roughly translates to 'big salary' 8^) )).

The subjects you've done are brilliant prerequisites for Monash's Comp Sci. As far as I recall the actuall programming bit doesn't have any substantial prerequisites (I'll dig up my VTAC and check for you), but the Mathematics for Computer Science 1 & 2 do require Methods and suggest Specialist. Now, I had (I think) a B+ average in Methods (didn't touch Specialist) and I managed to get a distinction (70), so you should have no troubles as long as you're able to concentrate in the lectures (and this is harder than it sounds with the lecturers)

An important thing to consider is what type of computing course you're looking at. If you want multimedia, then from what I've seen this is not the course for you. Monash Clayton's Comp Sci is a more technical course. There are some multimedia style subjects, but not many.

The final bit of information I can give (and the bit I am most certain of) is don't simply take my advice. Come to the open day on Sun 6 August (10am - 4pm) and talk to people from the department and students doing the course (whether Comp Sci, Arts or Arts/Comp Sci). I'll be there in the Comp Sci area too - just look for the lost looking ditzy red-head 8^).

Hope this helps and best of luck!!!

Thanks so much for replying - I got my VTAC guide the day after I posted that question, but it really helps to have someone else's opinion on something - and the Guide doesn't really tell you much anyway...
Open day sounds like a good idea...I'll be there with bells on (big noisy ones so that everyone knows I'm coming...)!

Excellent!!! You'll blend right in then!!!!!

Phwoar!! I went to the open day - SO many people!!

Thanks for your advice - it helps to have my own personal course counsellor online!

Yeah it was massive!!!! We we're run off our feet!!! Did you go on a tour? Or did you go past the Seminar Room (next to the Virtual Tea Room) in the morning?

Are you going to enroll? What did you think of the arts building?

Nah - no tours, we just wandered round aimlessly...

I still don't know what I'm going to do - arts/cs sounds pretty good in terms of keeping my options open...but I'll go to the Melbourne open day and see what they offer...

Is it worth doing the double degree? With just staight comp sci you can do Arts subjects as well, can't you? What's the benefits of doing the combined?

Arts building is HUGE!! I was losing my friends and then finding them again - thank God we had phones or we would have been separated so quickly...

The benfit of doing the double is exactly that - it's a double and looks a bit more impressive. But if you just wanna do arts subjects as electives, then that's also good.

Yes, the Arts building is massive - but you'll get the hang of it very quickly