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Is Computing a Numbers Game?

• Although mathematics is integral to Computing courses, and students who have a proficiency with this subject at secondary/high school tend to do well with Computing courses, Computing is much more about thinking logically about problems and the ability to break larger problems down into a set of smaller ones that are easier to solve individually

Why Programming Matters

• Programming is central to all Computing degrees and the ability of a student to program is generally a deal-breaker in terms of whether the student can progress to the later stages of the degree. Many modules a student takes on a Computing degree are “straight” programming modules involving languages such as Java, C#, C and C++ while others involve the student having to use their logic and problem-solving ability to create some kind of system in a database or Web environment. There are typically other, non-programming, modules that a Computing student will take, but these are normally not a direct barrier to the progression of the student in the sense that they are often fact-based and do not involve the level of problem-solving required for programming modules.

Are You Ready To Program?

• If you are reading this then it’s a very good indicator that you are not sure whether you have an innate ability to problem-solve and write programs that represent your problem-solving efforts. The only way to be sure whether you can be a programmer is to actually write some programs! The short course offered by this website can give you the answer to this very question very quickly. The notes supplied integrate the basic theory of programming, using the Java programming language, to solve many kinds of problems. There are lots of sample programs and follow-up exercises to attempt. The focus is on the practical side of things, as ultimately programming is a practical activity. The course is similar to the one that I have taught myself for almost 25 years to first year Computing students at our Technological University in Munster, Ireland. The format used for the course has been very well received by students and the feedback has been extremely positive over the years. A huge number of these very same students are now pursuing successful careers in the IT field generally, with many of them working as programmers at various levels.

What’s the Next Step?

• If you are ready to find out if a course in Computing is for you, then you can either download and study the entire course material in one go or you can “break it up” into three separate “chunks”, which may be more cost effective for many.
  • If you opt to download and study the course material in three parts, then you will be eligible to take an online programming exam after you have studied each part and I will assess your attempt and provide feedback. You can then choose to either go on to study more of the course material or to “drop out” at very little financial cost.
  • Should you choose to download and study the entire course material in one go, then you will be eligible to take an online programming exam after you have studied each of the three parts that make up the entire course. I will assess each of your attempts and provide solid feedback and analysis.
• The beauty of this approach is that you are in complete control – you decide when you want to study the material and you decide when you are ready to take an online exam. You will simply email me when you are ready to take an exam and then I will forward it to you, with details about how much time you should allow yourself etc.
• Exams are meant to be “closed-book”, so you ought to take them in a quiet room with no course material available to you and no Internet browsers open. You want to prove to yourself that you have mastered the material covered for that particular exam and that you are able to apply it, free of any external aids.

Get Ready to Program!