[clug] Software Engineering

[David Tulloh]

I've recently graduate from the ANU.  I did an IT degree and an
engineering degree, I knew a few people who did software engineering and
actually talked my way into one of the special software engineering courses.


I think that it's better the think about the software engineering degree
as a four year IT degree rather than comparing it to a standard
engineering course.

The software engineering degree makes you eligable for an Engineers
Australia membership, this also means that you have to sit through the
ethics, law, management and finance courses that the engineers have to do.

With the exception of the above courses, I think the first few years of
the software engineering degree is the same as the IT degree.

I don't think the math level is any more complex than the standard IT
degree, which is to say it's virtually nonexistant.

You can choose to do embedded programming and a few electronics courses,
but you can do this with the regular IT degree as well.


I would advise you against getting a straight IT degree.  I think a four
year degree, software engineering or IT honours, or a double degree has
far better value.  I know a lot of IT graduates, I feel that many of
them don't have particularily good skills and I would be reluctant
employing them.  The average quality of the IT honours and software
engineers was considerably better.



David

PS: I'm not sure what you meant by just needing passes in the first two
years.  For a regular degree you just need to pass (50%) enough courses
and you get your piece of paper.


Tarrant wrote:
> Thanks for the insight everyone, you've all helped to a degree.
> 
>  Yeah my maths is... mediocre. If I apply myself I'm a generally high
> B-Grade student. When I don't I stoop as low as a bottom C in grades. While
> I understand the maths, it takes me longer and much more practicality - or
> rather practise of set questions and understanding different methods/styles
> while using the same formulas. I'm one of those who remembers something
> almost picture perfect, but only if I've done it, yet creatively or
> approaching new things I'm a bit slower to apply methods. 
> 
> So yes, I'm hesitating on not doing software engineering. While I've now
> been told by ANU students and staff that I'd come out with a better degree,
> able to get better job too, it's obviously harder and risk of not passing or
> coming out of the degree as well as I'd wish. I've also been told that the
> first year or two(two for software engineering) you just need passes? It
> doesn't so much as count, is that true?
> 
> Of course that's not to say I don't love coding, it's good fun and I've been
> coding PHP, VB, C++ and various others since 14 so... yeah. At the moment
> I'm still leaning towards B/IT - just need something obviously convincing
> for me to do Soft Engineering. Needless to say my UAI is far higher then the
> entry anyway... I think I could potentially do law... yeah right.
> 
> Oh and I'm relatively new to the list, but have known about CLUG (and know
> CLUG members) for some time. I'll be attending your meetings when I finish
> my CIT Bar & Resteraunt course as it sadly runs on Thursday evenings.
> 
> - Tarrant
> www.aeria-design.com
> 
>