Introduction

Hey there! I’m currently studying BSc (Hons) Software Engineering at Bournemouth University, and I wanted to share my experience within the Computing department. I’ve just completed my first year, and in this post, I’m going to talk about the different undergraduate courses available, the facilities students can use, things that stood out to me during my first year, event opportunities we can take part in, and where I see myself after I graduate.

Department Overview

In the Computing & Informatics department, there are eight undergraduate courses broken down into three pathways:

Computing: Computing, Computer Science, and Software Engineering

Cyber Security: Cyber Security Management, Cyber Security with Digital Forensics, and Networks and Cyber Security

Data Analytics: Business Computing with Analytics, and Data Science and Artificial Intelligence

In the first year, the first semester is identical for all eight courses. In the second semester, we branch out into our pathways: all courses have one common unit, then we have an “Intro to” unit which specialises in our pathway, and the Cyber Security pathway has a unique unit that the rest of us don’t share.

Facilities

Our department is based in Poole House, on the ground and second floor. There are four different rooms students can use: an on-network computing lab, a cyber security lab, an off-network computing lab, and a 24/7 lab. All labs use Windows as the operating system except the cyber security lab, which uses Linux. See below for the current look of the rooms:

PG04 – off-network lab

P201 – 24/7 lab

PG13 – cyber security lab

P234 – on-network lab

Things that stood out to me

The biggest thing that stands out to most computing students is Computing in Business (CiB). This happens at the end of semester two, where all the courses combine into a group work event. 

Things to get involved with

Aside from the educational side of the computing department, there are some computing-related social events all students (including non-computing students) can attend. Firstly, we have three computing-based societies: Computing & Security, CyberWomen, and Maths & Programming, which cater to different audiences depending on your interests. Other things students can get involved with are code-jams and hackathons. In these events, we compete in groups to produce something that fits a given brief. I’ve only competed in one this year, but I intend to attend more as it was a fun experience.

Where I see myself in the future

I hope to graduate with a grade above a 2:2 so I can complete a Master’s degree in Data Science, either in the UK or Germany. Afterwards, I plan to move, live, and work in Germany.

Conclusion

Studying at Bournemouth University has been an incredible experience so far, and I’m excited for what the future holds. Whether you’re considering a degree in computing or just curious about what it’s like, I hope this gives you a good insight into the opportunities and experiences available at BU.

Find out more

Computing & Informatics courses