Lacey Price

Why did you originally apply to do BSc Mathematics and Computer Science with Industrial Year at Birmingham?

I'm not too sure what industry I want to work in later on, but by combining the two subjects I enjoyed the most during my A-levels I decided to keep my options open. Usually, universities restrict what modules you can take when studying a joint honours degree, but I found that Birmingham does quite the opposite. The module options here are more flexible and more varied. It helps you try different aspects of the subjects, and figure out what you'd like to specialise in in the future.

What do you think are the best points of your course?

I really enjoy the coding lab sessions we have in Computer Science as they are more relaxed than lectures and you can discuss your ideas or problems with other students and teaching assistants. Those sessions are more targeted in terms of advice and feedback. They really helped me progress in my coding ability, and I also made friends from these sessions.

I like that for Maths we are partly assessed on problem sheets (given around every 2 weeks) as we can spend time working on them and try to solve them but if we are struggling, we are able to discuss them with our tutor or the lecturer. Their guidance points us in the right direction so that we can solve them ourselves. It helps take away from the pressure of our grade being made up purely from an exam or coursework and lets us break down and consolidate what we’ve learnt across several weeks.

What’s the best thing about studying at the University of Birmingham?

I really love the campus. There are plenty of different types of study spaces so you can have the silence of the library, the quiet but social physics building or the more open and social arts building study space. They are also plenty of different food outlets and places to sit and relax around the campus so I’ve got somewhere to go throughout the day based on my needs or moods at the time. This also makes it easier to balance a particularly work-heavy day with having time to relax.

What’s your highlight of your time at the University?

I’ve really enjoyed the Mid-Autumn festival and the Diwali festival that the Computer Science building have hosted this year. They served mooncakes and different Asian sweets and foods across these events and decorated the building with lights, posters and bunting. They also made the events available to any students who wanted to attend so I got to meet lots of students from other courses and celebrate the festivals with them.

What advice would you give to students thinking about studying BSc Mathematics and Computer Science with Industrial Year?

The piece of advice I would give is to make sure you really enjoy the subjects. Maths and Computer Science are quite intense subjects and they require a lot of hard work outside of your set contact hours so having a real passion and enjoyment for them makes the overall studying experience more enjoyable. It also means that when you find a problem you can’t crack, it’ll be easier for you to keep trying to solve it.

Is there anything extra students thinking about studying BSc Mathematics and Computer Science with Industrial Year should know?

The Computer Science part of my course is aimed at students who have never learnt Computer Science before so they teach the content completely from the beginning but I would recommend still doing some pre-reading of the basic principles of A-level Computer Science as this will really help you to keep on top of the content.