Welcome to UCL CS!​

Welcome to UCL Computer Science! 🎉

The academic year has just begun, and you'll soon be diving into your first programming classes. Whether you’re based in Bloomsbury or the East campus, the Programming Tutors are here to support you every step of the way.

To help you deal with the unknown, we prepared this website as a good launch point to set up your environment!

Throughout the year, you’ll be part of the Programming Tutor (PT) Scheme, organised by the UCL Department of Computer Science. Each PT group consists of one tutor and around 10 peers. These weekly sessions (held during teaching weeks) will provide you with a space to ask questions, discuss coursework, and explore the programming concepts you learn in class. Your tutor will be there to guide you, answer questions, and offer valuable support as you navigate your studies. The PTs are all students as well, just like yourself! They would have been in your exact same position not too long ago, so please ask them anything that you may be uncertain about!

The Senior Programming Tutors, including myself (Peter), Sara, Harsh and Ari, are also here to help - we organise the Programming Tutor programme and are responsible for the smooth running of the scheme as a whole. Please don't hesitate to contact us at cs.senior-programming-tutors@ucl.ac.uk with any suggestions, or alternatively have your PT pass it onto us!

But remember, UCL isn’t just about studying – there’s so much to explore in both UCL and London! Make the most of your time here by meeting new people and getting involved. 🌍

Best of luck, and welcome to the UCL CS community! 🥳

What if I were to start university again?​

Hmm. This is a question I have never asked myself before now. I have just asked ChatGPT to enquire for its wisdom and got a perfectly sensible answer: Dive into projects early to get practical experience, seek out mentors as they can provide guidance and resources, engage with clubs and societies to make new like-minded friends, do internships to learn about work-environments, develop soft skills as communication, teamwork and time-management are just as important – AND do it all while balancing your academic and social life.

I have done all these as a student and recommend all these, and often teach them to students, and henceforth to you - however it feels incomplete. The true answer is highly personal, and it will be very personal to each of you as each of you will need something different. There are many points that come to mind regarding my own personal experience. One of them that was extremely important to me and that I only came to learn later in life was to understand, respect and look after my body and mind. This means learning to sleep right, exercise right, eat right, work right, take care of my emotions … it sounds so simple and yet 19-year-old Ivana did not really know and learned all this hard way. I would have certainly appreciated a mentor, however when I was a student, opportunities like the ones you have here at UCL were simply not available.

UCL is one of the best universities in the world. It is not only amazing for research and teaching but also looks after its students and is committed to supporting them. Of course, things don’t always work out – but if it is not perfect at UCL, it is extremely likely that is the same at other brilliant universities. So, focus on the positives and re-define the negatives – use them to harness resilience and learn real-world problem solving – qualities as valuable as academic experience.

Give your best to learn and play with the modules you are taking, and identify which one, or part of one, or skill needed to do one, you really have fun with: You could do it for hours + It does not make you bored + You keep web-browsing it + You get lost in it = You have found your passion. Then become the master of that craft. Became great at it. Find an academic or a postdoc or a student who is great at it and learn from the best. The academics that work at UCL are world renown and you have an opportunity to meet them, work with them, and learn from them. Come to them prepared, with a will to learn and it is very likely that in one of those research projects you do with them in your final year, or over summer, you collaborate on something great – and it maybe leads to a paper, or a start-up, or a great reference, or a life career journey, or at the very least forges a meaningful and enriching connection.

At the end of it all – and this is what probably everybody keeps telling you, but it is so true - it's not just about the outcome; remember to smell the roses 😊. It's about the journey—the experiences, the growth, and the relationships that will inform and inspire your path forward.

Welcome to UCL CS!​

Welcome to the UCL CS community! The academic year just kicked-off and you'll start your first programming classes soon! 🖥️

To help you deal with the unknown, we prepared this website as a good starting point to set up your environment! Moreover, throughout the year you'll be supported by Programming Tutors, who will be there to help you understand programming concepts, and answer all your questions!

Keep in mind you're here not only to study, but also to explore and meet with others - there is so much to do at UCL and in London! 🎉

Good luck! 🥳