TMSCA-->Comp Sci

[slanders09]

I've always wondered this, but can anyone tell me why TMSCA doesn't endorse Computer Science? You'd think that being the texas math and SCIENCE coaches association there would be TMSCA computer science tests and a comp sci competition at state. I'm sure there's some reason, but I was just curious...

[lethalwire]

It should be at this competition. There isn't a reason behind it :P

[slanders09]

Amen to that!

[Quelloquialism]

Well, it could always be worse. TMSCA State could use Hexco tests for the State meet...yeah, I'd prefer no contest to a Hexco contest for CS. I think most CS competitors would agree? =)

And on the bright side, computer science offers more contest opportunities for the lone competing individual than the other stuff tends to, at least in my experience. There are plenty of other programming contests around. Nothing is quite like the UIL written tests as far as I've seen (although I've never really searched for that, because I don't really like UIL Written CS), but there are plenty of Hands-On style contests out there.

But really, if you're serious about computer science in the future, you might want to get used to getting the short end of the stick... =P I was recently informed by a local scholarship foundation that if I major in computer science, I would be ineligible for a particular $20,000 scholarship because it is only awarded to "students majoring in the natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering", and computer science does not meet their standards for any of these categories (even though at nearly every school I've seen, CS is in either the college for natural sciences or the college for engineering, and computer science requires so much math that at places like Texas Tech University, a math minor comes free with a CS major, and upgrading to a dual-major in CS and math requires only a couple extra classes due to the enormous overlap of the two fields). And I regularly get people asking me for help with computer hardware problems and the like, even though I probably know less about my computer than the average person...haha.

[ZachB]

Have you ever heard of TopCoder? Its a website that has hands on type problems and competitions. Its not really like UIL, but if you're like me, you would find that UIL computer science is too much like obscure computer science trivia anyway. You should try it out.

[lethalwire]

Yes, I practice on this site. I've never taken part in competition though. They have really skilled programmers here.

[slanders09]

[Quelloquialism]

Haha...the issue of doing well or doing poorly is not quite what I'm getting at--the point is that the tests fail to cover most of the deeper concepts in AP level CS. On the standard UIL test, there are, yes, a few of those variable-tracer problems, sure. But they're sprinkled in with different-base arithmetic, time complexity analysis, data structure problems, AP standard algorithms, and that sort of thing. Hexco tests are deficient in terms of breadth.

[peterliang]

after taking my first hexco test, i thought the author probably closed his eyes and typed random garble into jcreator, and whatever compiled he put on the test.

[slanders09]

lol...i agree, as long as you can trace variables (as you said) you can figure out those tests, and no, there isnt any deeper kind of knowledge of comp sci or anything else to that effect. but i was shocked because i managed to make an 88 at district which was good enough to get me to regionals where i'll get killed...woot woot!