Welcome to your Cloud and Network Computing course

Welcome to University of Staffordshire London (USL)! With over 50 years of experience in delivering computing courses, our highly qualified and enthusiastic staff, who possess both academic and professional qualifications, are here to provide you with an excellent education. Located in the digital growth area of the capital, USL-Computing offers a rewarding learning experience that will set you on the path to a successful and fulfilling career. Get ready for an incredible adventure at USL-Computing! Throughout your time at USL, you’ll have opportunities to engage in guest lectures, hackathons, and employer networking events to help you grow professionally and personally.

Course delivery

The most effective and enriching student learning experience occurs when we come together in pursuit of both individual and shared goals. Accordingly, for the 2025/26 academic year, we are planning to provide an enhanced educational environment in which all students will be expected to attend campus for two teaching days per week. This time on campus will support not only scheduled teaching sessions, but also co-curricular and extracurricular engagement. Naturally, all activities will be conducted in strict adherence to current health and safety regulations to ensure the wellbeing of our entire community. You can find your timetable and important course dates here:
https://www.staffs.ac.uk/welcome/timetables

Your course tutors will provide lots of support. But you can also take advantage of our Academic Skills team, who can help you with:

Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
Written English (including punctuation, grammar and overall language proficiency)
Academic writing (effective academic writing skills, including proper referencing techniques)
Research skills (Equipping students with the necessary tools and techniques to conduct successful research)
Critical thinking
Industry experience (Worldwide recognised related certificates, placement opportunity)
Revision, assessment and exam skills (including time management)

Timetables and room allocations will be confirmed via your eVision and MS Teams channels, so make sure to check those regularly. You’ll also be using Blackboard for accessing your learning materials, and your student email for all university communications.

eVision: https://evision.staffs.ac.uk/
Blackboard: https://blackboard.staffs.ac.uk/
MS Teams: https://teams.microsoft.com
Student Email (Outlook): https://outlook.office.com/mail

Semester one activities

In the first few weeks we will be starting to deliver the technical content of your course and help you build working relationships with the staff and other students. We will also help you solve any issues you have and help you with the transition into higher education and the different methods of learning used, leading onto you becoming an autonomous, self-motivated learner. Here's a snapshot of the first modules you'll be studying:

Computer Architecture and Operating Systems Design – This module enables you to explore the different areas of technology within computing and identify core elements within the field to make an informed choice for purchasing, designing, and developing systems. In addition to these core skills you will consolidate your understanding of an operating system and will be able to commission and program typically Windows and Unix derivative OS as used within your chosen field. Considering Operating Systems outside of traditional x86 computing is also a key skill for fundamental computing decision making.
Networks and Communications – This course is intended to equip you with not only the knowledge but also the practical skills to be able to create and understand an enterprise grade network. The Syllabus incorporates the content of the Cisco ICND1 qualification (Network fundamentals and routing/switching fundamentals). You’ll be starting off learning the key concepts in networking and working in our specialist labs to put that theory into practice.
Algorithms and Programming Concepts – In this module, you will begin an exciting journey of discovery that will lay the programming foundation for your professional career. In the first semester, you will focus on writing programs in Python using the procedural programming paradigm. On the way, you will also learn about algorithms, data structures, analysing problems, modelling solutions, and testing programs.

Pre-learning

Before you begin your journey with us, we recommend exploring the following resources to build a foundational understanding of network concepts, as well as Windows and Linux operating systems:

Additional learning resources:

Feel free to watch other CCNA videos, TED Talks, and YouTube tutorials. Don't worry if you don't understand everything right away; we're here to help. We suggest starting with this YouTube playlist:

CCNA YouTube Playlist

We also recommend trying to complete a few small projects, like building a website or creating a simple Python game, to get into the mindset before the term begins.

Library services:

Our library services offer excellent guides to assist you with your studies, and you can book workshop sessions for individual support. Check out these additional resources:

Study Skills Guides

For more study skills resources and guidance on how to prepare before starting your course, explore the University’s Get Ready library guide:

Get Ready Library Guide

We look forward to supporting you on your educational journey!

Equipment and software

Software

The software requirements will vary based on the individual modules you are studying. The University provides software at no extra cost to all students, which you can access from our University Software Portal.

Hardware

All of our labs are equipped with powerful computers, and additional computers are available in various areas for student use.

For personal hardware, we recommend a laptop with at least an i7 processor (or equivalent.), and at least 16 GB of RAM to ensure you can complete specific assignments. Using Linux or Apple-based laptops is perfectly fine, but please note that not all software has a compatible version for macOS. This is particularly true for some freeware utilities that might be used in your modules.

Trips and activities

We are really excited to invite you to join in on a fun activity during Welcome Week. We want you to get to know other students from different courses as well as your cohort.

As part of your welcome experience, we’re excited to invite you on a trip to Bletchley Park, the historic centre of British codebreaking and birthplace of modern computing. You’ll explore the story of pioneers like Alan Turing, see real Enigma machines, and discover how wartime innovations shaped today’s fields like cyber security, networking, and AI. It’s a fun and inspiring day out, and a great way to connect with fellow students and staff. Full details will be shared during Welcome Week.

Clubs and societies

While studying with us, we encourage you to engage with at least one of our numerous clubs or societies. Joining a club or society offers you the chance to meet and connect with like-minded peers, enriching your student life and experience.

For more information on the types of clubs and societies available here at University of Staffordshire please visit our Students Union website.

Professional LinkedIn

Please make sure you have a professional LinkedIn page before joining us and start following updates from us on https://www.linkedin.com/company/uslcomputing/

We also recommend you connect with staff and classmates on LinkedIn and start building your professional presence early.

Meet the team

Dr Vahid Heydari Fami Tafreshi

Course Director - Computer Science

Vahid is a passionate researcher and course director specialising in Computing courses at the London campus. He leads the BSc and MSc Cyber Security courses, focusing on Internet Protocols, Architectures, Cybersecurity, and IoT Security.

Vahid's profile

What to expect on Welcome Week

We're so excited for you to join us on campus and to welcome you to where you matter. During your welcome week you'll be able to meet our friendly student services teams, connect with new friends, join societies, explore on-campus venues attend club nights and much more.