Your Computer Science Student Toolkit
Secondary / GCSE • macOS
Programming, version control, databases, networking and more for computer science students.
Who this toolkit is for
For computer science students from GCSE to postgraduate. Courses use different languages, so start with the essentials and add modules for what you're studying now.
Choose any modules to see the tools for them. Without a module, module tools appear under Specialist / Optional.
Essential (4)
Core tools that are broadly useful.
Code Editor / IDE
Why you may need this: A flexible code editor for programming assignments, scripting and web modules.
Homebrew (verified)brew install --cask visual-studio-code
Programming Languages
Office / Documents
LibreOfficeOpen Source
Why you may need this: A free office suite for essays, spreadsheets and presentations.
Homebrew (verified)brew install --cask libreoffice
Database Tools
- DBeaver Community
Open Source
Why you may need this: Connect to databases and practise SQL queries.
For the Databases module
Homebrew (verified)brew install --cask dbeaver-community
Recommended (4)
Useful for particular parts of the work or course.
Version Control
Office / Documents
- Microsoft 365
PaidAlso on Android, iPhone/iPad, Web
Why you may need this: Word, Excel and PowerPoint are common for coursework; many institutions provide it free.
Check your university access
Your university or college may provide this software or a student licence. Check before purchasing.
Prefer a free option? LibreOffice, ONLYOFFICE Desktop · Compare alternatives
Homebrew (verified)brew install --cask microsoft-office
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
FreemiumAlso on Android, iPhone/iPad
Why you may need this: Read and annotate lecture slides, papers and forms.
Homebrew (verified)brew install --cask adobe-acrobat-reader
Virtualisation
VirtualBoxOpen Source
Why you may need this: Try Linux and other systems safely in virtual machines.
For the Operating Systems module
Homebrew (verified)brew install --cask virtualbox
Specialist / Optional · Show specialist tools (4)
Consider these for particular modules, tasks or environments.
Programming Languages
Version Control
- GitHub Desktop
Open Source
Why you may need this: A visual Git client for team projects.
For the Software Engineering module
Homebrew (verified)brew install --cask github
Research / Notes
Course requirements vary. Software requirements differ between schools, colleges, universities and modules. Check your course materials before purchasing software.
Build your student setup
Build My Setup lets you add or remove apps, see why each is included and, where verified packages exist, get one install command. Nothing is installed automatically.