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Guys, Does this 7-week course in Java seem like a worthwhile endeavor for a relative noob?quote:Intensive Introduction to Computer Science Using Java
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Apr 6, 2011 08:40
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| # ¿ May 20, 2024 08:17 |
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lamentable dustman posted:What are you trying to get out of it? If going for a CompSci degree does it take the place of 100 level courses? It seems pretty brutal but if you have programming experience it shouldn't be that bad. At my current school, I was informed that this course will only substitute the first intro to java course in the sequence. While s111 will cover algos and data structures, presumably in greater depth than my tier 3 college, the tier 3 college cycles 4 languages (java, c++, etc.) in the sequence to cover the material. With this course I will have only seen java, so the department won't give me credit for anything more than the intro java course. However, I plan to transfer in the fall anyhow. Staying here is a backup plan. I guess my concern is the same anywhere i go. Even if I don't get to skip ahead in the fall, I am dying to dive into programming so I can start programming independently. I'd like to be contributing to open source projects by December and be completely proficient in java, C, and python by next summer. If I wait until the fall to study this material, I feel like I risk setting myself back. My reason for posting here is to ask, what will I be able to do by the end of this course? Will I be completely proficient in java or are there advanced concepts i still will not have touched by the end of the 8 cred course?
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Apr 7, 2011 07:59
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epswing posted:That's an understatement... Understood. I will view the experience as a way to get my feet wet in a challenging, structured environment. I assume my peers will be at a similar starting point with similar trajectories/ambitions. My question is pretty much about rigor. I don't want to waste my time with a trivial introduction. This course positions itself as a challenging introduction. I am looking to you guys for an assessment of that.
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Apr 7, 2011 17:34
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lamentable dustman posted:This won happen for all the reasons other guys said, it takes a while to get proficient in just one language. And honestly, if you had the motivation to do OS programming you would of been learning on the side already. I am (learning on the side) and I do (have the motivation). If it weren't for my 150% college course load and research obligations, I would spend every waking minute solving Euler problems and writing programs. I had an extra credit assignment for a Calculus class. I used logmein to write a monte carlo simulation from my iphone. It ran on the first try. I actually didn't even know it was called a monte carlo simulation until my professor graded it and gave me feedback. I'm a complete newb, but programming comes naturally to me and I really enjoy doing it. I want to do this for a living, so all of these plans are being made with this goal in mind. I understand the view that it is not possible to become proficient in under X years. While I appreciate that feedback (and I have accepted the reality), no one here is really in a position to judge my intent/motivation/capability.
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Apr 8, 2011 01:01
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Contra Duck posted:I think you don't really understand the size of a language like Java. Seriously, look at all of this. Ignoring the rapid pace at which new features are added, complete proficiency in these things alone would take DECADES. You might be able to become a passable programmer in the space of a year if you work hard but when you throw around terms like 'complete proficiency' you're demonstrating that you don't fully grasp the scope of what you're trying to achieve. Jam2 fucked around with this message at 10:35 on Apr 8, 2011 |
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Apr 8, 2011 10:17
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zootm posted:Almost none of those are actually relevant to Java the language, though (not to mention the number of them which supersede other entries). Java is not especially complex to learn as a language, and most of the APIs are irrelevant to most people. Getting a good grasp of the the core language itself and maybe the collections libraries, as well as a good grounding in programming in general (learning another language is more important than learning most APIs, even if they're the ones you end up using), is more than enough to claim proficiency in Java as a language. To me, proficiency means being able to use tools available to solve problems and write good code as a valued contributor within an engineering team. It means being able to hold your own in a work environment full of experienced programmers. It means being able to bring something to the table. This is my three to four year goal. If you guys dont want to call this profiency then feel free to replace the word with something else you deem more fitting. I don't want to argue about semantics. I'm here to learn. Jam2 fucked around with this message at 12:59 on Apr 8, 2011 |
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Apr 8, 2011 12:38
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tef posted:actually no matter how smart you are or curious, if you're a dick to people, and can't write for poo poo, you won't get far. real software is written by groups, collaborating.
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Apr 9, 2011 12:04
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| # ¿ May 20, 2024 08:17 |
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Harvard CTO, Jim Waldo is coming in to speak to my intro java class tomorrow. He was on the team that developed the Java programming language at Sun back in the day. What question, if anything at all, should I ask him? Is there anything you guys want to know about Java or Sun?
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Jul 19, 2011 03:56
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