Computer science courses in school
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| Therefore, universities should not teach _languages_. They should teach programming. |
They should teach both. The point of the Java course I took was to learn Java. The point of the other, that used Scheme, was language design. Scheme was just the best tool, and it allowed the professor to sneak in some functional programming instead of the usual imperative stuff. The reason I praised her course so highly was that it was developed to teach on multiple levels, requiring the student to learn to think instead of just learn some strange C++ syntax.
Actually Universities are also under pressure by the working sectors employers. In my country, Uni rep do meet regularly with working sectors employers to understand their need for which particular area/programming languages needs in IT have serious vacancies. After-all the Uni graduates are supposed to be hunting a job and work for them isn't it? If Uni taught skills that cannot be immediately applicable to the working sectors, it make the whole Uni course a pure academic exercise and most graduates will then have to via for jobs only in academic sector. This does not bode well for the whole country economy as a whole isn't it?
So yes Uni need to weigh this balance delicately and under Govt pressure to boost economy, common sense prevail and Uni start to teach more relevant and immediately applicable languages like Java (in my days), .NET etc.
I cannot speak of other Uni in other countries but in my country there is this trend of "bowing" to reality and govt policies :P
So yes Uni need to weigh this balance delicately and under Govt pressure to boost economy, common sense prevail and Uni start to teach more relevant and immediately applicable languages like Java (in my days), .NET etc.
I cannot speak of other Uni in other countries but in my country there is this trend of "bowing" to reality and govt policies :P
I think it's probably the university/college. I'm currently a freshman and the beginner courses I've taken have taught me alot. Let me say that I've been programming for quite many years now. It's not such much the syntax but algorithm development and advance computational techniques.
What I like about my professor is that she believes languages are temporary and she certainly has a valid point. We are taught programming concepts not so much so the syntax.
I'm pretty happy with the education I'm receiving. For example, this semester, we are going to learn about basis compiler construction and run a simulation with simple tools.
By the way guys, if you are in the U.S., you should be able to get both federal and state grant. Also apply for scholarships.
What I like about my professor is that she believes languages are temporary and she certainly has a valid point. We are taught programming concepts not so much so the syntax.
I'm pretty happy with the education I'm receiving. For example, this semester, we are going to learn about basis compiler construction and run a simulation with simple tools.
By the way guys, if you are in the U.S., you should be able to get both federal and state grant. Also apply for scholarships.
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I just found out from my room mate today (he's in the intro to computer science course) That they are completely revamping the curriculum, and I happened to be in the last class to have the crappy curriculum. So he's going to have classes that teaches him things that I was never taught in those same classes.
Also @thepedestrian,
I applied for scholarships all throughout highschool and my first year here at Uni and never got a single one, and I applied for everyone that I found that I was applicable for. As for grants and loans, I happen to be just wealthy enough to not get the big hand outs but just poor enough to need them.
Also @thepedestrian,
I applied for scholarships all throughout highschool and my first year here at Uni and never got a single one, and I applied for everyone that I found that I was applicable for. As for grants and loans, I happen to be just wealthy enough to not get the big hand outs but just poor enough to need them.
@Seraphimsan
I am the same way! What annoys me the most, especially in my school, is the rich people whose parents claim less than they make so they get ridiculous in grants. Plus, since they are rich, they have no interest in school. It's party time all the time. Or people who are rich and have no interest in school. Give me the money!
I am the same way! What annoys me the most, especially in my school, is the rich people whose parents claim less than they make so they get ridiculous in grants. Plus, since they are rich, they have no interest in school. It's party time all the time. Or people who are rich and have no interest in school. Give me the money!
In my school, they teach Java. I'm not in their program, but I talk to the people who take the course all the time. It seems that they are trying to teach good practices, but they seem to be learning instead to recycle others' code. I realized this when, after I showed my friends a game I was working on, one said "Where'd you get the code for this?" When I explained that I had typed and corrected, myself, each and every one of the 600+ lines of code, they *marveled* that I was able to do this. I was not amused or happy. I'm not sure why this is tolerated.
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