Comments on: Stories of Universities typo fix: in to so high => is not so high. typo fix: in to so high => is not so high.

]]>
By: MartinsM/2011/04/01/stories-of-universities/#comment-2361 MartinsM Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:51:10 +0000 [...] Stories of Universities [...] [...] Stories of Universities [...]

]]>
By: Fabrice Lété/2011/04/01/stories-of-universities/#comment-2258 Fabrice Lété Sat, 02 Apr 2011 16:01:36 +0000 You definitely have a point. I never took a networking or database course but I have heard the same. Where I did my undergrad the Operating Systems course was a joke, while the univ. where I'm attending grad school has much better coursework. I think univs are sometimes a little too behind the curve (computer graphics for ex.), but part of it is probably because they have to start from the basics. You definitely have a point. I never took a networking or database course but I have heard the same. Where I did my undergrad the Operating Systems course was a joke, while the univ. where I’m attending grad school has much better coursework. I think univs are sometimes a little too behind the curve (computer graphics for ex.), but part of it is probably because they have to start from the basics.

]]>
By: Aras Pranckevičius/2011/04/01/stories-of-universities/#comment-2250 Aras Pranckevičius Sat, 02 Apr 2011 13:13:47 +0000 We had lab work on analog computers ;) which was quite cool in a weird way. Most often bugs in a task were caused not by bad routing, but by broken wires or faulty connector plugs... We had lab work on analog computers ;) which was quite cool in a weird way. Most often bugs in a task were caused not by bad routing, but by broken wires or faulty connector plugs…

]]>
By: Aras Pranckevičius/2011/04/01/stories-of-universities/#comment-2248 Aras Pranckevičius Sat, 02 Apr 2011 13:01:47 +0000 I think you really need to go and look at a proper curriculum at a proper university. Here's a sample of what an undergraduate course usually looks like: -Start off with basic programming courses (usually Java nowadays sadly - used to be C which I thought was better). -<strong>Basic discrete maths, data structures and algorithms courses</strong> (including how to prove space/time complexity of an algorithm). -slightly more advanced courses like <strong>Formal Languages and theory of computation</strong>. -<strong>Programming Languages</strong> - where you learn how languages are interpreted and compiled. And end up making an interpreter for a simple language usually. -Assembly programming. Sadly less and less universities are offering this. -<strong>Operating Systems</strong>. The study of how OSs handle, create and manage resources. Where I study undergraduates are expected to modify OpenBSD's kernel as an assignment -Software Engineering. Where students are usually expected to work as a group on a much larger project (rather open-ended). Optional courses include: -Computer Graphics. Introduction to the basics of Computer Graphics (all the math), OpenGL and shaders, etc. -Computer networking/mobile computing/etc. -Artificial Intelligence -Bioinformatics -Computer Animation (using Maya or something else) -Database Management -and so on... And in grad school you get to learn even more advanced stuff - advanced algorithms, computational geometry, advanced data structures, distributed computing, etc. etc. Let's not even get into how much advancement there has been due to research in academia (for example in computer graphics). Now of course you could learn a lot by yourself - but I do feel that college helps you get a very solid base when it comes to Computer SCIENCE (remember - it's not just about coding but learning how to solve problems with the help of computers). I think you really need to go and look at a proper curriculum at a proper university. Here’s a sample of what an undergraduate course usually looks like:

-Start off with basic programming courses (usually Java nowadays sadly – used to be C which I thought was better).
-Basic discrete maths, data structures and algorithms courses (including how to prove space/time complexity of an algorithm).
-slightly more advanced courses like Formal Languages and theory of computation.
-Programming Languages – where you learn how languages are interpreted and compiled. And end up making an interpreter for a simple language usually.
-Assembly programming. Sadly less and less universities are offering this.
-Operating Systems. The study of how OSs handle, create and manage resources. Where I study undergraduates are expected to modify OpenBSD’s kernel as an assignment
-Software Engineering. Where students are usually expected to work as a group on a much larger project (rather open-ended).

Optional courses include:
-Computer Graphics. Introduction to the basics of Computer Graphics (all the math), OpenGL and shaders, etc.
-Computer networking/mobile computing/etc.
-Artificial Intelligence
-Bioinformatics
-Computer Animation (using Maya or something else)
-Database Management
-and so on…

And in grad school you get to learn even more advanced stuff – advanced algorithms, computational geometry, advanced data structures, distributed computing, etc. etc. Let’s not even get into how much advancement there has been due to research in academia (for example in computer graphics).

Now of course you could learn a lot by yourself – but I do feel that college helps you get a very solid base when it comes to Computer SCIENCE (remember – it’s not just about coding but learning how to solve problems with the help of computers).

]]>
By: warmi/2011/04/01/stories-of-universities/#comment-2234 warmi Sat, 02 Apr 2011 05:21:30 +0000 My most memorable moment in a university lecture was on a Modula-2 course (yes, really, they were teaching Modula-2 in 1995) and the lecturer was making a mess of trying to answer another student's question when he stopped and said "I'm not very good at this, am I?" :) My most memorable moment in a university lecture was on a Modula-2 course (yes, really, they were teaching Modula-2 in 1995) and the lecturer was making a mess of trying to answer another student’s question when he stopped and said “I’m not very good at this, am I?” :)

]]>
By: Lloyd/2011/04/01/stories-of-universities/#comment-2219 Lloyd Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:46:24 +0000 IMHO, proper self-education is worth more than low quality institutional education with the right motivation and resources. That is to say; if you can acquire those resources, know what curriculum you need to be well-rounded, and find employers willing to place a bet on someone without experience or education. IMHO, proper self-education is worth more than low quality institutional education with the right motivation and resources.

That is to say; if you can acquire those resources, know what curriculum you need to be well-rounded, and find employers willing to place a bet on someone without experience or education.

]]>
By: snake5/2011/04/01/stories-of-universities/#comment-2215 snake5 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:51:40 +0000